SIR – In response to John Hall’s letter (T&A letters, April 7), I am not a closet fascist, nor an abuser of minorities, but a pragmatic socialist who will vote Tory because they have the most realistic candidate, especially with regard to the travellers issue.
If he had taken the trouble to research the protocol between Bradford Council and the police, John would have found that Page 3 states that gipsies and travellers are ethnic minorities whose rights are protected by the Human Rights Act of 2010. His request for “chapter and verse” should therefore be directed at the authors of this protocol.
Whilst in cases of genuine abuse I am in favour of human rights being legally protected, I contend that rights should be conditioned by legal responsibilities.
Mr Hall and his ilk would therefore be better employed in lobbying for the Human Rights Act to be at least amended to fulfil a sensible criterion rather than being used as a vehicle for obviating social responsibilities.
It was not the British who were responsible for the atrocious treatment of minorities during WW2, and in this context one would question whether the Human Rights Act is superfluous to traditional British justice.
John Pashley, Westcliffe Avenue, Baildon
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