Last week’s elections are a war cry to the residents of Ealing that real change can happen here next year.

The Conservatives in Ealing have no chance of winning back the council. Fact. They have a weak and ineffective leader and offer no real alternative. We have a Tory MP in Central Ealing so confused about what she stands for she is simply sitting down.

The Labour-run council is increasing your council tax bill through stealth taxes, such as the garden waste tax and a 50 per cent increase in resident parking permits. Your council tax has not been frozen, merely manipulated. They have increased charges in every area of your daily life. Streets are filthier. The rubbish collection contract has been a disaster. The planning department rides roughshod over local concerns and the customer call centre is an appalling and frustrating experience. It’s the number one service I receive complaints about.

Finally, the Liberal Democrats, they will be a distant memory in 2014. UKIP is focused on Ealing for both council and parliament. We need you! We need your candidacy. We need your support. UKIP is a party of the people, for the people and clearly by the people. Join me and together let’s send the message; enough is enough. You know how to contact me, so please do.

Councillor Benjamin Dennehy

UKIP

Via email

Worth seeing all the cycling vision

Tony Purton’s tirade against cycling on pavements (letters, May 3) included several selective quotes from the Mayor’s Cycling Vision.

Rather than make further selections, I would urge readers to study the full document which can be found at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/roadusers/gla-mayors-cycle-vision-2013.pdf.

The vision is a well-considered concise statement that should be read as a whole. Nevertheless, I was pleased to see that Tony Purton did not actually dispute the concluding sentence which I quoted from the section ‘better cyclists for everyone’, even if he finds it unpalatable.

Ealing Cycling Campaign does not condone illegal footway cycling, and actively encourages our members to speak to offenders when they see this happening.

A gentle but firm comment from another cyclist, such as ‘at your age you shouldn’t be riding on the footway any more’, can often be much more effective than a legalistic approach.

Peter Mynors

Ealing Cycling Campaign

Via email

Great news for hospital’s Friends

I’m delighted to have heard from the acting chief executive at Ealing Hospital, Dr William Lynn, that there are no plans or contracts to use the space currently occupied by the League of Friends, and if there ever was a change in the use of the space it would be only occur with the full involvement of the league.

This news comes as a great relief to those who give so much to make the League of Friends shop such a success and will reassure those who value the presence of local volunteers in our NHS.

I’m grateful to the Gazette for being so supportive of the campaign and I urge everyone calling at Ealing Hospital to pop in to the League of Friends shop and tell the volunteers how much they are valued.

Steve Pound MP

Via email

Charity requests are never ending

I like to think that I am a compassionate and benevolent soul but somewhere there must be a secret file entitled ‘A Soft Touch’ in which my name features prominently.

Fed up with being inundated with charity ‘begging letters’ I kept a record over the month of April which amassed a total of 22 letters enclosing raffle tickets or donation requests, three phone calls and two evening doorstep callers inviting monthly donations by standing order.

I fully appreciate that all these are very worthy causes who rely on the generosity of kind people and to selectively decline leaves one with a nagging guilty conscience.

My wife and I are both in our 80s, which promotes a wry smile when approached by the various organisations under the umbrella of ‘help the old folk’.

My devilish sense of humour left the latest caller somewhat bemused when I interrupted her well-rehearsed patter to enquire whether she was taking or giving!

I fully support my chosen charities, as an ex-serviceman primarily the Royal British Legion and similar organisations, but it seems to me that once you contribute to any, this triggers a mass attack by all and sundry that somehow by-pass preferential mailing. Am I the only one suffering the effects of a severe guilt complex by this situation?

Roy Bartlett

Drayton Grove

Ealing

Big thank you to crossing wardens

Sixty years ago the first lollipop men and women were introduced in London in 1953. What a commendable landmark milestone of safety for generations of children.

Originally the traditional lollipop was a different shape than the traditional round one today, with a red and black border with Stop Children Crossing written on them. The original purpose was to relieve the police of this duty to be able to perform other duties.

In the 1960s the traditional yellow lollipop and yellow coats were worn as uniform. These men and women were out in all weathers, usually with a smile on their faces, to usher schoolchildren safely across our roads.

Many saw children grow up and then were helping their children to safely cross our often dangerous roads due to irresponsible drivers far too often. The longest-serving lollipop woman did 40 years of service after filling in for her friend as a favour and, bitten by the bug, carried on.

In 2000, local authorities were given control and power of this service and the legal right whether to provide this service or not, resulting in many councils dispensing of this life-saving laudable service to save money. How can you put a price on a life and sleep with an easy conscience? It beggars belief!

In conclusion this ‘army’ of people deserve all the praise and recognition for the job they perform as far too often the deserved doing a good service are taken for granted and often forgotten. I say thank you to them all.

Tim McMahon

Via email