Blues fans deserve a top-drawer decision
Dear Editor, I'm glad to see that Steve Bruce has finally departed from Birmingham City FC. He should have left 18 months ago, when we got relegated.
I hope the board can appoint a manager with a proven track record, who can take the club further than Steve Bruce. Although, he took the club as far as he could.
The name that springs to mind would be Alex McLeish. And finally, it will be in the club's interests that the takeover from Carson Young materialises as soon as possible.
For the sake of the club and for the sake of the supporters, we would like to know where we stand. We are the ones who walk through the turnstiles and pay the players' wages, so we are entitled to some answers.
The club at the moment, I feel, is being run like a Sunday league club instead of a Premier League football club.
P FAHY, Castle Vale
Our frightening future
Dear Editor, The rising cost of petrol is frightening, especially for people on low incomes. With increased fuel prices comes an increased cost of living, leaving millions struggling to meet mortgage payments and in fear of losing their homes.
The struggle to survive in Britain is nothing, of course, compared to horrors like the Bangladesh cyclone but if we don't get to grips with climate change, such disasters could soon be upon us.
Our high demand for petrol - which drives up its price and increases our carbon footprint - has got to be curtailed, and be a high priority for everyone.
People who drive at excessive and inappropriate speed use more than their fair share of petrol and unlawfully so. Not only do they make our roads too threatening for people to walk and cycle, and indeed drive within the speed limits, but they are effectively driving up the price of petrol and heating up the planet. Ultimately they must be seen as a threat to mankind. Speed is bad enough in a small vehicle, but a great deal more so in a big one.
If a poor man breaks the law to get what he needs to survive, how bad is it? If a millionaire breaks the law simply to get what he wants to, this has to be a million times worse.
ALLAN RAMSAY, Radcliffe
Council should fight demands
Dear Editor, In response to the petitioners' demand for Birmingham City Council to provide a copy of the full electoral register, in order for them to complete their campaign for a referendum on the election of a mayor, I would hope that BCC fights this to the last.
I have no desire for my personal details being provided to an instance in which I have no interest and, with regard to Birmingham Labour Party's role in the campaign, I do not wish to allow such a grouping to get its grubby hands on my details.
R FITZPATRICK, Perry Barr
EU's second-class system
Dear Editor, What a sorry state our postal system has been allowed to fall into. Once it was regarded as a social need and mail was delivered all over our country at the same price. We had pride in our postal people.
Alas, along comes the EU and takes over and issues a set of rules, on December 16 1997, about what we can or cannot do.
The first directive established a universal postal system within the EU and the UK's postal service regulations 1999 brought this directive into British law. The UK became a universal service provider, tasked with ensuring one delivery at each address and collection each working day at an affordable price.
The second postal services directive reduced the monopoly of the USPs from 350g to 50g. This is a huge dis-advantage to the Royal Mail for it allows the unreserved sector to deliver the profitable mail leaving the unprofitable mail for the Royal Mail to deliver.
Now it would seem the politicians are not only keeping us in the dark regarding how the EU works but Adam Crozier as well; the Royal Mail chief executive, pointed out to the Government that Royal Mail's operating profits had fallen by 86 per cent to £22million in the first half of 2006-7. He seemed unaware that due to the Amsterdam Treaty, the Government was unable to make good the financial shortfall without EU permission.
However, in December 2007 EU regulators were investigating the German state subsidies of Deutsche Post to determine if it bolstered commercial operations with public money.
It's no wonder the EU accountants will not sign the EU annual accounts.
FRANK LEEMING, Alveston
Bosses can help cancer fight
Dear Editor, The shocking impact that cancer can have on someone's life at work is this week being highlighted by the charity Macmillan Cancer Support. As the UK's leading children's cancer charity, CLIC Sargent is happily backing this project.
CLIC Sargent wants to ensure that people caring for someone with cancer also have full rights at work. When a child is first born, parents are entitled to time off and other rights. But when a child has cancer and needs their parents most, such rights are not on offer.
In a survey of families, we found that parents caring for children with cancer are missing out at work. Some employers have shown their courage in supporting parents caring for children with cancer, but others struggle to find practical ways of doing so. Taking this into account, we have developed a package of advice and practical tips for employers.
The Government should lend its support to businesses and their staff through its forthcoming Carers Strategy, so that all parents caring for a child with cancer can expect planned, paid leave and an entitlement to a career break.
DR CAROLE EASTON, Chief Executive CLIC Sargent
