SOMETHING surprised and alarmed me about the recent response of Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman to the conviction of fellow MP David Chaytor last week.
It wasn’t Mr Sheerman’s declaration that he would stand by Chaytor and his family in his darkest of times.
This is an honourable position and one we might all adopt were close friends to find themselves in trouble.
Nor was it his pleas that Chaytor deserves recognition as a hard-working MP. Barry Sheerman has been a fine servant of his constituents and clearly sees qualities in other parliamentarians.
But in claiming that Chaytor had been ‘thrown to the wolves’ Mr Sheerman took the debate to a different place entirely.
The term usually suggests the cruel sacrifice of a hapless companion to save others from a pack of malevolent pursuers.
But, in this case, Mr Chaytor was convicted in a court of law for multiple and persistent offences which he initially denied, hoping to shelter behind a parliamentary privilege not available to the rest of us, but ultimately owned up to.
Mr Sheerman implies other MPs are guilty too but are being protected by their parties. What is he suggesting? That Labour’s leadership should have pulled strings to prevent Chaytor from facing justice and that by not doing so have let their MPs down?
There may indeed be other MPs as culpable as Chaytor, but two wrongs hardly make a right. And taking this stance does nothing to restore the image of MPs or to enhance the public’s confidence in the unity of the Labour Party under its new leadership.
“He obviously made a dreadful mistake,” says Mr Sheerman. Well yes, the prisons are full of people who made dreadful mistakes and one extra will hardly make a difference. Indeed the Blair/Brown government he supported filled the jails with record numbers of people, many for misdemeanours less heinous than Chaytor’s.
But we don’t want to be told that Chaytor’s punishment is the result of a ‘witch hunt’. Instead it’s a necessary step to restoring public confidence in our most important institution.
Another step will be for the members of that institution to stop portraying themselves as victims and to think twice before using histrionic language.
Phil Wood
Paddock
It’s funny money
SINCE the May General Election the coalition government has repeatedly told the British public we are paying £43bn in debt interest on monies borrowed by the previous administration.
Can any Mailbag reader tell me which countries, British/foreign banks, financial institutions, pension/hedge funds and/or speculators are benefiting from this £43bn?
In the recent government spending review most government departments suffered cuts to their budgets and, as a consequence, 330,000 public sector workers could lose their jobs.
One government department to see an increase in its budget is International Overseas Aid with budget increases from £7.8bn to £11.5bn by 2015.
Among all this Sheffield Forgemasters, already mentioned in Mailbag, wanted a loan of £80m from the government to help create and develop British jobs, only to be told ‘sorry, we have no money.’
Since then the British contribution to the European Union budget is increasing by £430m to £15.4bn. Now the British government is lending £7bn-plus to help the Irish government with their financial crisis.
If we can’t find £80m to lend to a British company, where are these extra billions of pounds coming from?
Borrowing more money? With all the budget cuts in Ireland will British exports to Ireland decrease?
MG
Crosland Moor
Misplaced civic pride?
WHAT a surprise to read a letter from our esteemed council leader Clr Mehboob Khan!
The grandly titled Festival of Light seems to have been a success.
Sorry to sound a little like Scrooge here but the council workers facing redundancy might not share in Clr Khan’s triumphant announcements.
At least the award-winning open space saw some action other than the usual shabby ‘international food’ fairs that normally occupy the area.
Trevor Woolley
Linthwaite
Stamp of approval
DURING the atrocious weather conditions I would like to thank the postmen and women for the great service they have given to the public.
They have never missed, and done their job with a smile.
I have worked outdoors for 50 years and I know what it’s like in very bad weather.
But, to be honest, I’ve never known conditions like we have just experienced over the past few weeks.
H Barrowclough
Waterloo
You’ve bin good
I WOULD like to say a big thank you and well done to the binmen of Cromarty Avenue, Crosland Moor.
Our road never gets gritted and has resembled the skating rink on the piazza for the past couple of days but they have just collected our bins on the correct day, just a little later than usual.
They get slated such a lot but not often thanked in extremely difficult conditions.
Mrs T Furness
Crosland Moor
Self-congratulation
THREE cheers for myself for taking my waste up to Meltham tip because no binmen could get on to our street.
And, guess what? I managed with an old car.
Paula
Walpole
Homeless shame
SURELY in this 21st century we should be able to house our homeless?
If it is beholden on our councils to provide accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers, how can it be acceptable to allow other vulnerable people to sleep on our streets?
People in authority should feel ashamed.
Mrs C H
Dalton
Cat-astrophy
THE Eirean kitten guzzled the European Union cream (£6 out for every £1 in) until it grew into the Celtic Tiger.
Then it made a big mistake – it bit the hand that fed and voted against the Lisbon Treaty.
Consequently it had to have its teeth drawn by being forced to vote ‘yes’ the second time round.
Now its low tax economy has forced it caterwauling and scratching to the EU vet again and this time for the cruellest cut – neutering.
So, after 300 years of fighting British rule, it’s taken 37 years to become another pet pussycat of the faceless bureaucratic EU dictatorship.
Make no mistake, had the British Bulldog joined the Euro it would have been similarly treated.
Richard Huddleston
West Slaithwaite
They all hate us
OUR failed bid to host the 2018 World Cup is just one more humiliating vote from our so-called friends and neighbours.
Maybe now is the time to throw in the towel regarding any thought of getting the World Cup in England, winning the Eurovision Song Contest and getting a fair deal in the European Union.
At a time of belt-tightening, the money that has been wasted in the run-up to the World Cup selection process could have averted some cuts that the people of this country face. The same could be said for the Eurovision song contest. And, lastly, the wasted billions to the EU.
Another common factor is that these organisations hate being shown up for what they truly are.
For some reason all have a united dislike of Britain. Is this, I wonder, because we still believe in fair play and honesty? I think the time has come to look these people in the face and tell them that we are not going to play their game any longer.
Getting out of the EU would be a positive start followed by dropping any idea of ever hosting the World Cup until Sepp Blatter either gives us the wink or leaves his post.
As for Eurovision, we could drop out of this comedy show or send the most awful song ever as protest to the vote rigging.
R J Bray
Huddersfield
Thanks for help
I WOULD like to thank the paramedics who attended my husband when he had an angina attack and a heavy nose bleed.
Thanks too to the Infirmary’s A & E, Winnie the house keeper and Ward 1 for the kind attention my husband received. I wish them all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
June Newton
Newsome
Support inmates
I THINK there should be a radical change in the way we think of and treat prisoners.
Basically they are just people who have lost their way in life. They should be educated into how they have come to get lost.
When they are ready to leave prison they should be given much help in finding jobs, voluntary ones if necessary.
John Turner
Netherthong
Pipers in stadium
IN a November 27 letter from Errol Hannon about pipers at the Galpharm Stadium, we incorrectly stated the pipers were Fusiliers. They were, in fact, Dragoon Guards. ED.
