Friday's Letters: World of mothballed steelworks and bickering economists

Our traditional manufacturing industries are rapidly disappearing, if they have not already completely disappeared. I suspect that steel making is still done in countries with cheap labour with which we cannot now apparently compete. Am I naive in thinking that if we, as a country, see ourselves as a business wanting to balance the books that this is unlikely to happen if we continue to lose out to our competitors?

We used to be told on our news bulletins about the "balance of payments" which was always a deficit. This was a regular financial statement showing the value of our exports matched against our imports. Is it now too embarrassing to publish these statistics? We are told that we have a thriving economy in the provision of services, particularly in the ill-fated financial services sector. Presumably this part of our economy has shrunk dramatically in the credit crunch.

It seems to me that as individuals we have been overpaid in the private sector for the work we do, thereby pricing our goods out of the market (hence the problems at Corus). We have been allowed to borrow money that we could not pay back. We have ploughed money into the public sector increasing the number of administrators, bureaucrats and politicians, ie, non-wealth creating workers. We have overpaid our public sector workers with their protected pensions that all politicians know we cannot afford but who are too afraid to do anything about it on account of potential lost votes at an election.

When you live beyond your means and borrow to cover up a problem, rather than address it, a day of reckoning will come.

This Government (and probably the next Conservative Government – they are all as bad), is unable to make the tough decisions to curb spending. A government budget may be more complicated than a household budget, however, essentially it is no different. The longer these decisions are deferred, as suggested by some of our so-called leading economists, the tougher they become.

From: Anthony J Atkin, The Chase, Driffield.

From: Don Alexander, Knab Road, Sheffield.

IT seems that Tata will be handed a wad of "carbon credits" for

reducing CO2 emissions by stopping production at Redcar.

When these suicide notes for big energy users such as steel/aluminium and glass industries were mooted, it was hailed as a great opportunity for the City of London where these notes can be traded.

Tata will be able to sell them through wide boys in the City to companies wishing to build new warehouses, offices or factories in Britain. So Tata are, in effect, rewarded for stopping/reducing production in Britain.

Britain's bulk steel production was down to nine million tons last year (from, perhaps, 25 million a few decades ago).

Production in the world needs to expand to keep pace with population growth. Steel underpins civilisation; food alone needs steel machinery and transport for harvesting/

production/processing/storing/distribution.

The world total has soared to 1,300,000,000 (one thousand three hundred million) tons per annum. China alone makes more than Britain's annual total in one week.

Even those who still worship the god of man-made global warming will see that the world's great clunking carbon footprint will grow just a bit bigger, because of our sacrifice. Still, hypocritical little England can hope to gain brownie points on the world stage, and can bask in holier-than-thou righteousness.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough and Redcar will have their memories, and those of us interested in steel will feel sadness as we spot the proud name of Dorman Long on beams around the world – most of all on the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Expression of concern for the future

From: Father Neil McNicholas, St Hilda's Parish, Whitby.

CONGRATULATIONS to Lucy Lyon on her excellent article "What voters want... and politicians don't have" (Yorkshire Post, February 24).

What she advocates is very much a reflection of the content of an also-excellent email I received some time ago from Sir Bernard Ingham and his wish-list for future government policy.

She reflects the concerns and hopes of what must surely by now be the majority of people in this country and yet it is frightening to have seen, recently, the support shown for Gordon Brown when he addressed a meeting of (albeit) "Labour activists".

How can so many people be so blind to what is happening to this country and to the undeniable problems we are facing and their cause?

As Ms Lyon said: "It is hard to predict what may happen once the election is called" – frighteningly so I would add.

People can have unbelievably short memories and, on the day, could cast their vote solely on the basis of tradition or in a choice for "better the devil you know..." and that is scary given that we will then have to live for years with the consequences.

We really can't afford to be that impervious or ingrained.

Parliament makes rules

From: Stephen Rooney, Director of Communications, The Electoral Commission.

I was surprised to read Denis MacShane's criticisms of the Electoral Commission on the issue of overseas voters (Yorkshire Post, February 17).

The rules on registration and voting by UK citizens living overseas are made by Parliament, not the Electoral Commission.

