Letters - Friday November 27 2020

As more and more people celebrate Lancashire Day by flying the red rose, a call has gone out to reunite Lancashire and create a powerful county-region.

Lancashire United, to be launched today, has set out a vision for a county-region that would reintegrate Greater Manchester and Merseyside with the remaining parts of Lancashire, with an elected assembly having similar powers to those enjoyed by the devolved nations of the UK.

Now is the time to set out a vision for a new Lancashire which is forward-looking, inclusive and democratic, with real powers to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of the 21st century, post-Covid 19.

If you live here, and identify with Lancashire, we want your support for a strong county-region. Lancashire United is a cross-party body which welcomes people from all backgrounds and beliefs.

The local government changes in the 1970s, which saw proud Lancashire towns lose their identities, was a disaster.

Few people identify as ‘Greater Mancunians’ but many people from Bolton, Rochdale, Wigan and elsewhere remain stubbornly proud of their Lancashire heritage.

We think the same is true for Merseyside.

Imagine what a powerful region it would be if the economic clout of Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and their neighbours was brought under one regional umbrella, in partnership with strong local government. Lancashire United’s aims are:

. The promotion of a progressive, inclusive Lancashire identity that is welcoming to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or age

. The creation of a new Lancashire county-region which includes Greater Manchester and Merseyside;

. The formation of a democratically-elected Lancashire Assembly, using a fair voting system;

. The devolution of powers over transport, health, education, economic development, culture and tourism to the county-region, with democratic oversight;

. The encouragement of informal Lancashire-wide networks in the areas of higher education and research, culture and the arts, sport and other areas;

. The encouragement of democratic forms of social ownership – ‘a co-operative commonwealth’;

. The empowerment of local government and town/parish councils;

. Close and collaborative working with our neighbours in Cumbria, Yorkshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire and the formation of a Northern Confederation.

Lancashire United

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Politics

Time for responsible opposition is now

Covid 19 has from the outset threatened to create economic havoc as well as endangering health. The former will be with us long after a vaccine has negated its virulent properties.

A study of official forecasts for the economy predicts the biggest economic decline for over three centuries.

Unusually, this Spending Review covers only the year from April 2021 instead of three or four years. The pandemic has made long-term planning very hazardous.

The situation is serious because the government is receiving less in taxes while borrowing has sky rocketed. Already the government has borrowed £160bn more than it expected to borrow this financial year. In five months’ time the excess will have reached a peacetime record of almost £400bn.

This has necessitated, for example, cutting overseas aid by 0.2 per cent (those who oppose this should examine where and to whom it goes. We are still the second largest aid contributor in the G7), and imposing a pay freeze on many in the public sector. NHS workers have rightly been granted a rise.

This has inevitably provoked the usual knee-jerk reaction from the Labour Party, a Party that for eight months has implored the Chancellor to throw money around like confetti but is incapable of understanding that debts have to be repaid. Labour governments, of course, have never repaid debts. For many years taxpayers will be paying back these debts which will be increasing with the interest on them.

The economy forecasts are dismal. The economy will shrink further and unemployment will increase. The road to recovery will be a long and bumpy one. Painful financial decisions will have to be made for at least five years. Brexit won’t help.

The Review and the OBR have revealed that deficit spending will continue until at least 2025. Debt by then will account for a staggering 97.5 per cent of GDP (the market value of all goods and services). As the Chancellor said: the economic emergency has only just begun’. The recovery will be W -shaped not V-shaped.

In such circumstances a responsible political opposition would support the government not carp and nitpick at every opportunity.

Dr Barry Clayton

Thornton Cleveleys

TV

Don’t watch show if it upsets you...

It appears certain people have watched the new TV series of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here and are upset as they feel bugs, snakes and other animals have been abused in the making of this programme. Why are these people watching this programme if it is upsetting them so much in the first place? Turn your TV set off. The majority of people watching this annual programme do not want to listen to the views of a few people who think cruelty to animals is going on. It is entertainment, not a documentary. Realistically, there is more self-inflicted cruelty to humans going on, but that is television.

Tim bradshaw

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