Threat to charities by lobbying law

GOVERNMENT has been busy damaging our health. For example, no plain packaging on cigarettes (tobacco boys opposed). Then no minimum alcohol pricing (well done, Big Booze). Now we hear that Government wishes to remove the duty of local councils to measure air pollution, despite knowledge that this causes more deaths per year than obesity and alcohol combined (29,000 nationally or 2,500 deaths per year in Yorkshire region.) Big Oil will be happy. I almost forgot. No action to reduce sugar in our diet (the highest in Europe). Well done Mars and Coca-Cola.

Can Government – who seem so unsuitable to run the NHS – get away with this despite a General Election ahead? They hope to keep electors in the dark.

The “Lobbying Bill” currently before Parliament will not touch lobbying by big businesses. But it will reduce spending by trade unions, voluntary bodies like Friends of the Earth, and scare them from telling public what is happening less than one year before the General Election.

This Bill threatens charities 
with criminal prosecution if they lobby in ways which “might lead” to voters backing certain candidates or parties. The 
British Legion, RSPB, Oxfam, Carers UK, NUS and many others have all expressed grave concern about these constitutional changes.

Why are Ministers so frightened of lobbying before elections? The public might be told about their record by the new pressure groups like 38 Degrees, Avaaz and social media.

Better public information and more interest in politics are 
surely welcome in a democracy? Those now in power seem terrified.

Too easy to pick on the jobless

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby, Lincolnshire.

I’M disappointed, but not surprised, with the findings of your News Poll that 90 per cent think unemployment benefits are still too generous (Yorkshire Post, September 11).

For over the years there’s been a constant campaign by certain politicians and others to denigrate the jobless as being skivers and shirkers, who could either get work if they wanted to, or at the very least are getting too much in the way of handouts.

But I wonder how many of your 90 per cent are aware of the fact that the basic level of JobSeekers’ Allowance for a single person 25 and over is just £71.70 a week? Or that last year it rose by just 70p, an increase more than accounted for by the extra sum having to be paid towards council tax?

In other words, the average jobless person is going to be a lot better off in work, even in posts that pay the minimum wage of £6.19. Trouble is, there just isn’t the work available, especially in towns and cities that have never really recovered from the loss of their traditional heavy industry.

This includes Yorkshire ex-mining towns, and the Humber ports of Grimsby and Hull that were badly affected by the loss of deep sea fishing.

Of course what’s needed is the creation of new jobs. But that costs money, and it is easier to depict the jobless as layabouts enjoying the high life of satellite TV and other such luxuries.

Memories of Fox’s Biscuits

From: Catherine Watson, Norman Road, Hatfield, Doncaster.

I WAS very interested to read the article about the beginning of Fox’s Biscuits in Batley (Yorkshire Post, September 10).

Apart from it being a very inspirational story describing the hard work and dedication of the first members of the Fox family, it also reminded me that I was at school, in the 1950s, with Gillian Fox, the daughter of one of the Fox brothers. We both went to Fulneck Girls’ School in Pudsey and I would love to know where she is now and if she continued with the family business when she left school.

One of Fox’s biscuits that was a great favourite at the time was one which had a variety of sports activities imprinted on each biscuit! I’m not sure that they’re still made. I wonder how many people would remember them?

Last resort on licence evasion

From: Paul Williams, TV Licensing, Moorfield House, Alma Road, Leeds.

IN response to the letter from your reader Max Nottingham (Yorkshire Post, September 12), I wanted to clarify the maximum penalty for watching TV illegally is a fine of up to £1,000.

A custodial sentence can be imposed as a result of non-payment of court fines, including fines for TV Licence evasion, but this a matter for the courts.

We always prefer people to buy a licence and we work with money advice organisations to inform the public of the many payment methods available, including small weekly cash payments.

We give people every opportunity to pay and only prosecute as a last resort. However, we have a duty to enforce the law on behalf of the 95 per cent of people who are correctly licensed.

Insight into education

From: Margaret and Dennis Johnson, Firbeck Road, Bramham, Leeds.

HAVING watched the television programme Educating Yorkshire, my wife and I have a better understanding of why the country is in such a mess.

Dirty business

From: Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire, Bradford.

SOMEONE with the help of the unions did the dirty on his brother, now he is doing the dirty on the unions.

Who on earth would vote for Ed Miliband?