Letters - February 9, 2016

Our identity is affected by the buildings around us. It is said that bad design can make us feel vulnerable, threatened and confused. Good design can make us feel safe giving us a sense of belonging. Walking on Church Street, watching the Syndicate and part of Winter Gardens buildings being razed to the ground, it made me feel disorientated.

Landmarks are important for different groups of people. Blackpool Tower, for many people, portrays the past with its history and great feat of engineering workmanship. So it’s great to hear the scaffolding will soon be removed from the Tower. It is the leading landmark of Blackpool.

We always have to look on the bright side of life in Blackpool. So wake up Blackpool, rise and shine.

Shutters up, let’s spruce the town up. Paint some of the buildings colours of the rainbow and put up the glitzy Illuminations. The holiday season 2016 is nearly here

P O’Connor

Portland Road

Blackpool

ALLEGATIONS

Why wait so long to make these claims?

I must say I share the views of John Inman’s niece (Gazette, February 2) at the latest example of sex abuse.

Why does it take these so-called ‘victims’ decades to come out of the woodwork and attempt to vilify famous figures?

And to add to their concerns, they don’t ever have their names revealed.

I am further puzzled why, except in the notorious case of Jimmy Savile, the police give these ‘jumped on the bandwagon’ the time of day! And, even more horrendous in John’s case, eight years after his death, he is unable to personally dispute the accusations.

Neil Kendall

Stamford Avenue

South Shore

EUROPE

EU cash could be used to help councils

It’s that time of year when the financial gremlins rise up and give us the news. Although I must give credit to Blackpool Council for keeping council tax at the same level over the last five years. Unfortunately, it seems that all the increases that would have occurred have now been rolled up into one massive increase of 3.9 per cent.

Who can we blame for this? I look at our membership of the European Union, which costs our Government £65 million per day, and I ask myself what does “Joe Public” get for this? Imagine what our councils could do with this massive funding. Council tax could be reduced enormously, and give the councils additional funding to spend on social projects currently under review.

Our exit from the EU is being forecast variously as a catastrophe, Armageddon, the end of the world etc, but it is nothing of the kind. All the problems we face today are as a direct result of our membership of the EU.

There are vested interests spreading misinformation and downright lies about our exit, but I look at what we could do with the billions of pounds it costs us and the benefits we could gain.

Derek Bunting

Birkdale Avenue

Blackpool

EUROPE

‘Brexit’ could be 
a new beginning

After three years of making us wait, David Cameron has finally revealed what so-called “concessions” he has won from the EU ahead of a referendum to be possibly held in June this year.

At a time when more than ever we needed strong governance and leadership. Britain needed a Winston Churchill-type figure to handle these negotiations, instead we got Neville Chamberlain with his piece of paper. But instead of peace our time we got the promise of a good deal and the horn of plenty, after we vote to stay in !

What concessions David Cameron has managed to prise out of the EU are trifling and virtually meaningless. All this nonsense about handbrakes and red cards pales into insignificance, because Britain can still be outvoted by the other member states.

We were promised treaty change, fundamental reform, control of our borders, the primacy of British law and repatriation of power. We got none of these. Brussels still reigns supreme, it is designed to work this way, no matter whatever David Cameron tells us.

It was stomach-churning to watch a democratically elected British Prime Minister grovel to Donald Tusk (a former Polish PM, whom we did not elect) to secure a few minor concessions.

Between now and whenever the referendum is announced, there will be the usual apocalyptic visions of Britain outside the EU, the people be foolish enough to want to leave.

A British “Brexit” will not be the end of the universe, it will be a new beginning. As an independent nation, Britain will still trade and have diplomatic relations with Europe. What we will not have is the costly and impractical political union that is all too often incompatible with British interests.

There has been enough talk on Europe. It is time for that long-overdue referendum, so bring in on and let the British people regain their country and control their own affairs.

Will Heyes

via email