Banking crisis letter was election spin

The letter by Jane Thomas last week in which she blames American banks and not Brown for our financial crisis is the kind of spin one expects from Campbell or Mandelson in an election broadcast and not the Keighley News letters page.

The fact is our national debt is £845 billion (£845,000,000,000) and increasing. That is £14,000 for every man, woman and child.

This money was borrowed over the years, mostly by Brown, to plough into an unreformed NHS and on expanding the public sector on the strength of dubious growth figures. Brown was criticised at the time for creating so much debt but living in a world of his own was convinced that we could pay down the debt through growth.

The banking crisis was a separate issue. The bubble, caused by slack financial regulation, 125 per cent mortgages and self-certification, burst causing many banks to be temporarily insolvent.

The monies lent to banks to rescue them will be repaid with interest reasonably quickly.

The national debt repayment will require a cut in public expenditure and a rise in taxes and will take decades to pay down.

R I Dewhirst

Elm View, Steeton

Missing 200-yard stretch

I don’t know about global warming but winter is back with a vengeance. A light covering of snow from about 4.30pm on Thursday but not of any great thickness and we are immediately thrown into chaos, the gritters which had been about earlier seemed to disappear when the white stuff arrived.

On the Laycock bus returning to Keighley at 7.50pm the bus driver told me she would not make a return journey as the road between Drewery Road and Cartmel Road, Redcliffe Street was too dangerous, due to the gritters missing this 200 yards stretch, although she was not complaining about the rest of the route, this area missed, I felt, was an oversight.

Surely, in this modern day and all of the quick communication why can’t our bus inspector get in touch with the gritting department to sort out this serious problem, which the driver felt was a danger to her and passengers. It seems Mr Editor we learn nothing as each winter arrives — we are virtually snowbound with a covering of snow. An over zealous bus inspector on receiving this lady driver’s report immediately cancels the whole of the local district but services, which seemed rather drastic at such an early time of the evening. Even up to Saturday no action had been taken by the gritting department on this part of the Laycock service. This shows my point of the lack of link up between these two services. Two bus drivers I know of used the old route continuing on Drewery Road and up Highfield Lane before turning on Cartmel Road to join Redcliffe Street at the end. Missing out the no gritted section which should have been sorted (but no team work).

Finally Mr Editor, who is responsible for the public footpaths outside the bus station. This area was dreadfully dangerous on Friday night with people slipping and falling. Why do people have to get hurt before we act.

Brian Kenealy Highfield Road, Keighley

Applause for jos idea, but it is flawed

In last week’s letters page, there was a suggestion by John Baxendall that Bradford and Keighley councils should spend taxpayer’s money on employing a person to create jobs in Keighley.

While this is something which in principle should be applauded, it is flawed in that jobs cannot simply be created where there is no requirement. For there to be job creation, there must be a need for such a position.

Mr Baxendall may not be aware, but I understand that Keighley Town Council already has a person who is employed not as a charity fundraiser, as Mr Baxandall said, but to look into the needs of local businesses and bring such a network together to promote local firms, thus making the possibility of increasing business in the town and creating further employment.

We too often forget that we already have firms within the town, many of which do most of their work outside the Keighley area on quite a large scale. Indeed, there are many other organisations and schemes which work towards finding employment, such as Sure Start to name but one.

I feel that by employing someone from our “taxes” would be a duplication of what already exists. In this economic climate, there is uncertainty with jobs and companies will always move cautiously. When jobs are created, the aim should be that they are long term and not just a knee jerk reaction with a short life span.

In relation to the work of the town council, Cllr Brian Morris also wrote asking for comments on the improvements in Town Hall Square. The railings now protect the War Memorial from skate boarding damage and children climbing over what is a memorial to those who gave their lives to secure our freedom.

A feeling of dignity I believe has been restored to Town Hall Square and the way in which it is now maintained is a credit to the town.

Nick Lajszczuk

Raynham Crescent, Blackhill, Keighley

Enough to make you believe in Christmas

What a fantastic Christmas this is turning out to be. The news just gets better and better.

There’s every possibility it’s going to be a White Christmas; Chris and Ola win “Strictly”; Heavy Metal Band, Rage Against The Machine keep The X Factor clot off the No1 spot in the pop charts and now you let us all know that Cllr Peter Hill is going to be the next Lord Mayor of Bradford. It couldn’t happen to a nicer chap. Peter has worked his socks off making the Worth Valley a better place. Well done councillor It’s enough to make you believe that there really is a Santa Claus Merry Christmas

Ian Shackleton

Cross Roads Parish Councillor, Alma Street, Haworth