Friday's Letters: Brown's 'bigot' blunder reveals immigration views

One verse of Omar Khayyam's poem, The Rubaiyat, says: "The moving

finger writes and having writ moves on, nor all thy piety or wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."

In other words, apologies are not enough, once written or once said.

From: Ian Bloomer, Darrington Road, East Hardwick, Pontefract.

From: Trish Porter, Beverley.

HOW many others have looked up the word "bigot" in their dictionaries? Quote: "A person of strong conviction, prejudice, especially in matters of religion, race or politics who is intolerant of those who differ with him."

This fits Mr Brown like a glove. Is this the man you want as Prime Minister for another term?

From: Mrs Anne Wilkie, Cleveland Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

NO doubt, like thousands of others, I feel compelled to write my

comment on the latest foot in mouth comment.

Gordon Brown's apology has to be one of the most insincere ever uttered. I truly believe that Brown's only genuine regret is that he was overheard. The remark was heartfelt and, therefore, exactly what he thought, so how could he apologise?

From: Phil Hanson, Beechmount Close, Baildon, Shipley.

SO now we have heard it from the horse's mouth. Any mention of concerns over immigration and you are a bigot. Gordon Brown is so out of touch with the ordinary man and woman in the street that it is time he was out.

The nation's economy is jiggered, the country is awash with

unemployment, job prospects are limited at best for many, but dear old Gordon will be ok.

When he is ousted, he will get a fat payoff and income beyond most people's dreams.

I think the ducking stool would be a good remedy. Any volunteers to

pull the lever? Mandelson could keep him company.

From: Martin Smith, Main Street, Elvington, York.

FROM Stalin to Mr Bean, from Iron Chancellor to saviour of the world, and now the penitent sinner, are there no limits to the scope of Gordon Browns abilities?

At least he's added a real touch of comedy to the election campaign with his spectacular debacle in Rochdale.

While he is in a mood for mea culpa, perhaps he could apologise on behalf of the Government to all of us for the mess we are now in.

What is quite clear is that the Blair/Brown years have been largely style over substance, arch manipulators of statistics and spin, and the British people will be paying the price for a generation.

So as the curtain finally falls on this pantomime, spare no tears for the Cowdenbeath Clunker, weep instead for the state of our country, and the years of austerity which will surely follow.

From: Jim Beck, Lindrick Grove, Tickhill, Doncaster.

IN my innocence, I thought that the Prime Ministerial Jaguar was for use on government business, not for going round the country describing dedicated Labour supporters as bigots. Silly me.

By the way, it's not true that Gordon Brown won't listen; we tell him what we want and he explains why we can't have it.

From: Bernard Robinson, Midland Terrace, Hellifield.

I SEE the true character of Gordon Brown has now reared its head.

Don't accuse these Britons of racism

From: William Snowden, Butterbowl Gardens, Farnley Ring Road, Leeds.

HOW flippantly Brian Sheridan defames our forefathers with false accusations of "racism" (Yorkshire Post, April 22). The vulgarisms to which he refers were not in common usage.

I revere and honour those noble generations who endured socio-economic deprivations, and yet fought in two world wars to uphold the fine principles of freedom, justice and democracy.

The charge of "racism" is often levelled at them by politically correct playwrights and bigoted, Left-wing broadcasters. It is a vile calumny.

Anyone who has travelled broadly recognises that national identity is central to people: the traditions, beliefs, customs and conventions of a shared heritage, which bind people together. That is not "racism" or "xenophobia" – it is natural. It was that cohesion, that sense of national pride and patriotism, that enabled this country to withstand the Nazi threat.

They were good, decent and fair-minded people, honest, chivalrous and true. Their sacrifice secured our freedom – lest we forget, Mr Sheridan.

From: Doreen Illingworth, Belvedere Road, Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

READING the letter from Brian Sheridan reminded me of an incident, long forgotten, until now.

I was in the WRNS during the war and a group of about six or eight of us went to a local dance, probably organised by the Army. There was a mixture of British and American soldiers. A coloured young American approached our group. None of the girls would dance with him. I was appalled and ashamed at their conduct, so when he asked me, I accepted graciously, I hope. I cannot recall any details about him, but he was a pleasant young man, over here to do his duty.

