Wednesday's Letters: Our leaders have opened door to rising crime

Since the 1960s, both parties have been responsible for uncontrolled immigration without any consultation with the British people.

The last Labour administration has allowed in immigrant criminals from all corners of the universe with the result that we now have

perpetrators of bombings and terror plots, honour killings, money laundering, drug dealing, street shootings and stabbings, people trafficking, credit card cloning, child starvation, etc, none of which were prevalent in this country 40-50 years ago.

Are the likes of Gordon Brown and Jack Straw oblivious to the fact that a significant proportion of the victims of knife and gun crime are either black, mixed race or Eastern European? This same figure applies to the people convicted or charged with these murders. There are now gangs of youths feuding and fighting in all of our major cities.

Only the late Enoch Powell foresaw what would happen when many different ethnic factions arrived in Britain. He knew that gangs from different cultures and countries would feud with one another, but the likes of Heath, Wilson and Hattersley scoffed at his wise words.

At that time, the only major criminals of note were the Krays,

Jack "the hat" and Frankie Fraser. I don't recall any of them being involved in bombings, drug dealing or the murder of their relatives.

The leaders of the last half-century have between them ruined what was once a safe country to live in due to their "open door" immigration policies.

From: John A Martin, Westfield Close, Hotham, York.

The Israelis should be applauded

From: Michael Ross, Weeton Lane, Dunkeswick, North Yorkshire.

IT is regrettable that John Watson's support for Israel has been alienated (Yorkshire Post, March 28) for the reasons stated.

I do not believe there is any country whose secret service does not copy, clone or forge passports, whether they be those of "friendly" countries or otherwise. How else does he think they operate? The secret of success in such operations is not to be found out, as it would appear Israel has been, although there has been no proof so far.

As a "supporter" of Israel, Mr Watson then goes on to condemn the

Israeli Prime Minister and his policies, which he is entitled to do, but then accuses Israel of not behaving in a "civilised way".

It may come as a surprise to Mr Watson but there are few more civilised countries in the world. Israel is only 62 years old, and has achieved great things for any country, never mind such a fledgling one – things which benefit the whole world in the fields of medicine, science, literature, agriculture, information technology, etc, and their work ethic is second to none. At the same time, they continue fighting for their very existence on a daily basis while welcoming all peace loving peoples and their cultures – no matter what creed or colour – within its tiny borders.

Which country has achieved that level of so-called civilisation in such a short period?

It is unfashionable and takes courage to overtly support Israel in today's world of upside down standards. They should be applauded for their achievements rather than condemned for errors in their quest for survival. Faint-hearted "supporters" do them more harm than their many overt enemies.

Responsibility of power

From: Ken Hartford, Durham Mews, Butt Lane, Beverley.

IN a few weeks, a new set of people are going to have to take over the running the country efficiently. Will this be seen as a right,

privilege or responsibility?

I wonder how many of the 5,000 or so children born to mothers who took the thalidomide drug have survived and if so, do they feel privileged to have lived with their deformed body? Did they really have a "right" and the responsibilities that go with the "rights"? I don't believe I'd think I had.

Those of us born in earlier times, given the privilege to have survived 80 or more years, mainly in good health, had also to meet certain responsibilities as well as enjoy the privileges.

Even now, people like the Queen are very aware of their

responsibilities as well as their privileges and they know

their "rights" (and wrongs).

The social level in which I was born were not particularly privileged to have many "rights," but we enjoyed them and took the

responsibilities we could.

I so wish the younger generations now would recognise these areas of what life is about. We would not be such a competitive nation, but we would feel privileged to enjoy our responsibilities.

As it is, we've got to have faith that the Government we help to elect is prepared to take the responsibilities with the privileges.

Is there any chance of finding 600-odd MPs who will?

Simplicity is the answer

From: James Anthony Bulmer, Peel Street, Horbury, Wakefield.

THE recent item (Yorkshire Post, March 25) about the scientist Robert Harrison, having achieved for 500 what NASA and other countries have spent millions on, proves beyond a shadow of doubt that developments – if not involved in useless races for fame – can be achieved more easily and cheaply, and without the risk of losing lives.

Can we not think with such simplicity or, is it that education, education, education theories make things look more complicated than they really are? Practicality and common sense would appear to have been Mr Harrison's ideas and, I for one, bow down to his simple, yet very effective, ingenuity. More please.

Basic physics must surely have been in the forefront of Mr Harrison's mind, with the bell jar, vacuum pump and deflated balloon to determine pressures.

