THE Bedroom Tax and moves to make the unemployed pay Council Tax are two of the most despicable pieces of Tory policy yet.

Not content with destroying jobs and cutting wages under the excuse of austerity, the Government is now launching a wholesale attack on the poorest sections of our community. Contrary to sensationalist accounts, benefits for the majority is a pittance and now people are to have their paltry benefits cut to pay for the crisis and this from a Government of millionaires who have spare bedrooms and mansions a plenty.

Where is the justice when the poorest in society are being penalised for having a spare bedroom when MPs are provided with two or more homes at taxpayers’ expense?

Doubtless some of the more mean minded in society may say “well, I have to pay Council Tax, why shouldn’t the unemployed,” to which I would challenge such people to review their bills in 12 months time and they will still be paying more for less services despite the unemployed also paying.

The £120 billion in Corporate Tax evasion by the rich puts the benefits bill in perspective and can be contrasted to the £3.85 billion saved in benefit cuts. One is the rich paying their way, the other is an attack on the poor.

Never before has a Government been so motivated by class hatred and ideology and yet over decades with their persistent drive for short term profit leading to the destruction of industry and the loss of jobs, it is they who have created the ‘benefits culture.’

Ian Brooke

Springwood

Wonderful councillors

LAST year after finding out I had serious problems with my house it was suggested I contact my local councillor.

Greg Christofi was the first point of contact and although the man works round the clock at the Old Bridge Bakery and as a parish councillor he found time to come to see me the very next day.

Greg said I was to contact Donald Firth, a councillor for Holmfirth.

Even though Clr Firth was in the middle of a campaign he was there for me, calling in, phoning and generally making things happen.

His backing was a massive support. He has changed my prospective on politicians. The man is totally for Holmfirth, for its occupants and for the future of the people who work in the village.

I haven’t a clue what goes on in Whitehall or for what his party stands for. I never asked and it was never mentioned.

Very early on we were in touch with Kay Beagley at Kirklees Metropolitan Council who with her help and her colleagues were utterly focused on sorting out the problems.

She was a terrific help and fought the case along with Donald Firth.

They were relentless in their efforts to help me.

I cannot thank these people enough for their tenacity, understanding, support and input.

I had nowhere to turn and these people were there for me.

Thank you, you’ve all been amazing. Max from Elland Remedial Services, Jon at Home Build and all who worked on my home – you did a fantastic job.

Linda Kelly

Holmfirth

Defending the ukulele

I WONDER why Examiner journalist Dave Himelfield (Examiner, March 11) felt the need to ‘slag off’ the ukulele as a ‘toy’ instrument.

The ukulele is a fun instrument and the fact that it has ‘only four’ strings does not mean it deserves to be considered inferior to other instruments.

Mr Himelfield says it requires “marginally more skill to play than a Kazoo.”

If your logic is to be understood, then a trumpet has ‘only’ three valves so should be a doddle to play.

You might not like the sound of a ukulele but I see no need to be a musical snob about it and, yes, I have played acoustic and electric guitar. I also play the ukulele/banjo and two manual organs and I am in the process of building a ukulele from scratch.

If you go to Gypsy Ukulele Duet on the web you will hear the potential of the ukulele.

We don’t all have the benefit of a natural musical talent and have to work at it to get results so Mr Himelfield please keep your comments to something useful and a little less insulting.

Les Nelson

Honley

Student road danger

HUDDERSFIELD welcomes the ever-increasing numbers of bright young university scholars.

However, on certain busy roads motorists are forced to run the gauntlet between hoards of students, most of whom appear disengaged with their surroundings, yapping away on mobile phones or looking vacantly into the middle distance as they listen to the latest Justin Bieber download.

Motorists have a bad enough time on Huddersfield’s miserable roads without constantly having to second guess the intentions of these youngsters.

Firth Street is particularly bad where students will, without warning, veer into the road expecting the world to do an emergency stop to allow their passage.

The ring road at Queensgate is downright dangerous where the university campus is stuck on the wrong side of an insanely busy duel carriageway.

It’s not for the faint hearted to witness students engage in kamikaze-like dashes across the road on dangerous bends and against the lights.

Since it became listed, we’re stuck with appalling Queensgate Market forever, so isn’t it time for a footbridge to span the ring road from St Paul’s to the Piazza?

A useful project for architectural and civil engineering students, methinks.

Uncle Grumpy

Golcar

Heroes are welcome

STORIES have been in the media regarding Petty Officer Nicky Howse who was asked to cover up her Naval uniform on a Virgin Flight.

This type of avoidable situation was the very reason that we launched Heroes Welcome in 2008 when a handmade poster appeared in a Scarborough fish restaurant stating that Heroes Are Welcome Here. This was as a result of Peterborough asking that uniforms not be worn in the city for fear of offence and also a soldier from my own 16 Air Assault Brigade being turned away from a Woking Hotel for wearing his uniform.

Since then this simple sentiment of a warm and understanding welcome supported by a display of a sticker and a smile has been adopted by over 60 towns, cities, counties and even the Falklands and Gibraltar. Governments are now on board. Heroes welcome is a free web-based resource that councils and other organisations can use to support the Armed Forces Community Covenant.

John Senior

Founder of Heroes Welcome