As Christians and in light of Jesus's manifesto in Luke 4:18-19 ("… he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour") we believe that there is more to civil liberties than the growth of CCTV cameras, detention for 42 days and ID cards.

Civil liberties, or rather human rights, extend to all people, both in this country and abroad. Asylum seekers should have the right to a fair hearing; migrant workers have a right to a fair wage; our global neighbours should have the right to escape from poverty; we believe that all people have the right to life and to have it in all its fullness.

It would be easy to forget that human rights and civil liberties extend beyond those being talked about at present, but the people of Haltemprice and Howden need to be aware that those who talk about civil liberties in one context may vote against those same rights when they affect others.

Democracy is a precious commodity and this single issue does not reflect the wider debate on social justice and human rights.

From: Shan Oakes, Green Party candidate, Haltemprice and Howden By-Election.

I AGREE with your challenge that we must overcome our current Culture of Fear (Yorkshire Post, July 3) – indeed this is why the Greens are standing in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election.

David Davis says he wants to stop the growth of state knowledge and control over individuals.

He does not want ever more government control but more freedom. We applaud the U-turn by the Tory Party. Only last October, David Cameron and David Davis were calling for the 1998 Human Rights Act to be scrapped. Now they are both opposing the 2008 Counter Terrorism Bill.

Talking with voters for the by-election has been very encouraging. People are putting their children's future first. The Green Party stands against the politics of fear that erodes our civil liberties. In discussions on the doorsteps we hear that people are ready to respond to the changing pressures on our society and want to be able to trust their representatives to lead us out of the old oil-based economy.

Terrorism is a threat to Britain and our personal safety. But we will not choose a better future if we are suspicious of each other, led by insecurities and fear. Instead, we need to share hope and vision that together we can actually succeed. The Green Party has this vision and plans. It's about working together in local participation and consultation.

Our society has invested a lot in fear: over 3,000 new crimes since Labour took power, record levels of CCTV cameras, huge DNA databases and plans for ID cards.

We need to not just halt but roll back this agenda of fear. We must lighten our hearts and our impact on the planet.

We must choose hope over fear. When government makes people ever more fearful, it gains more power over us. It's far better to plan for a sustainable future by acting together to generate hope.

From: J W Smith, Sutton-on-Sea.

I FIND it difficult to understand why people are critical of parties refusing to waste money on a totally unnecessary by-election and others claiming David Davis is brave putting his job on the line.

No one should have opposed him which would have saved the taxpayer from having to pick up the bill.

This is a safe Conservative seat and he also has a back room deal with Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats. Incidentally, this was arranged before he made his public declaration. The only brave way he would have either joined another party or stood as an Independent. As it stands, even people in his own party who disagree with him will still
vote for him because of their party allegiance.

This is a complete waste of money simply to increase his majority.

He should have to raid his bank balance to pay for it.


Road to improving airport for passengers


From: Mrs CM Winterbottom, Pledwick Lane, Wakefield.

YOUR article on Leeds Bradford Airport (Yorkshire Post, July 1) suggests far more passengers will be using the terminal in future.

There are several observations which I would like to make, having used LBA on average three times a year over the past 26 years for flights to and from Malaga.

The access roads are narrow and inadequate, full of potholes and uneven surfaces. Leeds Council has narrowed the access roads, in many places rather than widen them, with consequential increases in journey times, to and from the airport. This is most obvious near Kirkstall Abbey.

The scarcity of air bridges to assist passengers to and from the terminal building to planes means that in bad weather passengers can be thoroughly wet through when either boarding or descending a plane. We have experienced these conditions several times. We have also experienced the long walk back to the terminal from Jet 2 planes when there has been no air bridge or even bus to take returning passengers back to the terminal building.

Leeds Bradford Airport is the highest civilian airport in the UK and it frequently has bad weather to contend with, which causes incoming planes to divert to alternative airports with the inconvenience that causes to passengers and aircrew.

All car parking is on ground level outside. What about a multi-storey car park linked to the terminal?