We do work hard to make sure everyone – including people living overseas – has the information they need to register and vote. Last year, more than 150,000 people ordered or downloaded registration forms as a result of our campaign before the European Parliament elections.

But while we can, and do, make sure people have the information they need to take part in elections, it's ultimately up to the politicians and political parties to give them a reason to vote on polling day.

Dr MacShane is also mistaken about our expenditure. The Electoral Commission does not spend 27m a year. Our expenditure this financial year will be approximately 21m, and we distribute a further 2m in state funding to political parties under a formula set by Parliament.

Rewriting history

From: Steve Piper, Hayton Wood View, Aberford, Leeds.

WHETHER or not the Duke of Devonshire decides to renounce his title is a matter for him (Yorkshire Post, February 22).

However, your assertion that the aristocracy was once a "system of representation for the landless classes" is one of the most spectacular pieces of nonsense I've read in many a year. The only thing the aristocracy ever represented was themselves. Every Parliamentary Reform Bill in the 19th and early 20th centuries they stubbornly opposed, with full emancipation coming only after a number of long struggles to win the rights we take for granted today.

We might feel pleased that the Duke and his family, in opening their residence for us all to enjoy, can re-invent themselves for the 21st century. However, that process is not helped by your attempt to rewrite history.

Rulings by a hidden hand

From: Ross Taggart, The Avenue, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees.

THE letter from John Healey, Minister for Housing (Yorkshire Post, February 22) cannot be allowed to pass without comment.

Yes, a local council can refuse an application to build on suburban garden land, but then comes the inevitable appeal which (particularly when a national house builder is involved) seems to just as inevitably

go against the council, leaving the said council to pay the often very heavy costs of both sides.

This certainly seems to be the pattern of the last 10 years or so. I believe one would have to be very naive to imagine that the hand of central government has not been behind these events.

It appears the policy of this Government is to use locally accountable public bodies to carry the can for unpopular policy outcomes, while seizing the credit for anything that just might succeed.

If suitable bodies did not already exist, then they have been invented, no matter how vast the cost. A case in point being the astronomically pointless and expensive system of Primary Care Trusts, with which the NHS has been burdened.

Parliamentary reform: blame those in driving seat

From: David H Rhodes, Keble Park North, Bishopthorpe, York.

THE proposal to scrap the parliamentary system for a new written constitution and the revision of both chambers seems to be unnecessary drama. Compare the situation with a car crash; everyone wants to blame the car but what about the idiot driving it? Changing the mechanics does not improve its efficiency.

The House of Lords is a revising chamber and, at its best, scrutinises all the hurried, ill-thought out and headline-grabbing Bills from the lower chamber. These are then returned with amendment for more clarity, to be legally safer, sensible and logical. In a vindictive move to remove the last of the hereditary peers, no respect is being paid to those hard-working members who have conscientiously worked at their job and with there being no guarantee that "commoners" will do a better job.

May I recommend that if the new chamber comes to pass, then everyone should be called something like "senator" which is then relinquished when standing down or retiring.

This will surely appeal to those "Lefties" who would find a noble title forced on them as totally repugnant.

Lottery winners' contented lives

From: Martin Pugh, commercial director, Camelot Group, Watford.

I WAS disappointed to read Jayne Dowle's article (Yorkshire Post, February 18) citing her concern at the size of the recent 56m EuroMillions jackpot.

Big jackpots drive sales, which in turn means more money for good

causes from games with different prize levels.

Her concern that the winners may "find their brand new world

disintegrating, as so many big Lottery winners have done before them" is also misplaced.

I can wholeheartedly assure her that the overwhelming majority of the 2,400-plus millionaires the National Lottery has created since 1994 live happy, contented lives.

Baked in a pie

From: Colin Hood, Pickering.

REGARDING Margaret Marsh's letter on rook pie (Yorkshire Post, February 23), in the East Riding of Yorkshire, it was common practice to supplement Sunday lunch with a pie containing blackbird and thrush's breast.

This would be in the early 1930s. One of the younger members of the family would be sent out in the dark, with torch and bag to dazzle and catch these birds sleeping in the hedgerows.

Quickly dispatched, the birds were put in the bag and delivered home to mother when sufficient to make a family-sized pie for Sunday dinner. Rook tastes similar to rabbit.