Letters - March 4, 2016

I have concerns that The Gazette is approaching the search for shale in a very negative way. Perhaps something you should be doing is to put the points of genuinely concerned people across, not irate anti-protesters. Perhaps have an article from a geologist who can put people’s minds at rest.

Investment on this level will probably never arrive again, most certainly not in my life time. The Fylde needs investment, while the country needs its own, independent energy supply, not one that is transported thousands of miles through politically unstable countries in some poorly maintained pipelines.

Alternative energy is just not developed enough to use, and I’m sure if I suggested sticking a windfarm in Westby or along Preston New Road it would be treated with the same contempt, because people just do not want change in their own little patch of heaven.

Perhaps the people who want shale to happen are just not shouting quite as loudly, they are not posting on blogs, displaying banners, but they do believe in a cause, they believe in their children’s future, they believe in securing their employees jobs, and their families’ health.

They are sitting down and looking at the research, the information that is factual and the findings that educated geologists and universities are giving. They are putting their trust in an MP that says fracking will be heavily regulated and it will be safe, and they are hoping for a better future for the Fylde, but doing so in a much more dignified and educated way.

Perhaps, as the local newspaper, The Gazette could report for the benefit of everyone you represent, not the minority who just happen to be shouting the loudest.

Paul Linderman

via email

EDUCATION

Gambling with our children’s futures

George Osborne’s announcement that all schools will be academies by 2020 or 2022 would mark a huge step towards the privatisation of state-funded education.

Evidence shows academies under-perform and raises serious questions about financial oversight in existing academy chains. The Government ignore the teachers, parents and students, going far beyond their manifesto. They remove vulnerable pupils to boost their ratings in league tables with grossly inflated salaries to the bosses. None of this tackles the crippling teacher shortage.

The more they fail, the more the Government throws cash at them – parents are not aware of the changes, and will know less when not allowed on governing bodies.

This is a weak, deeply divided, increasingly unpopular Government with a slim majority. We all need to make sure that we let Tory MPs know we don’t want this fundamental attack on comprehensive education, or what follows will be a race to the bottom with our childrens future hopes.

Royston Jones

Beryl Avenue

Anchorsholme

GOVERNANCE

Combined authority an omen for Europe

By becoming part of the Combined Lancashire Authority it is no different, in principle, and I emphasise, in principle, than our future relationship with Europe. The same factors exist – independence, financial control, Blackpool losing status, having to fight our corner with the other 15 councils. Who knows where this will go?

Although Coun Ivan Taylor says that existing powers will stay as they are, how does he know this?

Does he have a veto over future changes that might be imposed on Blackpool by Lancashire County Council? I believe that once ‘Devolved Powers’ are in place, who knows what might happen should central Government decide to introduce other controls in the future.

A few years ago, there was a paper published with a map showing the abolition of our 48 counties and our country being broken up to form nine European Regions, reporting directly to the European Parliament in Brussels, not to Westminster. Could ‘Devolved Powers’ be the start of this transformation?

There was also another paper published called SEN@ER (Silver Economy Network of European Regions) – part of this paper was associated with Population Thresholds. The North West Region was designated UKD with Blackpool shown as UKD42.

I believe much is going on behind the scenes that the public know nothing about and would be most concerned should they find out, especially in view of the forthcoming EU referendum.

Derek J Bunting

Birkdale Ave

Blackpool

INDUSTRY

You could help 
to save our steel

Readers, sign a petition to the Government to save the British Steel Industry. Go to www.petition.co.uk, enter the section called Employment, and Support the British steel industry.

FE Sharpe

Plymouth

FUNDING

What a crazy world we are living in

Paris. Brussels. London? Yes, we are at serious risk of attack by terrorists who are willing to blow themselves to bits in order to kill us. So what does this Government do about it?

It cuts money to fund our border controls, it cuts police numbers, it fails to fund our overwhelmed NHS and, at the same time, doles out billions in so-called foreign aid. What a crazy world we live in and what a crazy Government we elected.

Peter Hyde

Address supplied