THERE is no doubting that Gordon Brown is very experienced in government and because of this experience he maintains he is the person to guide us through the present serious financial crisis.

Gordon Brown has, indeed, over two decades, experience as a politician and the experience of holding very high office as Chancellor of the Exchequer for 10 years.

Gordon Brown then achieves his ultimate dream of attaining the highest office in the country and has over a year's experience as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Gordon Brown has had considerable experience in taking tough decisions, such as the selling of a huge chunk of Britain's gold reserves at about one third of their current value and of raiding pension funds of £5bn every year for the past decade.

Gordon Brown has unchallenged experience in introducing countless
taxes which the electorate only become aware of at later dates.

Gordon Brown has many experiences in dreaming up potty benefit policies to help the elderly which he makes so complicated few people are able to claim them, and the cash thus remains deposited in Treasury coffers.

Gordon Brown has numerous experiences in denying the necessary money for essential, life-saving military equipment and the building of required additional prisons, the squandering of monies on useless quangos, armies of consultants, civil servants, etc.

Above all, Gordon Brown has several experiences of welcoming and congratulating Peter Mandelson on his many returns to Government Cabinet Office.

No-one can match such experiences, but are they desirable? I cannot see how they can be promoted as qualities which will benefit the people and the country.

From: Norman S Elliott, Church Street, South Cave, East Yorkshire.

GORDON Brown has certainly achieved his aim of "No more boom and bust".

We have boomed and are now well and truly busted! With the highest ever national debt, highest personal debt, and no reserves whatsoever – of gold or any other assets.

What happened to Prudence?

From: W Ruddlesdin, Upper Hoyland Road, Hoyland, Barnsley.

IN this climate of financial nationalisation, would it be more appropriate to re-nationalise the three major utility industries – electricity, gas, water? I am sure this would stabilise the continuous price increases of fuel, etc.

From: John Eoin Douglas, Spey Terrace, Edinburgh.

IT seems that the Government's guarantee scheme for bank deposits only applies to individuals and not businesses (be they small or large).

Accordingly, I have just removed the funds from my company's bank account for safekeeping in case of further banking collapse.

No doubt, were others to follow my example, those involved in the recent management buyout of MFI would do well from the vastly increased sale of mattresses.

From: Robert Bottamley, Thorn Road, Hedon.

I WRITE this after watching a news programme which considered the Government's decision to subsidise our major banks with billions of pounds of taxpayers' money.

During the programme, presenter Jon Snow concluded by announcing that all five banks had declined to provide interviews. So, having secured vast amounts of public money, they refused to answer questions put on behalf of the public.

Financial stability (we are told) relies on public confidence. But how could the kind of response described above be expected to inspire confidence?


Jamie is right – but it's not just Rotherham

From: Martin Swift, Craigview,
Sauchie, Alloa.

I AM somewhat bemused with the lambasting of the Jamie Oliver programme Jamie's Ministry of Food. It became apparent to me from the first few minutes of the first programme on Channel 4 that Jamie Oliver was actually showing that there is a problem in our society in the whole
of Great Britain when it comes to the ability
to cook.

Many people wrongly think that looking at the instructions on a pizza wrapper that may state it needs a certain amount of time in a conventional oven or microwave means that they are cooking – and that ready meals straight from the freezer and into an oven of some description means the same.

What this programme portrays is becoming pandemic in British society. Rotherham is not alone with this problem, it is not isolated with the up and coming generation being unable to "cook". I live and work in Scotland now and the hoards of school children going to the local "chippy" is just as much a Monday to Friday occurrence up here as anywhere else in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Children go daily and purchase chips with practically everything they fancy and yet this up and coming generation will become ill-adept with basic cookery.

Originally being from Rotherham, some of my workmates asked me if I was embarrassed with the bad exposure Rotherham was now receiving – my answer is simply "No".

I am more embarrassed that this is not solely occurring in Rotherham, but is practically everywhere... different parts of Yorkshire are just the same, it's the same in Lancashire and other counties. It is to be seen in Scotland and I bet it's the same in Wales and Northern Ireland.

It's now time to realise that the Jamie Olivers and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls of this world are telling us for a reason why we need to look more closely at what we eat.

I'm now in my early 50s. By the time I was in my early teens, I had learnt enough to prepare and cook a full traditional Sunday dinner. I learnt from my mother, and while I'm not at any chef standard, my cooking is good and better than anything pre-boxed for the fridge or freezer.

It is now time to really look at what this programme is really about and what it's not about and stop the stupid labelling because some people think it places the town and people of Rotherham in a bad light.