Telford 96th most deprived borough
Dear Sir
I read with interest Mr David Wright’s MP ‘Letter from Westminster’ (Telford Journal April 1, 2004). It paints a rosy and successful picture of Telford in particular and of the country as a whole. In fact, I had to read it again to make sure he was referring to the country I know.
By the Telford and Wrekin Council’s own admission, the Borough is the 96th most deprived in England, and the 7th in the West Midlands. Three wards in the Borough are within the top 10% of the most deprived in the country. Another 15 wards feature in the worst 10% in England regarding education, training, income, health and disability.
From the Council’s publication entitled Best Value Performance & Improvement Plan 2003/2004 I read: “ ... a high proportion of children live in poverty and many families have high levels of personal debt... The new town social structure continues to be fragile and to exhibit a range of significant social problems... (the Borough) is an area with major problems of deprivation focused... onto the new town estates”.
Nationally, a million people are on NHS waiting lists, a million children played truant, and a million violent crimes were committed last year. Labour has brought us at least 66 stealth taxes, so that we are now paying £42 a week more in taxes for every man, woman and child in the country. British businesses pay £15 billion a year more in tax and red tape. Many people who are paid the minimum wage could find themselves out of pocket because of the way the benefit system works. The list is endless. According to my calculations, a household in Telford could end up paying a total of £35 000 more in taxes if Labour has a third term.
Far from firing a starting gun on the run-in to the general election, Labour has again fired a gun at its own people.
Yours sincerelyStella Kyriazis
I read with interest Mr David Wright’s MP ‘Letter from Westminster’ (Telford Journal April 1, 2004). It paints a rosy and successful picture of Telford in particular and of the country as a whole. In fact, I had to read it again to make sure he was referring to the country I know.
By the Telford and Wrekin Council’s own admission, the Borough is the 96th most deprived in England, and the 7th in the West Midlands. Three wards in the Borough are within the top 10% of the most deprived in the country. Another 15 wards feature in the worst 10% in England regarding education, training, income, health and disability.
From the Council’s publication entitled Best Value Performance & Improvement Plan 2003/2004 I read: “ ... a high proportion of children live in poverty and many families have high levels of personal debt... The new town social structure continues to be fragile and to exhibit a range of significant social problems... (the Borough) is an area with major problems of deprivation focused... onto the new town estates”.
Nationally, a million people are on NHS waiting lists, a million children played truant, and a million violent crimes were committed last year. Labour has brought us at least 66 stealth taxes, so that we are now paying £42 a week more in taxes for every man, woman and child in the country. British businesses pay £15 billion a year more in tax and red tape. Many people who are paid the minimum wage could find themselves out of pocket because of the way the benefit system works. The list is endless. According to my calculations, a household in Telford could end up paying a total of £35 000 more in taxes if Labour has a third term.
Far from firing a starting gun on the run-in to the general election, Labour has again fired a gun at its own people.
Yours sincerelyStella Kyriazis
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