Letters - July 25, 2018

Labour veteran Margaret Hodge has exposed Jeremy Corbyn’s antisemitic views. These are shared by his coterie of supporters particularly Abbot and McDonnell. Such views are shameful.

Corbyn’s views are well recorded over many years. He attacks Israel at every opportunity and supports terrorist groups like Hamas.

It his actions not his words that condemn him.

John Woodcock, Labour MP for Barrow, has resigned the party whip in protest at Corbyn’s handling of antisemitism. He adds that the hard left takeover of the party has resulted in a Labour government headed by Corbyn, or one of the coterie around him, that would put “the security of the nation at risk”. Corbyn and McDonnell could, he says, “do an incredible amount of damage, within a space of days and weeks to our security services and to our deployed armed forces”.

One could not imagine a more critical opinion of a party leader and his supporters.

Woodcock and Hodge are the latest to wake up to the dangers Corbyn represents to the security of this country. Many more in the party will follow.

Such a man is not fit to lead a British political party let alone be a Prime Minister of this country.

Dr Barry Clayton

Thornton Cleveleys

WORLD CUP

More like ‘losers coming home’

If the England football team had concentrated more on their football instead of booking into posh hotels with their families and sightseeing and the manager sitting on the bench dressed up like a dog’s dinner instead of track suit urging his team along we just might have won the World Cup.

But saying that, the team and manager were not good enough and a complete letdown to the fans who paid to see them. Football’s coming home? More like the losers are coming home.

EB Warris

Address supplied

TRAFFIC

Parking scheme out

of touch with reality
The article on the front of The Gazette (July 23) does not make any sense.

Who would want to allow someone to park in their driveway for 13p per hour it is beyond belief!

To make it worthwhile it would need to be £7 or £8 per day.

The other suggestion that older people who have a driveway but no longer have a car might want to allow people to park there is also ridiculous.

If I could no longer drive then I would make sure that my gates are securely locked. Why would anyone encourage people to target elderly people nowadays! What about the safety of the pensioners? Doesn’t that matter? This is not thinking outside of the box, this is losing touch with reality.

Terry Bennett

Blackpool


COMPETITION

Search for storytellers

Are you 16 or 17 or do you have memories of life at this often challenging age? If so, you may be interested in entering a creative writing competition being run by The Children’s Society as part of our charity’s Seriously Awkward campaign.

 The campaign aims to improve life for vulnerable 16 and 17-year-olds by securing more sustained help for them as they move into adulthood with issues like mental health, housing and access to employment.

 For the competition, run in partnership with Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House, we are looking for fictional stories by unpublished writers of up to 2,000 words about this awkward age, with categories for people aged 16 to 25 and 26 and over.

  Writing experts including international best-selling author Emma Healey, who has just published her second novel, Whistle in the Dark, will judge the competition, and the winners will be offered advice and feedback by top literary agencies Darley Anderson and David Higham Associates.

 Your story can highlight the ups and downs of this age, be in any fiction genre and written from any perspective. Could it be about a 16-year-old making daunting decisions about their future, or falling in love and making new friends at 17? A parent terrified about their child leaving home? Or a social worker trying to protect a young person from harm?

 Please visit www.childrenssociety.org.uk/writing to find out more and enter by August 31. Good luck!

Matthew Reed,

Chief executive
Children’s Society