Letters - May 16, 2018

PM Theresa May’s official spokesman played Little Sir Echo to Washington in declaring ‘We condemn Iran’s attack on Israel, Israel should defend itself’.

The PM’s office appears ignorant of geography since no missiles landed within Israel’s borders. They were directed against Israeli bases on occupied Syrian land.

Israel claims, as in the case of East Jerusalem, to have annexed Syria’s Golan Heights, but neither annexation is legal under international law, although this presents no problem to Donald Trump nor, the British Government.

Israel says it makes clear it will not allow Syrian territory to be used by Iran’s Guards to train or arm Lebanese resistance groups or various pro-Assad groups.

Once again, Israel has no right under international law to tell a neighbouring state which forces it can approach to defend itself against concerted outside efforts to over throw its government.

Israel is a lawless state, armed to the teeth and supported by the world’s only military superpower acting as a swaggering bully, occupying land where it chooses while playing the victim all the time.

The danger is that those ordered to bow the knee will instead seek new means to retaliate, raising the threshold of horror and suffering to an unimagined level for everyone.

Royston Jones

Anchorsholme

ECONOMY

Hold referendum on town’s future

I’m afraid to admit, Blackpool town centre retailers will have to continue suffering the loss of footfall due to roadworks, increasing overheads, for many months to come.

Blackpool Council leaders need to actually walk around the town and see with their own eyes how it has deteriorated.

Also online shopping will continue to have a negative impact, more the reason to find positive ways of supporting ‘The High Street’.

Greater joined-up thinking initiatives are desperately needed to halt further shop and business closures.

These include encouraging greater use of public transport, reduced fare incentives and lowering the current high parking charges.

The Talbot multi-storey car park has several floors which are massively under used. This site has great potential to become a low cost parking destination car park. Attracting back the local people all the year round, especially those from neighbouring boroughs, is crucial.

The ongoing roadworks and the construction of tramway infrastructure is not only hitting the big operators, but also medium and small-sized family-owned businesses. The growing number of closed-down shops and restaurants is having a deleterious effect against the millions of pounds worth of town centre regeneration.

Blackpool is worth saving - but some radical and practical changes are desperately needed. Have a referendum.

Would local residents and businesses like to see a modern purpose-built bus station attracting thousands of local shoppers and visitors each week from around Lancashire?

Or alternatively would they prefer to see the town hall leaders invest a huge amount of Lancashire Enterprise Partnership funding and Blackpool Council revenue on a one-stop tram ride extension, costing in the region of £23m?

In the meantime the damage caused to businesses and the loss of much needed local employment over the next year or more should be a major concern .

Stephen Pierre

Blackpool

POLITICS

Wrong to call for Lords abolition

Re. Your Say, May 8, both R. N. Coupe and columnist Chris Moncrieff suggest the abolition of the House of Lords, as they have revised legislation to give the House of Commons the right to vote on Brexit details.

Both are either totally ignorant of parliamentary procedures or just trying to turn us against our parliamentary democracy.

The House of Lords is a revising chamber, which means they can’t enact legislation. only the elected House of Commons have this power. Our Government introduced proposed legislation which would give the Cabinet the power to amend Brexit legislation without reference to Parliament. This would give the Government’s Cabinet the so-called Henry VIII powers. The House of Lords proposed amendments, will if agreed by the Commons, force the Government to go back to the Commons before agreeing any ‘deals’ with the European Union post Brexit. Surely this is exactly what the House of Lords is all about?

I do wish we educated the public, especially our young people, on how our democracy works.

Kevan Benfold

Blackpool
Blackpool Liberal Democrats