Stop using hospital as party political game

She is even less aware of things in our area that I thought. Before launching a rather twisted attack on the Support Wharfedale Hospital proposal, she might have looked less foolish if she had first found out that it had been backed by Conservative councillor Gerard Francis! Gerard, who is a neighbour of mine, of course lives in this area and relies on the hospital, unlike Ms Mulligan, so I think he is a little better placed to comment on it than she is.

It really is quite pathetic to try to turn a non-political proposal to involve local people more in decisions about their hospital into party political point scoring. Anyone who says they oppose this is effectively saying that the health authorities should make decisions without involving local people, just as happened in 2006 with the ward closure. What an extremely odd agenda for the out-of-touch and far away Ms Mulligan to put forward!

People in this area will not thank someone trying use Wharfedale Hospital just to score party political points, especially when unlike us who live here, she doesn’t need to use it. The previous MP, Harold Best, may have been from a different party from me, but I have no doubt that when Harold was the MP he was motivated to campaign because he cared about the hospital and its future. So do I and since I was elected, I too have vigorously and consistently led the fight for Wharfedale Hospital, working with this newspaper, the community and politicians of all parties. Criticising an MP for doing this just to get a letter in the paper is the kind of thing that gives politics a bad name.

Ms Mulligan says she is not a professional politician. What she certainly is an over-ambitious carpetbagger, someone who doesn't care where or whom they represent. If she wants to get more respect in Otley and the surrounding area, she should do three things. First speak to the Conservative representative who actually lives here, Coun Gerard Francis, before making ill-judged attacks in the future. Second, she should stop carping from miles away and move into this area so she actually knows what is going on here. Finally, she should stop using Wharfedale Hospital as a party political game. That will win her none of the votes she so shamelessly craves.

Greg Mulholland

MP for Leeds North West

Otley needs an MP to stand up locally and nationally

There are many issues facing the residents of Otley these days, not least the future direction of our hospital. Regardless of political views, it is vital that we have a clear and balanced debate on the Wharfedale’s future. Without this, our local views could be ignored yet again.

Julia Mulligan wrote in to this paper with her legitimate views, only to have them crudely treated as irrelevant by the Lib Dem MP – because she does not live here. He does not comment on the policies being proposed by the Conservative Party to free the NHS from political interference, only to suggest that anyone who doesn’t agree with his views must be wrong.

This is a trend worth noting. Mr Mulholland’s response to every letter and comment from Julia Mulligan is that she doesn’t live in Otley, so has no right to comment, despite being born and brought up in and around Otley. Mr Mulholland (born Manchester) is as local as I am (born Melbourne). It does not matter.

What matters to the residents of Otley is that their Member of Parliament stands up for us locally and nationally.

We need an MP to pressure the Lib Dem Leeds City Council to have five weeks’ worth of rubbish collected from his constituents in Otley.

We need an MP to pressure the Lib Dem city council to implement the speed restriction promised at the Maple Grange bends more than two years ago by his Lib Dem colleagues.

We need an MP to pressure the Lib Dem town and city councils to get their act together over the future of the Civic Centre, as well as all the other council-owned derelict sites throughout Otley.

What we don’t want is our MP being pictured outside yet another pub, singlehandedly saving it in his role as chairman of the Save the Pub campaign.

As the election approaches, Conservatives will be campaigning on issues not location.

Ken Creek

Milner Bank, Otley

Lib Dems should treat electorate with more respect

Following the recent problems with MPs’ expenses, all political parties committed themselves to a new era of openness and integrity in dealing with the electorate. Most members of the public are still cynical about politicians which is understandable and this impression was not helped by the recent edition of Focus On Otley, issued by the Liberal Democrats and received by me last week. The edition included misleading self-congratulatory statements and criticism by innuendo.

The headlined was ‘653 Bus Service Saved’, impyling thanks to the Lib Dem councillor Ryk Downes. This was, in fact, a commercial decision taken by the two bus companies concerned. A further front-page story concerned the ‘failure’ of health chiefs to inform patients of the availability of a chemotherapy servive at Wharfedale Hospital. This just is not so. As a patient myself I can confirm that for many months there has been extensive publicity of this service in the St James’s Bexley Wing chemotherapy unit informing all patients of their alternative choice of venue.