Needless to say, I wasn't "flavour of the month" with my fellow Wrens. I had never come across racial discrimination before.

Unhealthy situation

From: D Long, Coxley Crescent, Netherton, Wakefield.

YOUR columnist Bernard Dineen is right to question the competence and honesty of Labour ("Incompetence and dishonesty over NHS's troubled database", Yorkshire Post, April 26).

When I received my letter I rang the Summary Care Records help-line to ask the simple question: "Will all the records be held within the UK?"

After several phone calls, I still had no answer. After two letters, I still had no answer. Then I was given a Leeds number to ring. After being transferred to four separate answer machines by four separate people, I was treated to overhearing one of them make a disgusting comment about me. When I challenged them over this, they brought an office junior to the phone who proceeded to pretend he was in a

position of authority.

After exchanging letters with the (Labour placed) chief executive of this 6bn complete waste of NHS money, Christine Connelly (being in Whitehall she is too important to take phone calls), I received a letter from her saying she was sorry I had not had a very positive impression of her organisation, and finally received an answer to my question. Needless to say I have opted out of "Connecting for Health" having any control over my health records. Others would be wise to do the same.

Divide of rich and poor

From: T Scaife, Manor Drive, York.

THE top 10 per cent in London have 273 times more disposable income than the bottom 10 per cent. This huge disparity was last seen in the days of slavery (Yorkshire Post, April 27).

The UK is a nation full of "slaves" living sub-standard lives on meagre incomes. Lives blighted by unemployment, fear of losing jobs, homes and an insecure future with little pension.

This is exacerbated by politicians who pick on the unemployed and disabled to reduce benefits so they can make the rich even richer.

Companies that should be supported are collapsing, yet politicians do nothing. York has lost up to 10,000 manufacturing jobs in recent decades.

The claim that 29 million are employed in the UK is fatuous. At least a quarter are in part-time work not full-time employment.

People, therefore, need to lean on the benefits system, creating a "them and us" mentality.

Judge them by what they do, not what they say

From: Malcolm Naylor, Grange View, Otley,

A GOOD measure of the social integrity of political parties is the way in which they treat the weakest and most vulnerable members of society –our children, the elderly and disabled.

It is they who will suffer from the credit crunch, not the wealthy who have the means to avoid discomfort.

To see the truth of this, look no further than the Conservative and Liberal Democrat-controlled Leeds City Council.

Their record on childcare and adult social services is appalling. They are closing down day centres for the elderly and disabled, respite care units for carers, withdrawing funding from community organisations and are rated as poor for children's services. But they still manage to pay bureaucrats exorbitant salaries, pensions and severance pay and waste money on hare-brained schemes that don't work. Judge them by what they are doing – not by what they say they will do.

Voters must, therefore, not be distracted by the smoke and mirrors of spurious political argument and vague promises for the future that will never materialise.

They must use real actions as the basis for choosing politicians. If we want real change, we must vote outside the box and upset the applecart.

Who speaks for the savers?

From: Paul Rouse, Main Street, Sutton upon Derwent, York.

IT all became clear from comments made by financial journalists as

Lloyds announced a return to profit (Yorkshire Post, April 28). Interest rates have been held down to allow the state-owned banks to repair their balance sheets and push up their share price, in order that the Government could get its money back as soon as possible.

It means that savers have seen their income decimated, in order to rescue the bankers. Savers like my 88-year-old mother who has seen her modest income cut in half.

Who at this election speaks for savers? Why is it that we must always look after the profligate in society, at the expense of those who try to look after themselves?

Old work horse

From: TH Wise, Greenmoor Close, Lofthouse, Wakefield.

ACCORDING to Peter Mandelson, Gordon Brown is a work horse.

Well we all know what happens to work horses who are past the due date. That's right – off to the knacker's yard.

Hopefully, the forthcoming election will figuratively be that place for Mr Brown.

On the look-out

From: Pat Hutchinson, Park Gardens, Snaith.

LOOKING at the photo of David Cameron shaking hands with a little girl at Birkenshaw School (Yorkshire Post, April 26), I was disappointed to see that he was looking towards the next person – a possible voter, perhaps?