WE wait agog to see what harebrained ideas come from the Labour Party Mark 3, better known as New Generation Labour.
When Labour Party Mark 1 got their first working majority – the landslide victory in 1945 with less than 50% of the total votes cast – they nationalised many, and threatened to nationalise all, of British industries that had been devastated in the Second World War.
This devastation was by them and the rest of the politicians who led us into another war only 21 years after failing the opportunity to make a lasting peace in Europe at the end of the First World War.
Without taking human nature into consideration, they gave us all what appeared to be free health care. This included dental and optical. It lasted for only a short time but created a legacy this country suffers from to the present day.
The industry that remains and the utilities are no longer in the hands of the British but in the hands of our foreign competitors. Thank you Mark 1 Labour.
Mark 2 of the Labour Party (New Labour) have, since 1997, done everything in their power to follow in the footsteps of the Conservative Party – that is, except conserve our heritage. We stand today in the threshold of losing all our traditions.
Mark 2 informed us that boom and bust was over. Little did they seem to understand the fact that you have to have the means for boom (home industry) before you can go bust. I assume on this basis they were right in their prognosis.
We were told that we could sustain our nation by relying on the financial institutions, tourism and service industries. This was conceived by Mark 2 and it has proved inadequate.
Who would want to come to Britain as a bona fide tourist with our climate with the world to choose from?
To the man in the street the financial institutions are as remote as Pluto and their only connection is being ripped off by them.
As for services, they depend on immigrants, we are led to believe. When the Coalition crumbles in the not too distant future we may have the opportunity to understand the meaning of Mark 3 New Generation Labour and its consequences.
Len Sandford
Lepton
Goodbye Welfare State?
RECENT letters in the Examiner have been critical of both the last Labour government and the Labour Party.
I can understand it from a Conservative supporter, but from a Lib Dem – no, I cannot. The Lib Dems are no longer an independent political party, they are now the Conservative reserve team.
I am in my 89th year and listening to the Conservative conference on Monday it is obvious that this government is out to demolish the Welfare State.
In fact, during the debates I tried to remember one piece of legislation by a Conservative government which was purely for the working classes – and I can’t.
On the other hand I can remember what the Tories did not do for the working classes.
In the 1920s this was supposed to be a country fit for heroes to live in. Instead we had filthy slums and mass unemployment which carried on into the 1930s.
While Germany put people back to work on munitions the Conservative government cut the defence budget to shreds. The result was World War II and the loss of half a million British lives.
The 1980s are still fresh in our minds with its three million unemployed and double-figure inflation. Thousands of pensioners were put into poverty and today the Tories say we are not going back to the 80s – whose leg are they pulling?
These are things that the Tories did for the working class, which is pretty much nothing.
I served six years in World War II and was awarded six medals which, over the years, I have worn with pride.
Now when I look at them and wonder if it was worth the effort.
Fairplayer
Almondbury
Doing the dirty
AS a resident of Stile Common Road, Primrose Hill, I regularly see my near neighbour’s boyfriend call home at lunchtime and take her dog for a quick ‘walk’ a few yards on to the top of Malvern Road.
It does its business then it’s back home, and no bag to pick the dirt up.
When something was said to him he didn’t want to know. But how would he like it if someone left some dog poo in front of their home?
I have children who sometimes walk on this grass, so please learn to pick it up. It only takes a few seconds.
reader
Stile Common
The Kirklees way
I WAS very impressed to read in Saturday’s Examiner how Chris Oldershaw revamped the Grainger Town area in Newcastle.
He spoke about the involvement of many different local groups who became, in effect, ambassadors for the project.
I do hope that he was put right about the Kirklees way of doing things.
Here we undertake sham consultation exercises and then the final decision is taken by a council officer who adds little bits and pieces that he thinks the project needs.
Take for an example the unlovely vision in pink and black with tasteless white staining that is St George’s Square.
I am sure Clr Martyn Bolt might support me here. After all, his end of year report was redrafted by these same officers. The only consolation this time is that they appear to have got the spelling right!
Trevor Woolley
Linthwaite
Choir’s thanks
MAY I thank the audience at our concert with Hepworth band on Saturday for supporting the Classic FM Music Makers charity for music education for disadvantaged children and adults.
A bucket collection at the end of the concert raised £341 which is much appreciated.
Part of the concert was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and I know that many members of the audience who lived through that period enjoyed singing war-time songs with the choir.
Our thanks also to our compère Peter Armitage who got back from holiday in Majorca only two hours before the concert started and was able to put on an accomplished, professional performance.
Stan Solomons
Honley Male Voice Choir
Be loyal to Town
DENNIS L Moore, in his letter headed ‘Same old Town story’ (Mailbag, October 5) gives a perfect example of one of the main problems at Huddersfield Town. Š
The problem is him and others like him, who ‘vote with their feet’, like he did ‘a long time ago’. Real fans of any club and any sport stick with a team through thick and thin, appreciating the good times, relishing the fabulous times and understanding, though not particularly enjoying, Šthe difficult times.
If you walk away, thus displaying no loyalty to your home town team, you relinquish the right to criticise and carp through the medium of your local paper. Š
But please, please Mr Moore, don’t come back! There is nothing worse than having to sit next to someone like you for 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon!
JD
Denby Dale
Labour ‘in denial’
JO Coles’ latest trio of letters to the Mailbag column shows that Labour is still in denial.
The coalition has been in power but a few months and Labour is blaming them for all the ills they themselves created.
What, if anything, would Labour do differently if they were still in power? The reality is they would have to be making the same unpalatable decisions on where to make cuts in services to balance the books.
Those who did nothing to cause the recession are now the ones expected to bail the country out. The problem, Jo, is that it was your party which created this catastrophic problem and it seems you and the party are now suffering from amnesia. It is always the workers of the country who pick up the pieces and pay for any mismanagement.
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. These are but a few wise words from probably the greatest statesman this country has ever had, Sir Winston Churchill.
Now that Labour are no longer in power they seem to know what and where things went wrong. I find that truly amazing. Did you see Harriet Harman clapping Ed Miliband’s speech regarding the unlawful act of Iraq when she herself voted for action? What a bunch of hypocrites!
Why, when we are in such a mess, cannot they just knuckle down and find ways to assist the government of the day to get this country back on its feet?
We are all in the same boat. It is just that some of us are in the bilges and some like Labour think they should be on the top deck. Labour’s idea of getting the ship right is for us to bail out while they sit in the sun lounge.
Can we see how we progress before we start to criticise? After the coalition government has righted some of your party’s wrongs, headway may be made. If after the deficit is reduced, things do not look to be on the up, then get on to your recruitment soap box.
R J Bray
Shelley