The Labour prospective candidate is described as Labour’s South Leeds candidate whereas most locals know that the candidate lives in Otley and takes a very active interest in local issues. The Conservative prospective candidate is described as ‘the candidate who lives miles away’. This candidate was born and bred in our area and has strong local ties with Otley and district.

With an election fast approaching, please could the Lib Dem campaign managers treat their electorate with more respect and credit them with a modicum of intelligence.

Oh, and, surprise, surprise, not a mention of the long-running Leeds bin strike involving piled rubbish, uncollected bins and the sight of fed-up residents doing the ineffectual weekly wheelie bin hokey-cokey!

Bryan

Otley

Neighbourhood Watch can help beat burglars

I am writing in response to your article, Householders are ‘making it too easy’ for burglars (Wharfedale Observer, September 24) in which Inspector Richard Coldwell urges householder to do more to prevent sneak-in burglaries.

Between July 1 and September 30 there were 30 burglaries of all types in Otley; 20 of these occurred where there are no Neighbourhood Watch groups.

If residents are concerned, want to help protect themselves and assist the police, is it not time the residents of these streets started talking to each other and setting up groups.

For more information on how to set up a group, contact: PCSO Debbie Raynor or PCSO Peter Andrews at Otley Police Station, tel 01274 471458, Valerie on 01943 462961 or Adele on 01943 465878.

Mrs A Carr

Otley Neighbourhood Watch

It isn’t consultation, it’s manipulation

The truth of who will pay for bankers’ bonuses will not emerge until after the general election. But one thing is sure. Cuts in care for the elderly and disabled are a high priority and honesty and integrity are not.

Plans to make these cuts are being prepared as quietly as possible with the minimum of publicity and consultation, wrapped in spin. For example these are portrayed hypocritically as “Shaping the Future of Care Together”. Future care has already been shaped – and squashed to a pulp.

In Leeds there have been three “consultation” meetings attended by no more than 35 people at each meeting.

And this is called a “national” debate! I call it an insult to democracy. What we should be having is a national referendum, not hole-in-the-corner meetings like the ones in Leeds.

The Leeds council officers facilitating these meetings are a finance officer and a business manager, neither of whom have expertise or experience in health or care. And that tells you all you need to know about the government’s motives and intentions.

This isn’t consultation. It’s manipulation.

So the objectives of this “consultation” are clear. It has already been decided that funding will not come from income tax and national insurance. That option is excluded from this so-called democratic “consultation”.

And it matters not one iota who wins the election. Labour sharpens the hatchet. The Conservatives wield it. And we are the victims. So if you are at all concerned about the future of care and wish to live in a civilised society do not vote Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat.

Malcolm Naylor

Grange View, Otley

Red Cross launches Samoa Tsunami Appeal

The Red Cross has launched an appeal for Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, to support people affected by the 8.3 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck on September 29 at 6.48am local time.

Samoa Red Cross and Tonga Red Cross staff and volunteers helped move people away from coastal areas as soon as the tsunami warning was issued and over 200 volunteers have been providing emergency support in the aftermath.

The tsunami devastated a coastal strip of 40 kilometres on Samoa where 40 villages once stood. Thousands of people have lost their homes and livelihoods. The Red Cross is rebuilding lives and getting communities back on their feet. Many people have fled to the hills, scared to return and be near the ocean.

The Red Cross continues to tackle immediate needs by providing food, water, blankets, cooking pots and tarpaulins to those affected, but is now looking ahead to providing safe water until damaged water supply systems are restored, preventing the spread of disease, and reconnecting families who have been separated.

The British Red Cross is one of the charities benefiting from the Disasters Emergency Committee's (DEC) East Asia Appeal currently raising money for Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam.

Due to the scale of the Red Cross operation in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, the British Red Cross has launched the Samoa Tsunami Appeal specifically to raise funds to help those affected in the region.

Head coach of the Samoan national rugby league team and assistant coach of Super League finalists Leeds Rhinos, Willie Poching, is backing the Samoa Tsunami Appeal and encourages readers to donate and support the life-saving work of the Red Cross.

To donate, visit redcross.org.uk/samoatsunami or call 0845 054 7200.

Mike Goodhand

Head of Disaster Management, British Red Cross