Letters
Election aftermath
I HAVE no problem with Mark
Anderson's critique of Government
policies (HAS, May 7) wherein he
asserts his view that a number of
national and international policies
are proving unpopular with the
electorate.
However, I must ask what national
and international policies such as
immigration, the conflicts in Iraq
and Afghanistan, a referendum on
Europe and scrapping the Olympics,
etc has to do with the work carried
out by the many good women and
men who lost their seats in the
"local" elections last Thursday?
People who think like Mr
Anderson fail to differentiate
between national politics and the
sterling work which many
councillors engage in at local level.
Consequently, many hard-working
and committed women and men lost
their seats in last week's elections
having worked tirelessly on "local"
issues on behalf of people and
communities having no regard for
party politics and national or
international matters.
Phil Graham, New Coundon,
Bishop Auckland.
THE Government deserved its
drubbing. People turned to the
Tories because they feel that they
have been clobbered under Labour.
They feel under pressure from rises
in the prices of food and energy.
If the Tories should win the next
election they may not be able, or
even want, to protect people against
things like the rise in the cost of
food or energy which are caused by
world capitalism. Intervening in
world markets would be very much
against Tory philosophy .
The Government predictably in its
response to the local elections runs
to the media to defend itself and
announces plans for relaunches and
bold policy initiatives. If it kept
silent and kept its head down for a
while and let the media spotlight fall
on the Tory alternative, or lack of it,
then, come the next election, Labour
might narrowly scrape home.
Peter J Brown, Middlesbrough.
DURHAM North MP Kevan Jones
was one of those Labour MPs who
urged Tony Blair to resign and be
succeeded by Gordon Brown.
Mr Brown recently admitted he
had made mistakes. Does Mr Jones
accept that he too made a big error
of judgement calling for Mr Blair's
resignation?
Malcolm Pratt, Chester-le-Street.
BOTH the leader and deputy leader
of Sedgefield Borough Council failed
to win seats on the new unitary
authority for County Durham.
Neither councillors Agnes
Armstrong or Vince Crosby need to
spend too much time wracking their
brains looking for an explanation.
Three years ago, Sedgefield
council told its tenants that it
intended to privatise their homes by
transferring them to a housing
association. Tenants told them they
did not want privatisation and voted
against the transfer.
Since then, wise councillors have
privatised the out-of-hours callout'
service. In February, they privatised
the workforce and finally, in the runup
to these local elections, they
announced that they once again
intended to privatise our council
homes sometime in the summer.
Maybe now the message will
finally sink in. Council tenants don't
want privatisation.
I will be voting to stay as a council
tenant. It's the most security anyone
in rented accommodation can get.
Our failed candidates will soon
have plenty of time on their hands
to reflect on what happens when you
ignore the views of the people you
are elected to serve.
Vanessa Huggins, Sedgefield.
I WOULD like to thank everyone
who voted for me in the unitary
elections. I was unsuccessful but
very pleased with the support I
received.
Philip Wolstenholme,
Independent candidate for Newton
Hall, Durham City.
COULD I thank everyone who
supported Colin Clark and myself in
the Brandon Division comprising of
Brandon, Browney, Meadowfield and
Langley Moor. Unfortunately we
were not elected, but Councillor
Denis Jackson and myself will still
be working very hard on the City of
Durham Council representing local
residents, as will Colin Clark in the
West Rainton area, and myself as
Parish Councillor for Meadowfield. I
was ill at the time of the election
and am slowly progressing back to
good health. I really appreciate all
the good wishes I have received.
Maureen Smith, Lib Dem
candidate, Langley Moor, Durham.
I WOULD like to thank the 890
people in Middlestone Moor and
Spennymoor who saw through
Labour's last-minute desperate lies
and voted for positive change.
Labour is running scared.
Jackie Walker, BNP candidate,
Spennymoor.
AS two proud members of the
British National Party, we would
like to thank the 1,775 people of
Tudhoe ward in Spennymoor who
voted for us in the recent election.
After months of hard work we came
within 129 votes of winning a
council seat. We will continue to
work hard for our community. The
very fact that we were so close has
made us even more determined to
make a stand in the next local
elections in order to be given the
chance to represent the people of
Spennymoor.
Adam Walker and Amanda
Foster, Spennymoor.
12:19pm Friday 9th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe on 4:02pm Fri 9 May 08
Vanessa Huggins, Sedgefield, makes a valid point, after trying once to sell off the housing stock and failing this second attempt is also going against the grain with many tenants. There is 1.6 million people nationally on various housing lists wanting to rent houses and many are low paid workers who can't afford to buy and rely on council housing for somewhere to live but many councils run by Labour have been following central government policy and selling their housing stock to private companies to the detriment of the people renting council housing. Thousands of people are now in the position of having their homes reposessed through this governments housing policies and since many of these housing associations have pulled down more social housing than they have built many can now look forward to a life on the streets due to New Labour.
Vanessa Huggins, Sedgefield, makes a valid point, after trying once to sell off the housing stock and failing this second attempt is also going against the grain with many tenants. There is 1.6 million people nationally on various housing lists wanting to rent houses and many are low paid workers who can't afford to buy and rely on council housing for somewhere to live but many councils run by Labour have been following central government policy and selling their housing stock to private companies to the detriment of the people renting council housing. Thousands of people are now in the position of having their homes reposessed through this governments housing policies and since many of these housing associations have pulled down more social housing than they have built many can now look forward to a life on the streets due to New Labour.
Posted by: luke moore, spennymoor on 7:24pm Fri 9 May 08
its nice to see the bnp candidates will still be working hard in the community even though they didnt win a seat,perhaps the labour councillors who did get a seat can follow suit and start to show their faces and actually do something,or will we not see them again until the next election.
its nice to see the bnp candidates will still be working hard in the community even though they didnt win a seat,perhaps the labour councillors who did get a seat can follow suit and start to show their faces and actually do something,or will we not see them again until the next election.
Posted by: David Lacey, Newcastle on 9:53am Mon 12 May 08
The Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) of local authority owned housing stock to an Arms Length Management Company (ALMO) or housing association has brought immense benefits to those tenants who were shrewd enough to vote in favour of loosening the link with the council. It has also helped the tax burden on other residents not living in social housing. All over the North East estates of run down houses are being revitalised as a result of stock transfer. Only those driven by political motives can fail to see the benefit of this policy.
The Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) of local authority owned housing stock to an Arms Length Management Company (ALMO) or housing association has brought immense benefits to those tenants who were shrewd enough to vote in favour of loosening the link with the council. It has also helped the tax burden on other residents not living in social housing. All over the North East estates of run down houses are being revitalised as a result of stock transfer. Only those driven by political motives can fail to see the benefit of this policy.
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