05/04/06

This is very misleading. Dr Kumar was an early and committed supporter of Mr Blair's Iraq strategy. In a speech prepared, but not called, for the recall debate in Parliament in September 2002 he wrote: "Mr Speaker, I do not want to dwell on war or the tactics of war. Even if it becomes necessary that Britain and the US are forced to act alone, as the joint arsenal and arm of democracy, I believe that we will prevail in any conflict."

Later, in January 2003, when I submitted a resolution against the war for debate by our constituency, Dr Kumar vigorously supported the war. After the initial military victory, Dr Kumar expressed satisfaction that opinion polls showed that the Government had not lost much support.

The Iraq war was reckless, illegal and justified on false pretences. All those MPs who supported it will remain responsible for the consequences even after Tony Blair has finally departed. - John Birtill, former Labour constituency chairman, Guisborough.

POISON CHALICE

IT seems that the latest example of Mr Blair's ability to mess with the truth has established his legacy in most people's minds as the man nobody, even his own party, could trust. I see one of his most loyal supporters, Ashok Kumar, (Echo, Mar 28) is calling for his removal and crossing over to support his enemy, Mr Brown. It also revealed civil war within his party when a Labour MP openly criticised Mr Brown's policies, and confirmed that the gap between rich and poor has increased during his reign.

Mr Brown has taken us on a debt-fuelled spending binge by 1) increasing taxes, especially on the lower paid; 2) recklessly increased public expenditure, with only minimal gains in services; 3) ruined pension schemes; 4) overseen rapidly-declining productivity, now lowest for 15 years; 5) increased unproductive public service employment; 6) created enormous levels of state and personal debt; and 7) moved the goalposts whenever necessary to cover up his inadequacies.

Most would like to see social injustice eliminated, but it must be remembered we need policies to create the funds to pay for this.

It would seem fitting the Chancellor becomes PM and takes over the poison chalice he has saddled himself with. - John Heslop, Gainford.

ELECTED MAYORS

I WAS amazed at the article (Echo, Mar 31) where Stockton Borough Council's assistant chief executive, Jenny Hawarth, discussed an elected mayor option as the electorate had dismissed it in 2000.

I seem to recall a different chain of events. The truth is that an elected mayor option was never actively pursued because the ruling Labour Group had already been instructed that a leader/cabinet system was preferred. As a result, consultation was pathetic - the end product being a paltry 1,200 in favour of the current system from a population of 180,000.

So come on, Ms Hawarth, let's have the full picture. What is currently being promoted in Stockton is an all-powerful, hugely expensive elite - in effect, ten elected mayors, presumably elected on a party political basis, carrying all of the usual controlling baggage. No thank you. We have seen these ideas before in the shape of a Regional Assembly and airport rebranding, which the public firmly rejected. What's being suggested now is a sure-fire recipe to further erode meaningful democracy.

The council should revert to the former way of working, proper committees, and the accountability of all elected councillors. - Ken Craggs, Alderman, Stockton Council.

PARKING CHARGES

WHEN Darlington Borough Council introduced parking charges it warned that two things would happen - that many people would stop shopping in Darlington town centre, and that many others would start parking in the Uplands Road-Cleveland Avenue area and walk into town to avoid paying. The town is very quiet.

Now, the council wants to introduce a residents' parking scheme in the Uplands Road-Cleveland Avenue area. It is unnecessary from the residents' point of view.

I have never had a problem parking within yards of my family home in Fife Road. Darlington Technical College is moving in July to Haughton Road and large numbers of parked cars will disappear because of the move.

We who live here don't need a residents' parking scheme and don't want one.

The council is merely trying to force people to pay its parking charges. The town centre parking charges should be drastically cut. Stockton, Middlesbrough and Durham charge less than half as much. Northallerton and Yarm are free. - Nigel Boddy, Darlington.

ID CARDS

IT is the right of every member of the public to have access to public records. However, I notice that the North Yorkshire Record Office now demands two forms of identification for the issue of what amounts to an ID card before it will allow people access. They also state that they will share our information with other government offices.

It does appear that the path is being prepared for national ID cards becoming compulsory by stealth. We will not have to carry one, but will be denied access to so many things unless we do so. I have nothing to hide, but I do object to the assumption that I am lying about my identity unless I can prove otherwise.

There is an increasing amount of government authoritarianism creeping into every part of our lives. The fingers of oppression tighten around our necks while we sleep. - Paul Stewart, Northallerton.

BUSINESS PARK

THERE is a proposal for a business park in Ingleby Barwick by Nunthorpe Nurseries, euphemistically called The Eco-Park. I object to this because the land is one of the few green spaces left on the already massively developed estate of Ingleby Barwick and extra traffic would result.

The estate was specifically designed for residential purposes, not commercial ones. Many commercial type developments in Stockton would be more suitable, eg, Bowesfield Park, Preston Park, Teesdale and Middlehaven.

Most importantly, the fact that there will be two access roads opposite All Saints' School poses a danger to pupils. Lowfields Avenue, in Ingleby Barwick, was closed for this very reason. - Mark Lee, Ingleby Barwick.

PROMOTION HOPES

SOME Darlington fans are very fickle, and I must admit that over the years they have had every right to be, but I cannot understand how some of them have recently been having a moan at manager David Hodgson.

We must not forget what he has done for the club by helping to save us from extinction and by steering us to safety from relegation.

The Quakers are within a whisker of claiming a play-off place, and I hope that Mr Hodgson and his troops gain promotion as it will leave some supporters with egg on their faces. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.