Letters - March 30, 2017

(L-R) Amanda Mitchell, Ellen Whitely and Irene James outside the Tyldesley Conservative Club in Blackpool, Lancs., All three women have been paid altogether Â£35,000 in damages by the club. See SWNS story SWSEXIST; A TORY social club must pay out Â£35,000 after sexists allegedly branded women members a witch and a cow and prevented them joining the committee. Three women were awarded damages after a landmark legal challenge against the Conservative club. They say one committee man told a fellow male member that women would never serve on the committee as long as he had a hole in his a**e. Irene James, 67, also says she was told: Youre as welcome at this club as a turd at a wedding. Retired nurse Irene, housewife Amanda Mitchell, 45, and greengrocer Ellen Whiteley, 57, won an out-of-court settlement which included Â£3,000 Âdamages for each woman plus costs.

The article in the Gazette exposed the hideous behaviour of some of my sex, who would belittle and insult the women who tried to stand up to the abuse that was inflicted upon them.

As a liberated man, who has no desire to join in with this misogynistic behaviour, I do know that my knowledge of fighting for female equality comes from living, working, and socialising with women on a regular basis.

My current partner is a WITCH (woman in total control of herself) and I am grateful for her comfort, knowledge, discipline and intelligence, that supports me at all times.

After all, as the article pointed out, it was women suffragettes at the beginning of the 20th century that enabled working class men to secure voting rights, as well as for women.

It strikes me therefore that if Theresa May had been enrolled in the Tyldesley Conservative club, how would she have progressed her career in such a place?

We may never have heard of her! The answer of course is within the context of women having to engage with the struggle of fighting for equality for most of their lives.

They will of course fight back after having to endure the slings and arrows of male domination in all its forms! I for one will not be joining this club, but I wish the ladies well in securing their places onto the committee, you have struck another blow for freedom and equality and I wish you well.

Roy Lewis

Haddon Road

Norbreck

CLUB

Conservative club got off lightly

With reference to the article in the Gazette, regarding the fine imposed upon Tyldesley Conservative club, it would appear that the club got away lightly with the £35,000 fine imposed which included £9,000 compensation for the three defendants.

The fact that the club settled out of court signifies that when they were made aware of the illegality of their actions, they realised the error of their ways. The offence of discrimination under the sex discrimination act 2010 brought in specific changes to private social clubs, which the management of the club should have been aware of some seven years ago. Ignorance of the legal requirements to manage their club is no excuse in law.

The committee was clearly in breach of a classic case of victimisation, as women members were being treated differently to male members or were supporting someone who had made a complaint. These women have been subject to direct discrimination, because of being treated worse than someone of the opposite sex in a similar situation. Then there is harassment related to sex when someone makes you feel humiliated, offended or degraded.

I suspect therefore that as these women had been discriminated against for so long and the abuse of harassment had been allowed to continue, that had the matter come to a full hearing the fine and compensation would have been greater. As it is I would hope that the committee is forced to disband and disqualified from committee work in the future.

The only way to improve these male dominated social clubs is to instruct trustees and members to read the act and made aware of their responsibilities before taking office.

Marjorie Nye

North Shore

FRACKING

Facts prove the opposite

I am amazed at Helen Rimmer’s statement that Lancashire folk “don’t want fracking” .

I was born and bred in the county and can state I, for one, welcome fracking.

If her statement is correct, why aren’t the majority of the county out protesting against the technology?

I have taken the time to read up both sides of the argument.

Having done so, I am not inclined to side with the Friends of the Earth argument.

So Ms Rimmer, please refrain from saying Lancashire residents “don’t want fracking”.

You may wish this to be true but facts prove the opposite.

Jacqueline  Taylor

Via email 

FRACKING

We’ll be thanking protesters one day

I would like to thank all the protesters for not allowing Cuadrilla too easy a ride as it’s set to ruin our countryside for their own private profit.

What good has the Morecambe Bay gas field ever done for the West End of Morecambe or for Barrow? Nothing.

Fracking will bring no good things to the Fylde coast - moreover if we just sit back and let this roll over us it will irreparably harm our farming and tourism.

So I applaud the protesters .

We’ll be thanking them one day rather than moaning about traffic congestion.

Richard  Tandy

Talbot Road

Blackpool 

DEVELOPMENT

Preserve our green areas for the future

Once the green areas are gone, they are gone for many years, possibly lifetimes.

It’s essential to make sure developers are not destroying forest and parkland in order to meet such targets.

Quality of life, fresh air and nature activities is very important to the health of the population. Nature is an asset that should not be neglected.

Some areas of the country have almost continual towns, like “the black country”, with little or no park areas or nature.

There are many old and decaying buildings that could be built on and developed first, even though the profits might be less.

This would preserve the quality of life and green belts, which should be of primary importance.

Miles Bellas

Via email