Of course they are bad “films” – but they are excellent “movies”. Sir: Your assorted film critics have missed the point of Star Wars in general and The Phantom Menace in particular. It was in fact started then by an Irish mother to entertain the many deprived tiny tots, mainly Irish and Caribbean, who could not afford to go away from Notting Hill on holiday.
Because of the race riots 10 years earlier Notting Hill was synonymous in the world outside with racial unrest; but in 1968 those who worked in social care there, myself among them, agreed that the odd thing was that, while we discussed together every local social problem under the sun, “race” was in itself not one of them.JOHN LIVINGSTONBiarritz, France. Sir: Deborah Orr writes (“It’s Notting Hill, but not as I know it”, 20 May) that the Notting Hill Carnival was started in 1968 in response to massive racial unrest. Hopefully, those waiting for their passports will soon seen the benefits of our efforts.Our members are working flat out to ensure customers get their passports as soon as possible.JOHN SHELDONJoint General SecretaryPublic and Commercial Services UnionLondon SW11.
We even met ministers to express our fears.
Ministers have now agreed a significant increase in staffing and a package of measures to try to clear the backlog. Last September PCS pressed management to increase staffing levels to cope with demand and ensure we did not end up in the state we are in today. Sir: As the union which represents staff in the Passport Agency, the Public and Commercial Services Union shares the frustrations of your correspondents (letters, 17, 19 May). The question then simply becomes, “will genetically modified crops and organisms improve things or make them worse?”Dr KEVIN MURPHYSouthampton. Our country’s environment is already struggling and cannot bear to be degraded further.
Unless the Government wants to face an eventual political disaster it should widen the public debate now and recognise that in a democracy it is the public view that counts and not the commercial interests it seems to be paying more heed to.
If the Government wants to avoid an environmental disaster, then there is a very easy test. The spin-doctors are already at work setting out to confuse the issue, implying that if its safe to eat its safe to grow (and to hell with the rest of the environment). Sir: Arrogance will be the downfall of New Labour, as evidenced by the debate (or the lack of it) over genetically modified organisms. All parties should be questioned about their position on this crucial issue.Lord STODDART OF SWINDONChairman, Campaign for an Independent BritainHouse of Lords. I urge all voters who wish to participate in the European elections to oppose those who advocate scrapping the pound and adopting the euro. If Britain loses control of her economic and monetary policy, a future as a mere province of a federal or unitary European state becomes inevitable.
