The local elections in York should not be about local issues. Most of the problems facing people in York originated from New Labour and EU policies.

The EU is responsible for excessive landfill charges, imposed on local councils by New Labour, increasing the threat from disease as bins are emptied fortnightly. The bins could end up being weighed and people charged accordingly, despite increased council tax.

Manufacturing in York is in severe decline, with production shifting abroad and yet we are told that the EU helps our manufacturing. New Labour does nothing to help.

The Royal Mail has had to become more productive, due to demands from the EU that it opens up to the free market. As a result, there could be more than 100,000 redundancies and post offices are closing.

York's inadequate ring-road is hindering business and transport, with New Labour rejecting calls for a dual carriageway between York and Scarborough.

Because of New Labour policy, many people can't find an NHS dentist, and the primary care trust is forcing hospital ward closures, redundancies, and turning away patients.

Pensioners struggle on incomes way below the New Labour poverty line and are subject to means testing. Occupational pensioners are not to be properly compensated.

New Labour's latest budget condemned more low earners to poverty by removing the ten per cent tax band.

The inadequate New Labour home-building policy and roaring house price inflation means there is a severe deficit of affordable housing.

We are at more risk from terrorism due to New Labour's foreign policy, and our civil liberty is under threat.

New Labour controls our lives as if we were puppets on a string. It's time those strings were cut, and we were given more say by a more democratic, fairer and inclusive Government.

T Scaife, Manor Drive, York.


* I listened to Tony Blair justifying the election of his candidates in the council elections on the BBC.

He explained that we misunderstand all the things which we think are going wrong. They are better than they were when he came in, and he also has more new ideas for the future.

We don't understand because that's how people react to Governments when they are in power as long as his. It's only natural - or words to that effect.

Dead right. Politicians have a shelf life, and he has been standing with his foot in the door far too long, just as Maggie did before him. I voted both in, and couldn't wait to see the back of them after the first few years.

Call me ungrateful if you like. They both did what we wanted at the time. That's why we put them in.

We should have put them out much sooner, but there were no credible alternatives.

Now we are back to square one, but in far more dangerous times. We see how easy it is to be led into situations far beyond our capabilities, bogged down and suffering loss of life and respect.

People in political parties are not the ultimate font of wisdom. Nor are they without error. In fact, they may be better at making a case than we are, but strip away the regalia and pomp we bestow on them, and they often lack the common sense, instinct and life experience we have.

The big difference is in the power over our lives we also give them. Once they get used to the job they think it is theirs by right, and get us to do what they want.

Government is far too important to be placed in the hands of one narrow section of society, or not to be representative of the widest possible range of citizens and opinion.

George Appleby, Clifton, York.


* IN response to Phil Shepherdson's letter (Fine UK firms go to the wall, March 20) on British industries of York - Rowntree, Terry's, British Rail and Ben Johnson.

Has he got a short memory? It was Margaret Thatcher, leader of the Conservatives, that sold our British industries, not Labour and Tony Blair.

Ann Dales, Ashleigh Drive, Beeford, Driffield.