Letters to the Editor

What is remarkable, however, are the comments of Councillor David Ward (the Council executive member for education). He almost sounds surprised and certainly a little bit miffed that Serco has again failed to deliver.

Amazing really that a man who has paid Serco lots of extra money as a reward for previous failure should now somehow expect them to deliver success. Why should Serco bother when failure pays so well?

Perhaps I might suggest a new strategy to Councillor Ward which although revolutionary could just do the trick: try paying Serco only when they succeed and this might encourage them to try a little bit harder.

This strategy is so simple that even Council members should be able to understand it though what puzzles me is that none of their expensive consultants have ever suggested it to them.

K J Trocki, Birchdale, Bingley

SIR - Criticising Mike Priestley's views on Iraq, F Dickinson writes (Letters, August 26) that "the US and UK don't have a record of killing thousands".

I think the kindest thing one can say about this remark is that Mr Dickinson's memory is just a trifle fallible.

Has he already forgotten the thousands who perished as a result of "shock and awe"? Sadly for those members of the coalition forces who are being picked off daily, Iraqi memories are not so short or as forgiving as Mr Dickinson's.

As the prophet Hosea is reputed to have said, "they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind."

Peter Wilson, Thornhill Grove, Calverley.

SIR - Instead of concentrating on other issues, Tony Blair would be better advised to try and sort out the mess he has got the country into. There is plenty to sort out - asylum, crime, health and education to mention but a few.

However, there is no bigger crisis caused by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown than pensions. Since launching a £5 billion stealth tax on pensions when coming into office, Labour has presided over a national scandal.

Company pension schemes are in a huge deficit, indeed some have gone under altogether and many are closed to new employees. Many workers now realise they will not get what they expected when they retire and will have to work longer; state pensioners still get a raw deal and now Labour have proposed a new tax on widows. In fact it seems the only people guaranteed to get generous pensions are Government Ministers!

Instead of relying on more spin to save his skin, Mr Blair should reflect on the long-term damage he has done to current and future pensioners and be ashamed of himself.

Philip Davies (Conservative Parliamentary Candidate - Shipley), Otley Road, Shipley.

SIR - The proposed European Constitution could be discussed and agreed at an inter-governmental conference as early as December this year! The Government still refuses to hold a national referendum on this.

Currently if approved the constitution would create a European state with far-reaching powers taken from national and local governments.

There is cross-party support for a referendum, and even 32 Labour MPs have signed a House of Commons motion requesting a referendum. However, from the list I have seen only Ann Cryer (Keighley) has signed. Will our other Labour MPs - Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South), Terry Rooney (Bradford North), Marsha Singh (Bradford West) and Chris Leslie (Shipley) be signing this motion?

For a government which introduced referendums on the Scottish parliament, Welsh Assembly, London and local mayors and Regional Assemblies and promised a referendum on the Euro; it seems pretty strange that they don't want to give the people of this country a vote regarding the European Convention?

Well done to Ann Cryer for wanting to give her constituents a vote. How about the rest of our MPs?

Councillor Andrew Smith (Con, Queensbury), Chapel Street, Queensbury.

SIR - Your correspondent Ayesha Islam (August 21) was quite wrong. I am very far indeed from ignorant abut Islam. Moreover, my letter was not a criticism but a warning to everyone, and particularly to the wearers of "Islamic" clothes.

She should be aware that the non-Muslim majority will not distinguish between resident Muslims, illegal immigrants and terrorist zealots if they wear "foreign" clothes.

As a long-time resident of Bradford I have become aware of greatly increased animosity against such "foreigners" in recent times, and am fearful of the consequences for our city, and my Muslim friends.

Did Ms Islam read The Muslim News for July 25? If so she must have seen that a Muslim family recently was forced to leave their home in Northern Ireland, and that the mother (also a convert) believes that wearing the hijab caused the attacks they suffered.

The more recent television programme "Some of My Best Friends are ... Muslim" (Channel 4, August 17) could also have given Ms Islam food for thought.

But most of all, do these Muslim "foreigners" realise that to most of the world Islam is now only noted for ruthless international terrorism, all its past glorious achievements forgotten?

Ian R McDougall, Hawkswood Avenue, Heaton.

SIR - Oh dear! Your correspondent Mr Barker ("On the Bandwagon," August 21) has managed to secure a most ferocious grip on the wrong end of the stick.

The thrust of my comments regarding the disproportionate leniency shown to offending police officers was aimed not at the police service per se, but rather at the patent lack of the impartiality displayed by a British justice system which was, allegedly, founded upon that very quality.

One of the worst aspects of these sorry incidents is their negative effect upon the image of the majority of decent, hardworking and conscientious police officers; furthermore, it is for precisely this most serious of reasons that this category of offence should attract adequate penalties.

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - that will do more damage to the police service than the rapidly-escalating public perception that "they can get away with anything."

Bryan Owram, Main Street, Esholt.

SIR - I walk up the main street of Wyke virtually every day and am appalled by the sheer number of "dog ends" and dog leavings that abound.

I have lived in quite a few countries in my time and the best idea I have seen to combat this type of filth is the parking of vehicles on the road. It does not matter how you differentiate the sides of the road but if parking was on one side on even days and the other on odd dates then the cleaner would be able to get at the bits and bobs and have no excuse for it not being clean.

Phil Boase, Elizabeth Street, Wyke.

SIR - I'd like to thank Andrew Bower (Letters, August 28) for adding all those points to my letter that I omitted due to my personal misfortune not to be a trainspotter.

I think the point is missed that all Bradford needs is a link to Leeds which is by far the largest station in the area.

The nostalgia for dreams that were and cannot be is quite sickening and such pie-in-the-sky ideas are best forgotten. There has never been and never will be a cross-Bradford rail-link.

David Simpson, Hirst Avenue, Heckmondwike

SIR - I was disgusted at the way Mrs Brenda Satterley, of Cat Rescue has been treated by the Council. Whoever the person was who said she kept her cats in a dirty condition and neglected should be sued for defamation of character.

They have spent thousands of pounds doing up the garden and inside the house.

The cat room is lined throughout with a separate kitchen for washing litter trays, etc.

The cats are never allowed out - that is why Mr Satterley has built a cat run covered completely by netting.

The neighbours all around back Mrs Satterley's efforts to protect and find homes for the cats brought in to her.

Also I would like to add that she got an award at the House of Lords for her devotion to the care of cats and animals in general.

She has been doing this since she was a little girl. I wish everyone on the Council would visit the Cat Rescue and see for themselves instead of listening to lies and rumours.

Pat Lobley, Main Street, Wilsden.