Hexham Courant

This week's Hexham Courant Letters Page is 100% opposed to an ERA

CONCEPT
Published on Friday, October 1st 2004
LIB Dem Coun. Duffield, should disabuse his thinking that it is only Tories who oppose the Old Labour concept of regionalisation.Anyone who appreciates the history and constitution of England must know that political regionalisation is wholly alien to our tradition.It is rich to get a lecture (completely hypothetical) on future council tax bills, from the spokesman for a party pledged to do away with council tax and introduce instead local, income tax.The councillor's time might be better spent spelling this out and explaining how it would differ from the maligned poll tax. One would expect the Lib Dem tax to be levied against every tax payer and not solely the main occupier of a property?
T.A. BATES,Nilston Rigg,Langley

AT A PRICE
Published on Friday, October 1st 2004
SADLY, there are not enough of us left alive to influence the outcome of the current debate on local government reform based on our personal and painful experience of the last upheaval instigated by Edward Heath.

I was a councillor in the days when it was an unpaid voluntary service to the community and the area in which one lived.This changed overnight with the introduction of two-tier local government, the merging of four local councils into one with attendance allowances for councillors, together with smart new centralised offices which were neither local or convenient.

It was now necessary to hold council meetings five days a week instead of the two or three evenings a month which had been adequate for years and involved no claims for loss of earnings.

All the surplus chief council officers were made redundant on terms so generous that there were no complaints while those remaining to serve the new council received substantial salary increases to reflect the size of the new authority, as laid down on the official scale.

All this expenditure had to be paid for, as it will be this time round. Services went down and the council tax went up with a vengeance.

If there is one lesson at least some of the younger generation must have learnt by now, it is that, if the politicians are in favour of something, it is a safe bet that it is a bad idea for the rest of us.The choice is simple. Ignore the smoke screen and vote no to any change or get ready to feel the pain in your wallet.
J.B., Acomb,(Name and address supplied).

ANOMALY
Published on Friday, October 1st 2004
IT IS apparent from your report (Courant, September 24) that Hexham Labour supporters did not give MP Joy Quin an easy ride in her presentation of the case for a NE Assembly.

Many responses, omitted vital facts needed to reach balanced conclusions.Agreement that the pro-Scotland Barrett Formula for Regional funding, set in 1978, was now hopelessly out of date.
But the extent was not quantified.

In fact, if the North-East had the same funding per head as Scotland we would have about £2,800 million extra per year. The Government has refused to correct this anomaly.

It was inferred that an assembly would improve the position on EU funding. In fact there would be no change in the successful representation of the NE on the EU Committee of the Regions that advises the EU on funding grants.

In addition in 2006 Structural funds will dry up and with 10 new members the NE will be classed as a wealthy region.

Of the one billion budget now being quoted for the assembly, only the original £350 million (two and a half per cent of total Government spend in the region) will be under its direct control. The recently-added amount is for areas over which they will have "influence", whatever that means!Coun.
Bill Garrett has suggested that a no vote would force the Government to have a fresh review of local government. Perhaps too it would shock them into correcting the Barrett Formula anomaly!
LES GRAHAM,Elvaston Park Road,Hexham


THE REAL NORTHERN ASSEMBLY ISSUE IS REGARD FOR RURAL INTERESTS
Published on Friday, October 1st 2004
THE referendum on the proposed North-East Assembly is only a few weeks away so it seems appropriate to remind your readers of the real issue facing our rural population.

The crux of the matter is that the assembly would be dominated by the urban constituencies. Recent events at Westminster have proved that these have little interest in, or sympathy with, rural affairs and are quite prepared to trample on rural interests.

Combined with that, our representation in an assembly would be minimal and our voice barely heard.If the people in this area do not wish to find themselves in a sort of forgotten political hinterland of the coastal cities they should turn out in force and vote NO in the referendum and hope for apathy among the urban voters.
TOM CHARLESWORTH,Lowgate,Hexham.

NEEDLESS
Published on Friday, October 1st 2004
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY concur with Graham Ashley’s succinct comments with regard to the prospect of setting up an NE regional assembly in the (Courant, September 24).It occurs to me that this will merely further complicate and add yet another layer of bureaucracy, and another layer of officials to service it, with resultantly more expense to the taxpayer. This is needless.
MRS A. CATRIONA JONES,Branch End Terrace,Stocksfield.