WAR ON IRAQ: I HAVE always ignored left-wingers. They would probably like to see their own grandparents receive less pension so that the Third World and asylum seekers in Great Britain would obtain more money from our government.

They may have been one million anti-war demonstrators in London the other week, but this was just a little storm in a little tea cup - 59 million people stayed at home, many of whom support President Bush and Tony Blair on their war stance.

Let's get rid of Saddam Hussein and quickly. Great Britain backs America. - Adrian Bell, Darlington.

FEBRUARY 15 was the mightiest political demonstration Britain has ever seen. It was the most decisive statement of the people's will on the present international crisis. They want their Government to speak for peace.

No Prime Minister should contemplate going to war against the manifest wishes of the vast majority of the country.

We are told to trust Tony Blair, but trust is a two-way process. What about Mr Blair trusting the people?

The people who marched are not supporters of Saddam; they are marching to give comfort to the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians who will be the victims of a Bush-Blair attack. Give peace a chance. - James Fitzpatrick, Gateshead.

WHEN considering the relationship between George W Bush and Tony Blair, could an analogy not be drawn from schooldays when at least one toady would suck up to the playground bully? - Ken Orton, Ferryhill Station.

TONY Blair says there is a moral case for war against Iraq. At the same time a million people in London and many millions more throughout the world sent him a message loud, clear and unambiguous: neither he nor George Bush has made that case.

Britain is used to protest marches, but we have seen nothing like the turnout on February 15.

They came from left, centre and right. They were old, middle-aged and young, rich and poor. They spoke with one voice.

There must be no war. It was, in words Tony Blair would have leapt at using in happier circumstances, the People's Protest.

We cannot go to war, and ask our own soldiers to die, based on a cobbled-together student thesis, a few shell cases and disputed evidence about missile launch sites.

That is not the high moral ground. That smacks of a vain attempt to shore up an increasingly desperate argument by power politicians beginning to feel the heat from the people who put them there.

The marchers on that Saturday do not doubt that Saddam is evil. They do not doubt the world would be better off without him. But the moral case must be proved to be just, right, honest and unanswerable. - DT Murray, Coxhoe.

SINGLE CURRENCY

YOUR article (Business Echo, Feb 19) advocates the benefits for manufacturing industry in the region in joining the euro. Whilst this may be advantageous for industry, I feel it would not be of interest to other members of the public.

In January 2001, the rate of exchange for sterling was about 1.6 euros to the pound. Currently the rate of exchange for tourists is about 1.43 euros to the pound, a reduction of ten per cent. Indications suggest that this trend will continue with the rate decreasing slightly over coming months. This will be to the detriment of us all should we join the euro in the near future.

Anybody planning a holiday in euroland this summer will need to budget an extra ten per cent for entertainment, excursions and souvenirs compared with last year, without accounting for inflation.

My conclusion is that if we need to join the euro to assist our industry, we should have bitten the bullet on January 1, 2001 with the other member countries and not dithered for months on end.

As the euro decreases, the exchange rate for the dollar holds up quite well. Perhaps we should holiday towards the west this summer in preference to the south. - Anthony Curran, Darlington.

OLYMPIC GAMES

I AM aware that the Government has again postponed the decision whether to go ahead with a bid for the Olympic Games in 2012, but on behalf of the Tees Valley Sport, I would urge them not to pass up this opportunity.

Tees Valley Sport is a partnership committed to improving opportunities for young people to participate in sport, bringing together local authorities, voluntary sports bodies (regionally and locally) and the University of Teesside.

We have secured substantial sports lottery funding and it is expected that partnerships like ours will have a significant role to play, not just in encouraging participation in sport, but providing pathways for young talent to develop.

Surely the pinnacle of any sports career must be to participate in the Olympic Games and on what better stage than at home with all the advantages that local (and vocal) support brings?

The legacy of a hugely successful Commonwealth Games was a return to the conviction that this country can stage major events and all the indications are that a bid would be welcomed. Yet there does seem to be a doubt that we should take this initial step.

We should begin by identifying what the real cost of bidding would be - using the wealth of talent that exists around major event organisation - and then take steps to put it in place.

Can I applaud the stance already taken by a number of individuals, including the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, to begin the process. We need to add our weight to ensure that the Olympic hopefuls from Teesside can realise the ultimate sporting dream - at home. - Paddy Corcoran, Chairman, Teesside Sport Steering Group, Middlesbrough.