Wishes of majority totally ignored

Published on 25th January 2007 in Letters

Sir - I do not live in Goole and cannot claim to have read everything that you have published about the proposals for the Richard Cooper Street/Phoenix Street area.

However, it is my belief that this matter should not be looked at in local isolation as a similar situation could arise anywhere in this country. What I have seen and read, however, leads me to believe that few if any local people are in favour of what is proposed by the East Riding Council. Most seem to favour, as would I, the refurbishment to a good standard of the existing houses in those streets, thereby preserving the present character and architectural style of the area. This would also be a means of providing good homes at reasonable prices in the area.

This situation has arisen because of an initiative from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and as such must be interpreted as Labour policy. However, the East Riding Council is Conservative controlled and it is they who are 'enforcing' the policy.

So we have two diametrically-opposed political parties both singing from the same hymn sheet over this. No doubt there is a hidden agenda here that will be revealed as time passes.

The local Labour MP has announced all the good things that are to happen in Goole in the near future. This development was not one of them. Can we therefore assume from his silence that he does not think this policy is a good one but is too afraid of upsetting John 'down the road' to actually say so?

There has been some action from local councillors in this matter to assist the residents and others opposed to the plans for those streets but not nearly enough in my view to make much difference to what is going to happen.

So we are entitled to ask, as did your correspondent from last week, where is the democracy in this situation, when a wide range of elected representatives see fit to totally ignore what would seem to be the wishes of those that elected them?

Mr Blair, supported by the Conservatives, is seeking to bring about democracy for the people of Iraq. If that is the sort of democracy he supplies to them, then, may their God help them!

M. Rogers

Howden