It is absolutely essential for small businesses to employ the best candidate available regardless of colour, sex or age.

The Government interferes with every aspect of our life
and common sense must prevail.

We have a friend who has a tree surgery business. Must he now employ an elderly black woman to climb trees? Absolutely ludicrous.

Affirmative action is forced in South Africa and standards declined rapidly. Take my daughter in-laws,for example. Her father-in-law was a Professor of Biology and left South Africa because he could not cope with plummeting standards.

Her brother-in-law was a detective and had a black person promoted over him with few qualifications. It just does not work.

Gordon Brown taxes us unmercifully, 20-40 per cent on everything we earn, 17.5 per cent on everything we buy, 65 pence on every litre of petrol – far more than other countries – and then inheritance tax when we die.

Where does all this money go? This, with all these petty laws and regulations, together with all the extra civil servants needed to enforce them, is making life unbearable.


Soldiers say thanks for a warm welcome home


From: Lieutenant Colonel SJ Downey, 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment.

AS you will be aware, the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) has just concluded a week of Welcome Parades, following its recent tour of Afghanistan.

Whether it was in Middlesbrough, Redcar, Scarborough, Richmond, Harrogate or Bridlington, the support of the people, the local councils, and the regional Press has been absolutely superb.

Operating in Afghanistan clearly has its challenges, but it makes a huge difference when the soldiers enjoy the support of those at home.

The interest and warmth that the Battalion has been privileged to experience has been touching and much appreciated – the soldiers who returned to their barracks at the end of the parades felt two foot taller.


Dressing the part for a great day out


From: D Linley, Westfield Lane, South Milford, near Leeds.

HAS Ms Deborah Goodall (Yorkshire Post, June 21) totally lost it?

I have been going to the Yorkshire Show for more than 40 years, more on than off. The Yorkshire Show is also a day out for a lot of farm workers, and in all my years in going, I have never seen an untidy person there yet.

Some of the men, who are looking after their stock and staying there, are still not untidy. There are not many ordinary people who wish to go in the members' part.

The reason people dress in jeans, trainers, etc is because it is a day out with a lot of walking and they want to be comfortable.

In my 40 years of going, some with farmers, we have never gone into the members' area. I think that to see sheep, cows, pigs and goats, you are being a bit hard on most of the people who go for a day out.