Complex minds bring complex ideas, simplicity almost always succeeds. For, as we are now seeing the water wheel and archimedes spiral making a return, 2,000 years on, with warmer "wetter" weather being forecast for the future, harness this and power will be cheap and clean. The Chinese are doing it.

Cull the civil servants

From: Don Burslam, Elm Road, Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury.

HIP hip hooray! I read that the number of civil servants in London is to be reduced by a third (Yorkshire Post, March 26). Excellent but why do we have to see the economy brought to the brink of ruin before doing something so sensible?

Forgive a personal note but I have used the hospitality of your columns to advocate this for years. It is so obvious that only politicians and dog-in-the manger civil servants could block it.

I would go further by regionalising the whole structure of government. This should be remodelled to decentralise decision-making. The whole model of Westminster and Whitehall is creaking at the joints with age. Part of the currently fashionable lobbying problem is exacerbated by the concentration of decision-making. The London complex should be stripped down to a cadre and more flexibility given to local needs.

In Germany, for example, regional government is far stronger with their own first Ministers. Ours is the most centralised system and, in my opinion, the most inefficient.

We can all build sustainable homes for future

From: Susie Clark, Grafton, York.

I READ with interest your article, "Developer makes a statement with luxury green superhome" (Yorkshire Post, March 27). I have for many years followed developments in so-called green methods of construction and energy supply here and abroad and have been involved in my own construction projects.

For example, in 2004 I commissioned a green roof of German manufacture in two parts, one planted with a wide variety of garden plants from snowdrops to heather to chives, the other planted with flowers typical of a Yorkshire Dales limestone area. The latter incorporated recycled lime mortar in the soil mix. Both roofs flourish with only one annual inspection and provide very good insulation, which brings me to the point.

Anyone with common sense will see the value of insulation and passive solar energy in construction. Likewise, the merits of several forms of renewable energy are clear. Examples are ground source heat pumps, although others may depend on location. (Harrogate Council should be credited for being one of the first to successfully introduce heat pumps in social housing). But surely anything that calls itself eco-friendly should imply some sort of sympathy with the world around it.

There are plenty of opportunities for stunning new designs where buildings are worn out or new buildings are genuinely needed. Most of us in this country are already blessed with many more resources than people in other parts of the world. The developer you mentioned seemed to relish filling 40 skips with old fire places, ceilings, doors and so on. What a waste. Were some of the contents passed on to people who could make use of them for free? Were they given to a charity to sell for money? As far as the "superhome" is concerned, it appears to dominate its surroundings, while the garden appears to be an ecological desert of leylandii hedge, weed-killed lawn and one type of potted plant.

Where's the mix of habitats? Where's the use of local products? It's too easy to think that eco build means only low energy use. Ecology is defined in my dictionary as the "branch of science dealing with living organisms in relation to their surroundings". We do not each need a palace.

No excuse for not voting

From: Sue Doughty, Verey Close, Twyford, Reading.

THEY are not all the same, those political parties, as Tim Montgomerie points out in his article (Yorkshire Post, March 31). Another excuse people give for not turning out to vote is that they feel or are told that they shouldn't get involved as if they feel not worthy of taking part in the governance of a whole country.

But we are all involved, there is no greater involvement than paying for it. Every penny the Government spends is our money, the Government

having none of its own. Every decision they make is done in your name and with your money.

There is no excuse for not voting for the path your own country's future should take for the good of you and yours. It seems to me it is time for a strong dose of the party that will deliver smaller

government through a smaller parliament – the Conservative Party.

Abhorrent comments

From: Dr Helen Vos, Main Street, Escrick, York.

HAVING never voted Tory before, I was actually considering doing so

this time round but, no more.

Chris Grayling's comments are abhorrent; no decent person would harbour such ideas (Yorkshire Post, April 5).

You have to wonder about B&B owners, Grayling and any others who feel thus about gay couples but are happy to open their doors

to "heterosexual couples", albeit not always married, such as an Ian and Myra or a Fred and Rose...

From: Terry Duncan, Bridlington.

SURELY anyone running a small business from their home as a B&B should be permitted to decide who stays on the premises?

Apart from gays, is it also wrong to ban druggies, tramps, gipsies because of their lifestyles? I believe owners have that right.

Pain goes on or town

From: Kevin Maguire, Hanover Street, Batley.

AS the war in Afghanistan carries on, the hurts also carry on. We all know that – but we are not aware of the continued pain the town of Wootton Bassett experiences as funeral corteges go through the town.

Will the town be able to go back to normal when the war is over? Any answers from No 10?