Hear All Sides

I HAVE an addition to make to Ian Lamming's considerations on the pedigree of the British race (Echo, May 1).

According to Professor Sykes of the University of Oxford in his latest DNA tests, everyone whose maternal grandmothers were born before 1948 in this country is 99 per cent likely to be descended from the very first people who came to these islands between 10,000 and 14,000 years ago.

I know what British means. In a recent poll, 64 per cent said we should keep the pound and a further ten per cent were undecided. - P Thompson, Darlington.

IN response to Ian Lamming's feature on Britain: the mongrel race (Echo, May 1), may I point out that Queen Victoria was Kaiser Bill's grandmother, not his great aunt as stated.

His mother was Princess Vidona, oldest child of Victoria and Albert and elder sister of the future King Edward VII. She married the crown prince of Germany, who only reigned for about three months and died of throat cancer and was succeeded by Kaiser Bill. - Hanna Lee, Richmond.

SO Andrew Lightfoot (HAS, Apr 28) hasn't heard that the Chinese are not a race.

China is a country of many different ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language and culture. It is, in short, a multi-cultural nation.

Britain remains a unique and special place, but like practically every other country, it continues to evolve.

Over the centuries, people of many different cultures and religions have come and gone. This cultural diversity can enrich the lives of everyone and should be a threat to no one.

Nationalism is not incompatible with diversity, but we should never forget the horrors of Nazism and "ethnic cleansing".

Internationalism does not seek to impose some dreary global monoculture, but calls for co-operation, tolerance and respect between different nations and cultures.

Cultural and national identity, and family history, are important to most people, and the British, especially the English, seem to be in some turmoil over this at present.

Many people have complex or multiple identities, and so race is becoming a redundant concept, mainly useful to racists who tend to discriminate on the basis of superficial features like skin colour. - P Winstanley, Chester-le-Street.

I DO not agree with your editorial (Echo, Apr 30) calling for John Townend MP to be expelled from the Conservative Party.

He does not agree with multi-culture and neither do many people in this country who see it as divisive and dangerous, since it will make sure England will continue to be divided by religion, race, colour and culture for the future. Not a good outlook for those who wish to see their descendants grow up in a peaceful place.

Why isn't Tony Blair being urged to resign from the Labour Party for his insults to the British people when he allowed Robin Cook to call us "not a race"?

There is nothing racist about Mr Townend, but I wonder if Lord Taylor would be so persistent in calling for his resignation if Mr Townend were black. - P Stanhope, Spennymoor.

YOUR editorial (Echo, Apr 30) ignores what is paramount to any irresponsible Government and its behaviour on the question of illegal immigration.

William Hague should never be the Prime Minister of this great country, but at the same time it may just be possible, the longer this dilemma is allowed to fester.

It is time the British people were told the truth and that they should be allowed to have their say.

At the moment, we have those who tell us we are not the rightful owners; we are told our Englishness and Britishness are no long acceptable and if anyone wants to fly over and stay they are welcome.

England is a small country with a huge population. It is facing many problems with health care and employment. The Government tells us it is solving the problems by creating cheap labour schemes and juggling the books.

In many areas of the country there is deprivation and despair. Many people live in fear of attacks and intimidation.

Bus drivers face continuous assaults, the violence is at endemic levels and rising. One half of the population is getting richer, the other half told to get on with it. - John Young, Crook.

IN reply to RP Bainbridge (HAS, May 1), I make no apology for my recent letter on the Tory Party being racist.

As I write, another Tory MP, Lawrence Robertson, defends John Townend's racist remarks and William Hague still refuses to show them the door.

For Mr Bainbridge to say that the district and county councils are racist is ridiculous as both councils consist mainly of Labour and Liberal Democrats.

And yes, I will be electioneering in the next few weeks and I also fully grasp the central theme of politics - my credentials - not being a member of the Tory Party. - JL Thompson, Crook.

WE, as Anglo Saxons, are of mixed race (mongrels) as defined in the Oxford Dictionary.

The derogatory term mongrel is elitist, drawn from yesteryear when it was deemed lower class to own a dog of mixed breeding, known among the working-class as Heinz 57 after a well-known food manufacturer.

This is a storm promoted by spin doctors and parts of the media for purely political reasons. First, to stifle debate on the debacle of asylum seekers. Second, to divert attention from the shortcomings of this Government ie foot-and-mouth catastrophe, the diabolical state of the transport industry, the ever-increasing problems of the NHS, the rip-off fuel prices, declining education results, the RAF unable to use up to date technology, the Royal Navy having to borrow a submarine to meet its commitments, and the Army left with dodgy weaponry.

Add to this the withdrawal of the married couple's allowance, the pathetic 75p pensioners' increase of last year, the back door tax increments and all the promises that fell by the wayside, not forgetting the infamous Dome project. The only way to diffuse the race (asylum seeker) argument is to have a frank and open debate without fear or favour.

Not as we now have, back stabbing for scoring party political points, like squabbling, petulant children for the attention of an over protective mother. - C Matthews, Newton Aycliffe.

DUNKIRK

REGARDING the letters from EA Moralee, W Collinson and Douglas Punchard (HAS, Apr 26) on whether prayers had a significant part in the Dunkirk disaster or saviour, whichever side you take, one wonders what the thoughts are of a non-religious person taking a wider view.

In this century, millions of Christians have killed millions of Christians in two world wars and all sides averring that the supreme being was on their side. Even in countries like Russia between the wars, Christians killed millions of other Christians and both sides, vicitims and killers, received a Christian funeral, despite the fact that their God ordained the Commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill".

In the dying days of the British Empire on the island of Cyprus, Greek Christians killed British Christians, in fact the British Christians only felt safe in the Turkish Muslim areas.

What does a God think when both sides pray to Him (or Her) to let them be victorious? Or is it down to the most vicious, strong and cruel side which kills most of the enemy to which victory will be ensured? - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.