THERE is an underlying ideology linking government cuts in welfare, education, health and jobs.
It’s based on the premise that public funding is ‘bad’, private funding, ‘good’ and that the poor, (not the banks) are to blame for the crisis.
It seems this government doesn’t care what harm it causes under its sham ‘austerity’ strategy, as long as it shrinks the state in the quickest possible time and it’s clear that we can’t rely on a future Labour government to put things right.
Over the next few weeks and months, members of Kirklees Axe the Tax are doing all they can to collect signatures on a petition against the bedroom tax.
The petition calls on Kirklees Council to refuse to implement the ConDem government’s Under-Occupancy Penalty or, as most people know it, the Bedroom Tax.
From April 1 2013, if it is considered they are under-occupying their homes, social housing tenants of working age on housing benefit will have their benefit cut by, on average, £14 per week. The majority of people in this situation are disabled.
We call upon Kirklees Council to refuse to evict people who cannot pay this mean and spiteful tax which will have a major impact on the disabled, the over-40s and tenants on a low income.
Get involved. To download blank petitions, contact our facebook site Kirklees Axe the Tax and collect signatures down your road or round your estate.
Otherwise, give them someone you know who is involved in Kirklees Axe the Tax or email: kirkleesaxethetax@gmail.com for further information.
The legality of the Bedroom Tax is under scrutiny next month.
Some judges are saying they cannot evict people on the basis of it because it may be found to be discriminating against the disabled.
However, from past experience, we cannot rely on the law to put things right so we must do all we can to build the pressure from below.
June Jones
Marsden
Battling cancer
THE Huddersfield Committee of Yorkshire Cancer Research recently held a presentation night at which a cheque for £35,000 was presented to a representative of the charity from its headquarters in Harrogate.
The people of Huddersfield are always extremely generous and we are always in the top five areas for fundraising.
In the last financial year, Yorkshire Cancer Research funded the universities and teaching Hospitals of Yorkshire to the tune of £6.5m.
This amount of money does take some raising and to help, the Huddersfield Committee is holding a concert on May 18 at 7.15 in Huddersfield Town Hall.
Two years ago we had a concert of male voice choirs and raised £8,400.
This year it is the turn of the ladies. There will 250 ladies singing from eight local choirs along with Hade Edge Band.
We have been very fortunate to have Lynne Dawson, who is head of Vocal Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, as a soloist. Lynne is one of the world’s leading sopranos and has taken time off from her world travels to support Yorkshire Cancer Research.
Sarah Ogden, who will be known to many in Huddersfield, will also be singing for us.
The Huddersfield Committee would ask the people of Huddersfield to support Yorkshire Cancer Research by coming to our concert.
John Ward
Treasurer, Huddersfield Committee of Yorkshire Cancer Research
No need for new test
WHAT would be the point in having a driving test every 10 years?
They say standards slip such as one hand steering and failing to signal properly.
But I’m sure if you had to re-take your test you could keep both hands on the wheel, signal properly, keep the radio off and stick to the speed limits for one measly hour, then slip back into driving how you normally drive!
Dom Lemingway
Salendine Nook
Longer sentences
THE potential terrorists who planned to blow us all up in a heap of blood and mangled bodies received sentences of between six and nine years.
This means they will be out in three to four years and still young men probably un-reformed.
Personally I would like to see them hanged, but at the very least let us put them away for 30 years with no remission.
Godfrey Bloom
UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
Maggie’s war years
I’VE asked for opinions from Mrs Thatcher’s admirers on her lack of war service.
So far, there’s been one irrelevant and one silly letter.
So, what’s my opinion on what it shows us about her?
First, it shows her belief in looking after number one.
Other young people made sacrifices. She took advantage of that. When they came back from serving their country, Margaret had the drop on them.
That was her idea of ‘natural’ human behaviour. There is no such thing as society. It’s just people competing against each other to grab what they can for themselves and their families. Individual greed is good. That’s just how it is.
Second, she was a shameless hypocrite. She forever preached to the rest of us about ‘patriotism’ when she knew she’d refused to show any when it was most needed.
She grabbed hold of the flag when she wanted our votes, but hadn’t touched it with a barge pole when it counted.
Third, war service was what made her generation who they were. They stood together against Hitler and helped see him off.
At the end of the war they looked back at what life had been like under the Tories in the 1930s.
Mass unemployment. Poverty. Medicines only if you could afford them. Flag Days to raise money to run hospitals. Decent education only if you could afford it.
They asked themselves what they could do about that if they worked together. Maybe the best way to look after number one was to work together to look after each other together.
So, they elected the first Labour Government with an overall majority.
That government set up the NHS. Every Tory MP voted against it.
It set up the Welfare State, so we can work together to look after our individual needs by looking after everybody’s.
And Mrs Thatcher hated it all. She’d turned down the chance to be involved in one great national effort – and was dead-set against this one.
For her, it wasn’t natural. It robbed people of individual responsibility. It made them lazy. It made Britain weaker.
Mr R A Vant
Holmfirth
