Exeter Unitary Authority

I wish that the debate over Exeter becoming a Unitary Authority could become just that little bit more intelligent.Ben Bradshaw is now saying that if Exeter were to be a Unitary Authority then there would not be so many pot holes, Echo this Saturday, so where have all the councillors and officers been whilst this situation has arisen, taking their allowances for nothing!How much money is Exeter City Council taking from providing car parking facilities because surely without this income our council tax would have to rise. In the meantime they say they don't want so many vehicles coming into the City. Do they want to bring in congestion charging.Can Mr Bradshaw tell us what he thinks about the proposed new incinerator. Will that go ahead if Exeter becomes a Unitary Authority or will we be told that the decision has already been made and so we are stuck with it.Nobody seems to like speed humps so could it be that one way to keep speeds in Exeter down is to actually allow the roads to be pot holed because who wants to damage their vehicle.In their submission exeter says that the employees will continue to be members of the Devon County Council pension scheme. If Exeter wants to go it alone then so must the pension scheme. These are the sorts of issues which need bringing out into the open, not scoring political points.

Prince Harry in Iraq

there is something about Prince Harry going to Iraq which concerns me. He tells us that if he does not go to Iraq with his fellow soldiers then he will resign from the army. Now previously I have been told by correspondents that if they were told to jump they would jump, they would obey orders in other words, oh that is as long as they were legal of course.Now, if Prince Harry was told by his commanding officer that he was not to go to Iraq and would stay in the UK are we to believe that he can just resign because I don't think so. He must have signed a contract for a fixed number of years or have I completely misunderstood the terms of employment.So if he refused the position in the UK would he actually be charged with disobeying orders or would he be given an honourable discharge.I think we should be told because what will happen if he has to call up an air strike which results in the death of women and children. Please, please, please understand that a Prince of the Realm will be part of a foreign occupying force in Iraq and the day will surely come when the International Courts will hold somebody to account over this affair.

Club in exeter

with regard to the expose by Liz Trist of the application to run a lap dancing club down on Exeter Quay I am wondering if this is the sort of thing which we can expect from councillors who want Exeter to be a unitary authority.I have always thought that it was one the responsibilities of being a paid councillor that these issues were brought to the attention of local residents and businesses, and for that councillor to gauge the views of the locals so that they can object if they so want to do.As for residents some know that if you object to something in your locality then you have to declare that objection if you want to sell your property. Is it likely that anybody would object even if they had been kept fully aware of these proposals.What sort of future are we offering our youngsters of today if the best we can come up with is this sort of activity to earn a living. Is it any wonder that a recent UNICEF report says how bad things are for youngsters in this so called modern country.Will there be the equivalent proposals for young women with male dancers. Just a thought.

Global warming

I refer to the letter printed today in the Echo signed by a whole load of people who apparently work for charitable organisations warning us about global warming. Can I ask through your letters page exactly how much these people actually earn from their 'jobs'. I do not expect a reply but people need to consider the 'business' of charity, whether for humans or animals.Univerity researchers need funding and they will always come up with demands for more cash so that they can research the effects of climate change on the planet. In the meantime they travel around the world doing research and then telling others about the research they have done.It is my considered opinion that the taxpayer and donator are being conned and the sooner other people realise this the better. There is the old saying that those who can do do and those that can't teach. Anybody got a similar phrase or saying for all these doom mongerors.

Occupation of Iraq

Consider this. Germany defeated France in WWII and occupied the country. We and the Americans did not accept the defeat of France and saved it by supporting the French resistance and subsequently invading the country and freeing it. Were we not insurgents and have people who fled Iraq not have every right to try to overthrow a government which collaborates with us just as in the case of France with Vichy France. Just who are the ignorant ones today. Are they just ostriches with their proverbial head in the sand attitude.

David Cameron

just to say that I don't think many people understand one of the real issues with regard to Cameron and allegations over taking drugs. It is reported that he was asked to name the supplier of his drugs and according to some code of conduct declined to say who it was. My point is that I hope that one, he should have named the supplier because how many lives has that person gone on to ruin by supplying drugs to vunerable people and two, why should Muslims report their friends or relatives for involvement in terrorist acts because surely the same code of conduct applies to everybody, or only Old Etonians.

Blair must go

it is very interesting that our Prime Minister has been interviewed yet again by the police. In light of the responses from him earlier on the week to questions from the Echo is it not time for him to go and for him to go now. There was a song by a group in the sixties and the line went 'if you've got to go oh you had better go now' should not this record now become our theme tune, to replace the 'things can only get better'.This is a national disgrace that he should remain as token PM whilst we are supposed to be fighting to bring democracy to Iraq. He should resign by the end of this month, the labour party should have a new leader and that leader must hold an election in May to coincide with the elections already pencilled in for that month. I am not going to have them turning around saying that somehow the May elections are a referendum and that Gordon Brown or whoever now has some sort of mandate.We have the disgrace over dropping any prospect of charges over corruption relating to the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. This point of view is I am sure is shared by not only the opponents of Tony Blair but also by members of the labour party who must be shamed by what Blair is doing to the repution of this country.I would dearly like to be a fly on the wall when Tony Blair has his audiences with our Queen. Have we really come to this, a banana republic.