Your letters - June 4, 2010

I can no longer enjoy sitting in my garden

HOW I agree with everything, so well stated, in the letter by Mrs Mash (28th May) with regard to the unwanted, unnecessary, destruction of our countryside by developers.

As for those people who have apparently said: - "It won't really affect me" - all I can say is - that it is definitely affecting me!

I have lived up Udimore Road hill since 1971, and have loved those fields behind us, stretching far into the distance, and once grazed by a herd of Friesian cows. The herd were sometimes accompanied by a huge Hereford Bull.

In the colder months Bullocks often roamed around the various fields - you had to be careful if venturing forth for a walk, as I often did.

In those times skylarks hovered and sang high above the two fields next to our houses, I would see lapwings and redshank flying and calling around the marshy land near the river.

In spring there were many swallows, martins and swifts everywhere.

Since farming practice changed and then our two fields were left uncut ungrazed for some time, various insects such as big green grasshoppers and red bottomed bumble bees flourished in the overgrown conditions, as did the beautiful dragonflies and damselflies.

Now the large and exceedingly noisy vehicles used by the contractors - bang and rattle, whine and screech as they desecrate the living land, scraping digging, exposing the yellow clay subsoil - pulling up trees at nesting time for birds - their noise drowning the blackbird's song and rattling my poor eardrums. I can no longer enjoy sitting in my garden.

Sylvia Willgoss

Udimore Road

Rye

How will PR work in tomorrow's Britain?

CLIVE Bishop optimistically says "keep politics out of choosing our voting system". PR is, by definition, all about politics!

I like the idea of PR in principle, but which of the several PR systems is best for Britain, I know not, for PR selection for national governments involves a very complicated formula which needs to better explained to the electorate!

Besides, the debate is rather academic as the politicians will decide which system will be offered to us as an alternative to the present.

Britain wrote Germany's 'Basic Law' to prevent another Hitler gaining supreme power through a distorted, closed list, PR system by which the Nazis seized power by referendum - hence referenda being banned in Germany!

Europe is a mish-mash of principalities whose cultures survive largely intact and for that reason, under Basic Law, Germany now has 16 Regional State Governments (under first-past-the-post) and a Federal (National) government (under PR).

In contrast, Britain has two just Regional Governments, Wales and Scotland, so for the German inspired Scottish AMS PR system to truly work here, England needs to be divided into cultural regional governments - not nine arbitrary EU Regional Governments for EU MEP elections.

In the Scottish system you cast two votes - one for your first-past-the-post 'local' MP, the other under PR for an unnamed Party candidate to represent your views in a purely Scottish Government.

PR will require a radical change (reform) to Parliament at Westminster, but we, the people, will still not be consulted as it is far too complicated for us yokels!

Germany has a directly elected first-past-the-post 614 seat fixed term Bundestag (House of Commons type Regional Government if you like), plus a 69 seat Bundesrat (National Government) elected by the 16 State Parliaments from their PR list in proportion to each State's population - not unlike our pre-selected MEPs. The Bundesrat does not have a fixed term of office.

Bundestag MPs elect the Nations' Chancellor (Prime Minister) recommended by their elected President in a process which can takes months of compromises.

There is no guarantee who will be Prime Minister, or for how long he/she will last!

Free thinking Independents are greatly disadvantaged under a National PR government (there are no elected Independent MEPs) which draws us back to maintaining the status quo but with abolition of the Party Whip to ensure a free vote for Colin's "common good".

The House of Lords (or Upper House) must remain an apolitical vetting chamber of the Common's ill-thought legislation (such as those recently passed by Labour Ministers, many of whom were from the legal profession!) but it should be a neutral meritocracy and never be filled with thrice-resigned Ministers.

Which brings us to the question, where do these Additional Member MPs (elected under PR) actually sit - in the Commons or Lords, whose 'voice' do they represent, to whom are they accountable and how do we sack them?

We need to be shown exactly how Proportional Representation will work in tomorrow's Britain especially as our Parliament and our laws will still be dictated to us by the EU, regardless of which party is (supposedly) in power at Westminster!

Barry M Jones

Bixley Lane

Beckley

Not much to show for the disruption

ALL we have to show for the five weeks of disruption to traffic flow in Battle is a few square metres of extra pavement.

In addition we now learn that the excavation circus is to move to North Trade Road for a repeat performance.

Regrettably we still have a High Street which resembles a poorly-maintained cart track in a third world country.

Richard Widenka

Old Mill Walk

Battle