COUNCIL TAX

Darlington Labour Council has just approved a four year budget which will add a further 20 per cent to that increase.

The Conservative group agreed with the improvements in services contained in that budget, but not the 20 per cent increase in council tax.

The vision of the Labour group is to continue the remorseless increase in council tax, well in excess of inflation, year after year.

The vision of the Conservative group is to use this four year budget to continue to improve services but to use the efficiency savings, which are already being generated, to get council tax in line with the rate of inflation.

At the last full council meeting the Labour group was given the opportunity to support us. They had neither the political will or vision to do so. - Councillor Tony Richmond, leader of the Conservative group, Darlington Borough Council.

FOOTBALL CROWDS

HOW can a state-of-the-art modern stadium that holds 27,500 people incur a 30-minute delay to kick off because of crowd congestion when the Darlington/Carlisle crowd was only 8,500?

Also, nothing was moving on the A66 bypass due to tailbacks for around two hours around the game.

What if we ever drew Newcastle, Boro or Man Utd in the Cup and filled the place, would the whole town just grind to a halt?

Never mind, it gave us time to have another pie and a pint under the stand until the supplies ran out. - Mark Anderson, Middleton St George.

CARE HOMES

MY wife and I were among the initial protestors who were against the closure of the remaining nine Durham County Council-run care homes.

Judging by the actions of county council leader Ken Manton (Echo, Mar 16) it seems we have won the battle, but not the war.

He warned his colleagues that he would consider his position if the vote went against him.

Coun Manton has called for a leadership election on a 'Back me or sack me' basis. Dare I suggest that the leader has 'spat his dummy out' over this?

By calling for a leadership re-election he can and will coerce and influence the majority of council members to re-elect him as leader. This will, of course, allow Coun Manton to carry on and pursue his ill-conceived and heartless plan of care homes closures.

It seems on the face of it that the council leader has decided on his plan of action.

It is to be hoped that when or if Coun Manton puts the care homes closures on his agenda that the elected county councillors use their own personal conscience and convictions and vote freely on this very emotive issue and not under a veiled threat of further actions by the council leader if the vote once again should go against him.

It must be foremost in everyone's thoughts that we all grow old and these wonderful care homes are just that, homes of care and not commercial enterprises. - P Cheesbrough, School Aycliffe.

GOOD NEWS

IT is very good news that 800 British troops are to be brought home from Iraq.

This appears to be the start of a planned and staged withdrawal and the Defence Secretary's announcement is most welcome.

Though not yet ready to take responsibility for policing the region, it is nevertheless good to see an Iraqi Security Force total 235,000 members.

The Government's aim has always been to reduce our military presence in Iraq and now at last this is beginning to happen.

The decision to withdraw should meet with widespread approval. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.

LINDISFARNE GOSPELS

IN view of the latest attempt to bring the Lindisfarne Gospels back to where they belong, it is worth looking at the merits of the case for their return yet again.

This is not just any book; it was written to honour St Cuthbert, and was associated with his relics from the moment it was written until it was stolen by Henry VIII's commissioners, who were more interested in its jewelled covers than its beauty.

Even considered as "just a book" ie a Latin gospel manuscript with an Anglo-Danish interlinear translation of considerable interest to scholars, why must it stay in London? Researchers not based in the capital have to travel to consult it; why should they not travel to Durham, and see it in context?

"The British Library cannot legally surrender its ownership". Who says they have to? The Tower Armoury still owns all the weapons currently on display in Leeds; why should not the Gospels similarly be on permanent loan to Durham?

The real obstacles to the return of the Gospels are the cultural imperialism of the capital, whose inhabitants assume that everything of value belongs in London, and the unwillingness of a public institution, the British Library, to upset its nice neat arrangements.

Can stolen goods ever become the legal property of receivers? The Gospels belong in Durham, and should be returned forthwith. - TJ Towers, Durham.

PRISONS

SO jails are too tough for people who are in them. Who cares?

I don't, because at the end of the day they broke the law.

Charles Clarke should increase the jail terms by 15-30 per cent. How would he feel if someone murdered his family? I bet he would change his mind on this matter.

That is the trouble with people like Charles Clarke, he has no idea what the victim is going through. I think Mr Clarke had better think twice on this, especially since Labour's days are numbered. - Stephen Beaton, Darlington.

SMOKING DEBATE

RE John Young's letter (HAS, Mar 16). Of course there should be smoking pubs and non-smoking pubs - in fact designated places for both groups should be the norm.

This has been true for some while with what result? Smokers ignore it and can be seen everywhere every day puffing away right against the no smoking signs, especially at the entrance to hospitals where the ground is thickly covered with cigarette butts.

There is no greater arrogance than that of smokers who think the whole world is their ashtray and they should be allowed to smoke wherever and whenever they want, oblivious to how it affects others.

As to the 'stink' of the argument, there is no worse stink than that of the clothing of smokers, even when they are not smoking.

Why should non-smokers have to have their clothes smell the same way, their eyes streaming, throat irritated because some inconsiderate smoker sees fit to shroud them in their discarded smoke?

And Mr Young thinks they should not be annoyed. - Margaret Zanir, Spennymoor.

After a long rant about non-smokers and the banning of smoking in public places, Mr Young remarks that imposing the "annoyance" of a ban on smokers stinks.

In truth, when in the presence of people who smoke, everybody stinks.

We non-smokers are just about sick of having to tolerate their reek. - Ken Orton, Ferryhill Station.