Remember rights in Magna Carta

CONVICTED murderer David Bieber, who shot and killed PC Ian Broadhurst on Boxing Day 2003, has been granted £12,000 in legal aid in an attempt to be classed as a low-risk prisoner and be moved to a softer prison. He claims his present status is an infringement of his human rights.

In 2003, the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, stated the Human Rights Act should be torn up. Why? Because the Government lost its appeal to deport the Afghan hijackers due to a human rights verdict in the Appeal Court. I believe the Government posted a second appeal in 2006.

The Afghan hijackers landed at Stansted in the year 2000; 11 years now of wiping their feet on our national flag which is draped over the coffins of our Armed Forces because of the Human Rights Act.Do you remember the Magna Carta, the charter establishing people’s rights concerning personal and political liberty obtained by we English from King John in the year 1215? Rights we enjoyed for 783 years until PM Tony Blair signed them away in 1998.

As a commoner, did Tony Blair have the right and power to overrule a Royal Charter?

Call for cut in business rates

From: Paul Brown, Bents Green Road, Sheffield.

IF the Government wants to get Britain working again, it would be a great help to scrap or substantially reduce business rates for small manufacturing companies.

A relatively modest business enterprise can find itself with an annual rates bill of £50,000. This may not be a problem if there is a good profit margin but manufacturers operate in an environment with many foreign competitors and a high value of business turnover is required just to finance the rates bill.

Politicians are very quick to point to the low wages paid in far-eastern countries but they do not acknowledge the difference in tax levels or the costs associated with compliance with British rules and regulations.

There are many wealthy people in this country who could be encouraged to invest in business enterprises. They need to have the opportunity to retain profits for expansion rather than pay large sums to government before their business is up and running. Managers who help to take people off unemployment benefits should receive the grateful thanks of government not an assortment of tax bills.

Perhaps we need a Tea Party following the example of our friends in the US where Tea stands for Taxed Enough Already.

Way forward for homes

From: Michael Summers, Peake’s Croft, Bawtry.

it is with sadness I learn of Barnsley Council’s refusal to allow the construction of an underground house in Crow Edge.

When concerns about the use of energy, the destroying of the countryside and ever-increasing insurance costs are high on developers’ agendas, why can’t those who can afford it build practical, innovational and environmentally-friendly homes?

I well remember spending half a day at an underground home; it was light, warm, spacious (it even has a swimming pool within the building) and I cannot understand why this sort of home is not much more common. The roof acts as the garden, or at least an extension of it; the surroundings are unspoilt, and I have yet to learn of any real snags, other than lack of information and experience from “traditional” builders and local authorities.

If we are really becoming short of land, especially if the Government’s intention is for the country to become increasingly self-sufficient with regard to food production, surely this could be an acceptable alternative for quite a lot of those seeking homes of their own.

Salesman’s memories

From: Frank Greenway, Hollins Lane, Steeton, Keighley.

Like your correspondent B Niesyty, I, too, was delighted to see the picture of the line up of the new Ford Consul Zephyr and Zodiac (Yorkshire Post, April 9).

The date would be early 1956 and I remember it well as a young Ford salesman. A group of about 50 salesmen from all the Yorkshire Ford dealerships gathered in Harrogate at about 9.30am.

Our introduction to these new cars was in the Valley Gardens, where all the range was displayed, along with all the competitive models from Austin, Morris, Vauxhall etc.

The first day was spent being instructed on the selling points where the Ford was better than the competitors. I remember a very good lunch at, I think, the Cairn Hydro.

The following day we drove in our 1954 Ford Anglia to Marston Moor Airfield and the fun began. I had noticed that all the demonstration cars had completely bald tyres (no tyre regulations then) and I soon found out why.

We were split into groups of four, each group being allocated a car, and then each one of us took the wheel in turn and we thrashed each one of the demonstrator cars round the airfield all morning. Surprisingly no one came to grief.

Little wonder then that I enjoyed your picture on April 9.