Dear Progress
A close friend of mine was on holiday in Bali at the time the Sari Club bombing. For two days we could not contact her and did not know if she was alive or dead. Thankfully we have since discovered that she is okay. However, some of her friends are still missing, believed dead. This attack shows that al-Qaeda will kill anyone to spread its evil beliefs; but then we knew that. Tony Blair is right to say that we will fight the war against these people on two fronts if necessary, since Iraq s failure to allow weapons inspectors reveals its true sympathies towards the terrorists. It is sad but we must use necessary force to preserve a peaceful and free world, in the same way that we did in 1939. If we fail, the next attack could be worse than anything we have seen since Hiroshima.
Tom Gray, Nottingham East CLP
Dear Progress
No Londoner can enjoy waking up to sound of Bob Crow s moaning on the Today programme or elsewhere. Even those of us who have sympathy with the tube drivers, whose working conditions are extreme, can only groan at their choice of advocate. By calling for salaries as high as £90k for tube drivers, he guarantees that he is on the morning news agenda, but in so doing he also damages the legitimacy of their cause and brings forward the day when the cost of drivers outweighs the cost of driverless trains like those used on the Docklands Light Railway. At present, Crow s voice is the only trade union voice that most people hear a situation which, as David Coates argued in last month s Progress, is only helpful to the right and the media. The left must show that Crow is not the sole voice of the trade union movement. There is no doubt that government must listen, but first the TUC must sing up and make their greater chorus of voices heard. Because as long as it is Crow who wakes up Londoners, there is no harmony to be heard in the voice of the trade unions and the government will remain right to be out of tune with their leaders.
Theo Bertram, Hackney & Shoreditch CLP
Dear Progress
September 11th painfully revealed that terror could strike at the very heart of a superpower; Bali proved that not even an island paradise is immune from attack. Without doubt, terrorism s reach is universal. Tony Blair should be supported in his efforts to forge a concerted, multi-faceted international response. Whatever their cause, the terrorist s actions are completely contrary to humanity itself there should be no compromise with this barbarism. We need equally to deal with the wellsprings of terrorism the Middle East crisis, extreme poverty, ignorance and misunderstanding across the globe. It is time to be tough on terrorism, tough on the causes of terrorism. The challenges are daunting, but we should have confidence in our vision for a just and better world. Idealism is as important now as ever so let s keep on believing!
Gareth Gould, Ellesmere Port & Neston CLP
Dear Progress
I am writing regarding the debate underway in the media at the moment about the legalisation of drugs. Over the last couple of months, I have become increasingly frustrated with the middle-class view of the drugs problem and angered not only at the calls made for legalisation but also the tone in which such remarks are made. John Mann (our MP) has done a lot of work with both the users and their families, which has been dismissed by some with a wave of the hand: coalfields? What would those backwards, flat-cap wearing proles know? We do not want to be told how to react to this epidemic in our area, nor to be informed by those in London seated in their ivory towers far away from any knowledge of life outside the M25 what is good for us. We want to be listened to and our concerns heard about the failure of the drug agencies to handle this problem properly. Legalisation would make matters worse. Ask any heroin addict in Bassetlaw most of them laugh at an idea so ridiculous.
John White, Bassetlaw CLP
Dear Progress
Estelle Morris s resignation from the post of education secretary marks a sad but honourable end to a difficult period, not only for the Labour Party but also for our schools and teachers. It s time to move on from petty political bickering; now we need a coherent, effective strategy which has the interests of our children at heart. The rousing cry of Education, education, education! has served us well in elections, but it s time to take advantage of our political dominance and create the world-class education system this country deserves. Charles Clarke faces a tough challenge, but I think it s one he ll meet. He needs to, for the sake of the party and the country. Chris Atkinson, Finchley & Golders Green CLP