SO the Lib Dems are leaving the Labour Party in charge of Kirklees Council after what Clr Mehboob Khan calls a steadying influence over the last six months.

Labour and the Lib Dems ousted the Tories over their school plans after complaints from concerned parents and then went ahead with virtually the same proposals and ignoring all the protests, petitions and consultations against the plans.

They pushed through plans to close New Mill Library, again after much local protest and petition, and the Tourist Office is another example of ignoring theŠelectorate to push through council ideas that only they seem to like.

This is a great way to decide what proposals should be taken up – make them up yourselves.

All these councillors give the impression that they are the ones and not the people who elected themŠwho have the sole answer on what should be done and where and the voters are only a minor distraction to get anything passed no matter what.

After the Thandi brothers destroyed Castle Hill they should have been made to return it to its former state at no cost to the people of Kirklees, but don’t hold your breath. It appears the council will only fight for something that they have come up with.

And don’t even get me started on St George’s Square.

It could be time at the next local elections to get rid of all the councillors who have served more than one term and get new blood in – people who do notŠhave agendas and who are prepared to work for their voters and not just themselves.

Possibly then we would not need a steadying influence.

Alan Wade

Almondbury

Make councillors pay

IT is to be hoped that Kirklees councillors of all political parties have been reading the recent highly critical letters in the Examiner and taken careful note of the messages the general public is sending them.

The St George’s Square development, for example, is an absolute disgrace and as for we council taxpayers having to foot an annual bill of £50,000 for an utterly pointless water feature ... well, I have a suggestion.

There are evidently 69 councillors each being paid a minimum of £11,000 a year so why should that figure not be reduced by £1,000 so that they have to pay for this financial folly?

Next May’s elections will be most interesting and what I would like to see are more wholly independent candidates who actually live in the wards they represent and can, therefore, identify themselves far more closely with the local populace.

In my ward, for example, two of our three councillors don’t actually live in the area. Put another way, voters in future must be far more vigilant, carefullly examine their credentials and ignore political party nominees.

We voters must be far more careful about where we put our X.

Martin Noble

Brockholes

Year of the GNAT

IT seems like only yesterday that we saw the announcement of New Labour’s GOATs – Government Of All Talents.

Now, with a steady exodus of ministers and a seeming reluctance of talented people to be associated with impending electoral failure, we see a very different picture.

In a House of Commons terminally tainted on most, if not all, sides by the hint of corruption (real or imagined), we have an exhausted-looking Prime Minister presiding over a fag-end administration beset by problems and bereft of solutions.

Some of these problems are of its own making – uncontrolled immigration, the disastrous push for multi-culturalism, wars of doubtful legitimacy and/or purpose, the ID card fiasco and fiscal profligacy disguised as prudence.

Others, such as global recession, the banking debacle and influenza pandemic are not directly attributable to Government policy.

Nonetheless, the Brown administration gives a distinct impression of bumbling and fumbling in its reactions to them.

We send too few servicemen and women into action without providing them with the necessary equipment. We spend vast sums of money rescuing banks, but see them either sit on this funding or redistribute it in the form of ‘bonuses.’ We receive conflicting and often condescending advice on how to guard against influenza.

Who, in all honesty, believes that this present set of ‘leaders’ has the wherewithal to see us through the current turbulence?

Far from the much-vaunted GOATs, we now seem to be led by GNATs – Government of No Apparent Talents. Perhaps Charles Darwin was wrong with his theory of evolution for we have seen a regression from mammals to midges. Time surely for Brown’s Government and this discredited rump Parliament to head for the ultimate Darwinian destination – extinction to make way for those better adapted to the challenges of survival.

Bill Armer

Deighton

Smooth French roads

AS A bit of a cyclist myself I look forward to the annual sporting spectacle that is the Tour De France.

Besides the footage of the race itself, you get some wonderful views of France, not just the agreeable countryside but also their handsome towns and cities.

It always strikes me how wonderfully smooth their roads look.

Similar views of our roads in Kirklees would show a patchwork of many shades where countless contractors have had a go at digging a hole, then filling it in badly.

France has a similar population to the UK and their roads must take a similar pounding by heavy traffic.

The French citizen must be served by exactly the same utilities as us whose pipes, conduits and cables must be buried beneath their streets.

Why then are our roads in such a terrible mess? Maybe on their next corporate knees-up to Besancon (one of Huddersfield’s many twin towns) Kirklees VIPs could ask a few searching questions as they’re driven down a smooth highway to the next civic function.

Uncle Grumpy

Golcar

Solving danger junction

WHO is making the decisions about road safety at the Sovereign crossroads in Shepley?

Within the lastŠfortnight,Šsafety barriers have been erected and removed.ŠWas it not obvious from the start that barriers would block the driver’sŠview towards Sheffield when turning out ofŠBarnsley Road?

Why don’t the authorities form an accident-reduction strategy that actually works? There is a three-point accident problem here consisting of two small crossroads to the north and south of the Sovereign junction and then the junction itself?

The root causes of all accidents have either been vehicles speeding, lack of driver vision or failure to understand road priorities.

It’s clear that the authorities do not want to introduce traffic lights or roundabouts.

However, we don’t think these should just be dismissed out of hand. The authorities must stamp a 30mph speed limit on all traffic within a quarter to half-a-mile radius of the main crossroads, thus keeping the area’s speed limit consistent.

Entrance signs to the 30mph zone must be erected that state very clearly ‘Dangerous crossroads – reduce speed now’ and speed reduction strips (not sleeping policemen) placed in the road similar to the ones you find when approaching major roundabouts.

Cross Lane should be completely blocked off to all traffic apart from local access to stop the traffic shortcut from Holmfirth Road and a right filter put in place for vehicles turning into Holmfirth Road from Lane Head Road.

The petrol station is a major problem in determining which drivers have priority. The only way to deal with this is to introduce a one-way system from Lane Head Road into the forecourt with an exit into Barnsley Road and yellow box.

We have observed driving behaviour at the Sovereign crossroads for many years and know that the only solution is a drastic one.

Janet and Will Roebuck

Huddersfield

Brilliant show talent

IF Simon Cowell could have been in Huddersfield Methodist Mission he wouldn’t need to suffer any further auditions around the country looking for talent because it was all there in front of you, an X Factor Final right here in Huddersfield!

This was a Summer Concert that Martin Stead, a member of the Huddersfield Light Opera Company, had decided to organise in dedication of the late Andrew Spencer, formerly a member of the same society.

The cast and accompanists of the concert were also members of the Light and other Huddersfield amateur societies.

It would be wrong to single out any one of them because they were all so brilliant in showing off their talents as singers, writers/musicians and dancers/choreographers, but one of the real treats of the evening was when the boy bands West Yorkshire Life and Take This strutted their stuff.

All together as a company with a Wizz of a compare, they were a dream to listen and watch.

Well done Martin and your company for putting on a tremendous show and all for free. Altogether donations, a raffle and refreshments amounted to over £900 which was given to the Andrew Spencer Memorial Trust and for this we thank you.

For all of those who didn’t make it to the event, you missed a brilliant evening of entertainment from very talented people of Huddersfield.

Ray and Lesley Spencer

Andrew Spencer Memorial Trust