I’d rather vote for the man in the moon

I feel I must be allowed to make reasonable comment on a letter by F.W. Birch and rectify a number of misnomers made either deliberately or otherwise. If otherwise I would strongly advise thinking to the future before setting pen to paper.
The Moon. Picture James HardistyThe Moon. Picture James Hardisty
The Moon. Picture James Hardisty

I will omit the rhetoric contained in this letter, including the first few paragraphs.

Yes, I did hear that Burnley is the most enterprising town but just before that I also read in this paper that The Economist had said money should not be spent on failing towns and naming five towns, Burnley being one of them. I take it you would have been experiencing a loss of memory by not mentioning that.

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And yes, I have also heard of the technical college in Trafalgar Street, although I never heard of a technical village. Actually, my grandson attends said college. I don’t think I have ever criticised the college.

I see the so-called Burnley Bridge quite regularly but, apart from the actual bridge, see little evidence of any development. Oh, and by the way, wouldn’t you think it expedient to create occupancy of the many empty units on our existing industrial estates before we embark on yet another?

Now about the so-called one million jobs you are banging on about. I know you won’t admit it but aren’t these jobs low-paid, short-time jobs, plus no contract jobs, or as I put it, the real-non jobs? I would include work experience jobs. Oh, why not? Let’s tell it as it really is. I saw on breakfast this morning they are now offering more and more unpaid jobs to students leaving university and, more importantly, I have yet to see any appreciable fall in the employment figures.

Now we get on to the really bad statements in your letter. You really have gone over the top with this one. You talk about the disaster that was the Milliband/Balls era when a Labour treasurer minister said there was no money left.

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Actually, that was a bit of a silly tradition handed down through the decades. It was the Lib-Dems who decided to exploit it. Oh deary, deary me, that was after the General Election; and Mr Miliband hadn’t even been elected to lead the Labour Party then.

As for Gordon Birtwistle, well you say you will vote for him; that’s your prerogative, but let me tell you this, Mr/Mrs Birch, where was he during the debate on poverty and food banks? Where was he in the debate on A&E units, a cause close to his heart, according to him? And he was also marked absent for the debate around the need for qualified teachers. Sorry, you vote for him if it floats your boat but I’d rather vote for the man in the moon. At least you would get more action.

Mr K. Royle

Burnley

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