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Back door political letters are cowardly
• I WAS sickened to read the three anonymous letters from NW3 readers full of sarcasm about the former Labour regime and sycophantic praise for the new Lib Dem administration (Why is it people who care that lose jobs? Dec 28).
If they genuinely feel so strongly about the old and new regimes, why can’t they stand up and be counted? It is quite obvious that three very similar letters, all anonymous and all from NW3 can only have been sponsored possibly by the Lib Dem party itself.
If they are not prepared to have their names published, one can only conclude that they are paid-up members of the Lib Dem party trying to boost morale or they are disaffected staff at the Town Hall who bear a grudge and do not want their names published.
It was quite obvious to me that for Lib Dems to promise no increase in council tax if they were elected, something would have to give.
Having over-committed themselves to modernising the Kentish Town baths at a sum way in excess of what Labour considered sensible and reasonable in relation to their budget, with ongoing inflation, it was unrealistic to make the promise they did without considering the implications.
It is noticeable that all three in their praise fail totally to mention the minor detail of the proposed 43 per cent savage cuts in the social services budget.
As has been said many times, it would decimate the Citizens Advice Bureaux and Law Centres.
And now we read of proposals to sell off chunks of council housing to associations despite the known oppositions of tenants to the Almos and similar forms of non-council involvement.
So much for humanitarian concerns. I suggest they read Rose Hacker’s column, full of concern and human wisdom, and take it to heart. They will learn far more from that than all the party posturing from various new councillors praising what they have done.
JOHN STRATTON
Thurlow Road, NW3
I WAS mellowing out between Christmas and new year with a glass of mulled wine and the letters page of the CNJ.
Hmm, here is a letter saying thank goodness the new Lib Dem alliance is putting the unions in their place and imposing “well overdue” job cuts, from HD of NW3, name and address supplied.
Hmm. Oh okay, why not have another glass of wine and read another letter. Oh look, this one is from HA of NW3, name and address supplied, this says thank goodness the new Lib Dem administration is freezing council tax and keeping manifesto pledges.
Oh okay, another glass of wine and look, here is another letter, this time from PG of NW3, name and address supplied, saying thank God the new Lib Dem administration is getting rid of excess council personnel.
As I sip my mulled wine I have a vague feeling that there is something a bit strange going on here, surely there can’t be a cabal of Lib Dem supporters scribbling away in NW3 trying to show popular support for deeply damaging policies of jobs and services cuts?
Name and address supplied
IT is curious to see that three of your letter writers in last week’s CNJ who support “the Lib Dem-led administration” all hide behind “name and address supplied.”
Are they ashamed to put their names to their views? In their support for the proposed cuts to our services what they fail to mention is the impact on some of our most vulnerable citizens – is this why they hide behind anonymity ?
MICK FARRANT
Oak Village, NW5
IN last week’s edition of the CNJ, there were three letters from readers who refused to have their name and address published.
I know it’s CNJ policy to allow your readers to withhold their addresses, but I can’t understand why these people can’t have the courage of their convictions and have their names and addresses published.
JAMES HENNESSEY
Beswick Mews, NW6
WE have not seen much of Chris Philp since he was elected as a Conservative councillor for Gospel Oak in May.
Now we know why. He has been working on his next project – getting selected as the parliamentary candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn (Proud to stand, Dec 28).
Presumably we shall see even less of him in the ward he is supposed to be representing and the donkey work will fall on his long-suffering colleagues.
SALLY GIMSON
Chairwoman
Gospel Oak Labour Branch
JOHN Gulliver’s column reports that Camden’s former Labour environment boss, John Thane, can’t resist decrying the Lib Dems’ performance since they took the reins (Thane’s parking past, Dec 28).
When Thane was in charge, Camden overturned one of the basic tenets of traffic management. Using the pretext of discouraging cars in Bloomsbury, he arranged for traffic to be diverted from a shopping street onto a formerly peaceful residential street – which is the exact opposite of normal transport policy.
For the sake of making space for a couple more outdoor café tables for tourists, he was happy to wreck the living conditions of people like me who can no longer get any fresh air in the summer.
However bad the new administration might be, I can’t see how they can make my life any more hellish than John Thane already has.
ALBERT BEALE
Little Russell Street, WC1
THE Lib Dems have only been in power in Camden since May 2006, and they have already made vicious cuts in council services, especially in the housing department, which has lost 170 jobs. And the total loss of council jobs currently stands at 370.
This figure may increase after Christmas, a nice new year present.
These cuts will lead to a cheaper and worse service. This level of cuts has not been seen since the early 1990s. Not only are the Lib Dems trying to cull services in this borough, they are also planning to privatise our council estates.
Even more misery will come, with higher costs and less security. Tenants and leaseholders must stand and fight against this council’s plans.
ELLEN LUBY
Parkhill Road, NW3 |
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