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The
Exclusive Weeks News Comments
Cartoon by Paul.
THIS
is a fun look at topic in the news.... Illustrated by our very
own cartoonist Paul. His
web page if you want to see more of his work is www.artistop.co.uk.
Traffic Wardens in Green?
IN last week's column we asked what you thought about Sefton's Traffic Wardens being dressed in Green. You replied aplenty... Well we selected ten statements that show your views on this subject.
1. "Why does Sefton have to waste more and more cash on stupid ideas. They are more likely to be run over if they are in green, as at least you can see them in High Viz Yellow." Sam Young from Crosby told us.
2. "What is Sefton thinking? There are so many colours for so many enforcement groups now on our streets, from Community Support Officers to Police, even Trafic Wardens. Changing the colour will only add to the confusion of who is who and what they do." Mark Green from Bootle.
3. "Is it so they can issue more tickets by hiding in the bushes?" Ross from Wigan asked.
4. "OK what next? Ranger Service in pink?" Jill Carter from Southport
5. "It has to have been an April the First joke, surely?" Garry Lovejoy from Litherland
6. "Are they going to be the Traffic Warden version of the Storm Troupers?" Jo Parker
7. "This, if it goes ahead, would be taking the Legion Parking into an army. That will upset more people and make them look more aggressive. Is sefton mad?" Garry Hill from Ormskirk.
8. "You must be having a joke... Making a uniform green will not stop people from getting cross at getting a parking ticket." Max Felts from
Blackpool.
9. "What are we doing? Sefton is just getting silly now."
Robin Armstrong from Churchtown.
10. "I know Southport is by the sea, so are they going to issue parking tickets to boats now. Green would disguise the fact they are sea sick." David.
So what makes us British?
LAST week
we also said we wanted to know what makes us British so we went out and asked...
These are ten selected statments that we got over the last week:-
1. Jill from Formby said:- "It is our ability to integrate other cultures into our national identity that makes us British."
2. Daielle Williams from Liverpool told us:-
"I think it is our history that makes us British. We live in the past and not for the future. We are stuck on past glories and that is what makes us British. We are a pompous nation that is blinkered to change."
3. John Phillips from Ainsdale said:-
"We are a nation that fights for what we believe in. We will stand up and we get counted. As a nation we protect all who can not protect themselves."
4. Linda from Formby said:-
"Over the centuries we have successfully integrated many diverse immigrant groups,retaining much that helped our nation grow. However we had more national confidence then and valued individual freedom more . That gave us the strenght and the rich culture and language not be found in any other nation."
5. William Cox:- "I think it is our island mentality. We have lived in the past as a nation that had to fight off invasion and also spread, by setting sail to survive and expand. We learned to stand on our own two feet. Through that we built a strong culture of power and class ritual. This gave us the ability to take good ideas and adapt them for our own survival, but keep out rivals in their place."
6. Laurie Hattersly told us that:-
"It is the class mentality of a long gone era that we hold on to that makes us British."
7. Adam summed us Britishness
as:- "Culturual diversity."
8. Peter Douglas:- "We are the only nation that thinks we can stand alone in a world that is ever closer. We are a nation that once was proud and led the world. Now we are a nation of red tape and fear of change. We are no longer British."
9. Martin Willows though that:- "It is our bad weather... We are a nation that focuses on what the weather is doing and that sets our mood. We love to moan and complain."
10. Sophie Parrott from
London emailed us saying:- "What makes us British? Who ever gets past the post first. It is our ability to hide our fears and feelings that is what we could call as British. We only react when it is in our best interest. We are a nation of
'one for one and all for one.' and not 'one for all and all or
one.'"
NEXT
WEEKS TOPIC...
WHAT is going on
on Neville Street? Email us your
views on the above to:- cartoonnews@southportreporter.com
or drop us a letter in the post to:- Weekly News Comments,
Southport Reporter, PCBT Photography, 4a Post Office Ave, Southport,
Merseyside PR9 0US.
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Spread a little animal magic in the North West during National Pet Week
WITH the 3-horse election race on and only 13 days to polling day, our politicians may be dismayed to hear that British voters think they are the biggest lying profession of all-time in the UK and much more so than their predecessors.
According to the 'Real Honest' study by Ginsters which polled more than 3,000 adults, when it comes to lying, politicians win by a margin that would be a landslide in any election. Nearly half of those asked, 47% put politicians at the top of the list, ahead of traditional truth-twisting vocations as estate agents and car salesmen. Incredibly, footballers, agents and travel reps didn't even feature in the top 10, illustrating the level of mistrust felt towards our political public figures:-
THE UK'S TOP TEN OF BIGGEST LYING PROFESSIONS
1. Politicians
2. Estate Agents
3. Car Salesmen
4. Lawyers
5 Journalists
6 PRs
7 Sales Assistants
8 Builders
9 Pop Stars
10 London Underground Staff
The study finds that the nation's mistrust of its statesmen is at an all-time high - far more so than against previous political figures whom are perceived as much more honest, no-nonsense and straight-talking. Margaret Thatcher is perceived as the most honest and direct British politician of the twentieth century for 37%, just ahead of Winston Churchill, 34%.
Ginsters spokesperson Larry File commented:- "While porky pies are nothing new to politics, the recent surge of mistrust felt by the electorate should be of some concern to the candidates. This research shows that as the spin spirals out of control, UK voters are being turned off in droves. It seems that modern politicians would benefit by looking back to the days of a statesman such as Churchill; perceived by the nation as a real, honest straight-talker."
More recent Tory leaders, including John Major, William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith, fared badly with less than 3% of the honesty vote.
Interestingly, the old maxim 'you are what you eat' might hold weight when it comes to real honesty. A third of the public say they identify with down-to-earth 'pie and a pint' type politicians, suggesting that the more no-nonsense the diet, the more likely a real honest politician. No wonder, then, that over a third of us assume Churchill changed history on a diet of traditional British food.
Today's politicians seem to lack the honest aura of their predecessors as the voting public becomes sick of spin and turned off by porky pies. Nearly 17% believe all politicians lie, and 45% think politicians lie too much in office. What's more, 85% think spin-doctors should be abolished and one in five of us feel politicians should be forced to sit a lie detector test.
Of whom Brits regard as the biggest political liars in history, Tony Blair has the dubious honour of being a close second, 22%, only beaten by Jeffrey Archer, 27%. Both Archer and Blair are way ahead of legendary liars Richard Nixon, 10% and Bill Clinton, 9%.
The reason for Blair's unpopularity with the electorate is unanimously the Iraq war. 54% of Brits believe the
"dodgy dossier" was the most serious act of political dishonesty past or present, ranking way ahead of Watergate, 14%, Bill Clinton's affair with Monica
Lewinsky, 12%, or Neil Hamilton's 'Cash for Questions' debacle, 6%.
So it appears that honesty really is the best policy for politicians, with the nation clearly backing substance over style. 47% view honesty as the most essential characteristic for a politician, way ahead of integrity and charisma. Bad news then for Blair and his government, with over half the electorate, 57%, believing that Labour lies the most out of the 3 leading political parties, followed by the Conservatives, 39%. The Liberal Democrats are unanimously considered the most honest, with only 4% of Brits voting them top of the lying party list.
Costa
says "We Are Open Again!"
AFTER
a week of closure coffee
lovers in Southport had to venture to other locations to get their
daily fix, but the friendly staff at the Southport Lord Street coffee
shop opened the doors to their new look shop on Wednesday 20 April.
"We hope all are customers like our new look. All feed
back is welcome." said the area manager to all the
customers who came in on Wednesday.
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