27/04/05

Grey voters form such a huge chunk of the electorate.

A senior candidate is most in tune with the concerns of pensioners. I think at least 40 per cent of our MPs should be seniors.

Many young immature politicians have too many personal problems and lack commitment. Seniors do a better job.

Let's learn from the Vatican experience.

As a grey voter, my motto is: Vote for a senior and forget the rest. - Raymond Bell, Helsinki, Finland.

NASTY TYRANT

ALONG with Councillor Frank Robson (HAS, Apr 25), I sympathise with Mr Keys on the loss of his son serving in the armed forces.

I agree also with Coun Robson's comments concerning removing dictators.

Whatever the doubts and controversy, it cannot be ignored that Saddam Hussein was a particularly nasty tyrant who needed banishing.

I've never forgotten the sad occasion I had in attending the memorial service for Observer journalist Farzad Bazoft in St Bride's, Fleet Street, in March 1990. I found it incredible that the Saddam regime so barbarically executed this journalist despite all the pleas for his life to be spared in mercy and compassion.

Regarding the controversial weapons of mass destruction, doubtless Saddam was once in possession of lethal nasties. He proved it in horrendously mass gassing innocent Kurdish people and Mr Bazoft paid with his life in going on the trail of them. So there's no smoke without fire on the issue.

My appreciation and praise go to all brave service people who have the dangerous task in removing dictators of the world and thereby liberating many innocent people.

Had I been well and able, I'd have gladly offered to go help sort out the Baghdad tyrant myself. - Bethany-Megan Robinson, Middleton St George.

HIDE AND SEEK

THE premise of the average person's "I've got nothing to hide" when asked about ID cards is, to say the least, a little naive.

Over several years my family has had dealings with the DVLA, the Passport Office, DHSS and the NHS and have, like many others, suffered a catalogue of wrong information, lost official documents, mislaid forms (three times), incorrect spelling of addresses, wrongly spelt surnames twice (on driving licences), and incorrect birth dates.

At no time did anyone from any of these government offices apologise or admit blame.

The money spent in producing these cards would solve many of the problems of under-funding in areas where the official stance is lack of resources. And there is no guarantee that these cards will serve any real purpose other than employing more civil servants and providing a new title for some lucky MP.

I have nothing to hide, but don't trust that the bureaucrats will get it right.

If Blair pushes this through, look forward to more incompetence, a great deal of phoning, emailing and writing and the usual excuses of computer failure as you try to prove you are who you say - all at your expense as well as the taxpayers' - S Harnby, Stockton.

TIME WILL TELL

I WONDER if, through your column, someone may be able to help. Having lived in Lincolnshire for the past 50 years and now back in the North-East, I offered to help a neighbour who served in the Royal Air Force in the Second World War as an air gunner.

He was stationed for some of the time in the Teesside area and a favourite drinking spot was at Yarm at a pub he thought was called the Glass and Bottle, opposite a church where the clock has an inscription printed around it.

Does anyone know what the inscription was? - A Gaskill, 50 Rosemount Road, South Church, Bishop Auckland. (01388) 773585.

LESS POWER

ANOTHER General Election approaches and the British electorate are faced with the same prospect.

That is the three main political parties declaring their continued commitment to the European project currently called the European Union.

We are about to elect a government for the eighth time since we joined the then EEC. The inescapable fact is that at every one of these elections the government we have chosen has less power over our affairs than the previous one. How can such a state of affairs have come about without the electorate being able to grasp fully what has taken place?

So around comes another election and the great deception carries on. None of the main parties are prepared to tell the voters that arrangements are ready to sub contract the country's governance to a higher authority (up to 70 per cent of law comes from Brussels).

Democracy is not to be taken for granted; it is hoped that everyone uses their vote. But one thing is certain: you will be electing a government that has less authority than ever to govern the UK.

How could this have possibly been allowed to happen? - Colin Moran, Sunderland.

PETS PLEA

SUMMER will soon be here and fairs and fetes will abound. I appeal to event organisers to consider animals.

I am always upset to see dogs left in cars on hot days. Why can't organisers allow dogs on leads, owners equipped with drinking water and a doggie bag to clean up afterwards.

Instead, we see countless numbers of dogs in cars. The poor dog doesn't die through lack of oxygen - it overheats.

Let's make summer an enjoyable experience for animals also. - Name and address supplied.

ASYLUM SEEKERS

IT MAKES me mad that the five immigrants who were found in a lorry in Boroughbridge recently have all claimed asylum in this country and are free to stay here to be "screened" (Echo, Apr 22).

These five men, three Iraqis and two Iranians, should have been arrested at the scene of their discovery by the North Yorkshire police and boarded on planes immediately, bound for their homelands. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

BUY BRITISH

IF LABOUR is serious about winning the election it should guarantee it would nationalise MG Rover and further guarantee to buy government vehicles, including those for the civil service, police and ambulance service from Rover.

The idea that this country should rely on British expertise to build ships, aircraft, and transport vehicles, including railways, is truly out of character with present day political thought. - CE Loerns, Durham City.