LISTENING to the grumbles by a few people in the queue at my local butcher's last Saturday morning, I detected a great deal of dissatisfaction at the way this country is going.

Once the people of these islands were renowned for "putting up with things" or "just getting on with it", especially when adversity was placed in front of them. For many it was simply the case or earning enough money to enjoy life and bring up a family in a reasonable society.

However, this appears to becoming increasingly difficult. Topics riding high in the charts of annoyance include rising crime, not-so-well-hidden high taxes, messing about with pensions, public transport and sub-standard council services.

There are also the problems of a struggling, over-managed NHS, a disjointed education system, litter, social disorder, the inability to look after our elderly citizens properly, poor roads, and a mania with penalising car drivers. But what most of all is annoying is that nothing appears to be done about these problems. Government initiatives come and go but long-term solutions seem impossible.

Instead of trying to tackle these issues, New Labour prefer long-winded debates about regional parliaments that no one seems to want or care about. Banning fox-hunting takes up more Government time than anything else, yet the majority of people wouldn't list it as top of their priorities. The one vote we do need, however, is a referendum on the new "European Constitution" which the Government has decided to deprive us of, in favour of a "we know best" approach.

Mrs Jean Allison

Whalley Road

Shuttleworth

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