A leaflet has just come through our letterbox from Swindon’s Conservatives, confirming my worst fears.

Against the expressed wishes of Chiseldon Parish Council, of which I am a member, we are ‘joined up’ with Lawn, rather than with either Wroughton or Wanborough/Liddington/Bishopstone as we would have much preferred.

Worse, our much loved and respected local borough councillor, Eric Shaw, who actually lives in the village, has been allocated to another ward. But worse still, one of his proposed successors is Mike Bawden.

Why worse still? Readers may need reminding that in March 2003, when he was Leader of the Council, there was an article in the Guardian about the proposed development around Coate Water.

In it he said: “I brokered a deal between the developers and the University, and they will pay no money for the land.” The article also said that our council was “rapidly revising its Local Plan – which recently ruled out such a big development on the site – to accommodate a project that could begin in two years’ time.”

An interesting coincidence.

This is the man who is now being foisted by his party on the voters of Lawn and Chiseldon, despite the fact that Chiseldon has been consistently opposed to any development around Coate.

Curiously, at a South Cluster meeting last autumn, he claimed that he had always opposed development at Coate.

I am not particularly pro or anti-Conservative, so this is not a party issue, but when the local elections are held in May, I hope that voters will bear these facts in mind.

Chris Barry The Bramptons Swindon

Withdraw cash

I saw a ‘Resistance’ slogan yesterday – ‘Can’t pay WON’T PAY – and my heart nearly skipped a beat... oh, if only!

The matter of ‘profit’ being the very pulse of the Body Politic, there is an elephant parading itself around the room of our imaginings – what impacts upon and therefore gets the attention of Government is any pressure we can apply to pushing its gravy-train off the tracks (and make no mistake, with $60trillion now estimated to be in the control of that tiny group of the world’s very rich, the global economic system has served its masters well). That Establishment can dare then to steal from the meagre means of the majority poor because ‘every little bit helps’ is a display of contempt beyond the reach of outrage no matter how it is protested.

Only once in my lifetime has the spit of righteous rebellion ever reached Ermine and that was when three million individuals spontaneously refused to pay Margaret Thatcher’s Poll Tax, overwhelming the Courts’ system.

The present dismal reality is can’t pay... but we’ll just have to try – and the more you soak it up the bigger the drenching you will get , even as one wave breaks (your bank) the next is at a crest, another pitiless crash or as many as it takes to completely break your spirit – then you are as wholly owned as a slave.

Consider the impact if three million households were to say “you have taken so much of our money that we can’t pay our council tax,” not so bold as won’t but much more meaningful – how long would it take before the Government felt the pain where it really hurts (in fact the only way it will get the message: You might as well write poetry as march!).

We have tremendous power, not by dint of democracy, only ever a promise but through the only expression of civil disobedience that can possibly work, to see beyond our individual plights to the realisation of the might of our combined wealth. A thousand times more powerful than withdrawing your labour – withdraw your money.

David Payne Newhall St Swindon

Eurovision fail

I cannot believe we are so desperate to win the Eurovision we have to rely on a geriatric has been! I thought it was a joke when I saw the name Engelbert Humperdinck and it is an insult that he should represent the British entry. He has lived three quarters of his life in the USA and still does.

These so-called celebs have no real thought of loyalty. It all comes down to the big dollar and American lifestyle. Have we got no young fresh talent to have the chance to go to Europe?

H G Smith Wroughton Swindon

Teach evolution

Creationism and ‘intelligent design’ are not scientific theories, but they are portrayed as such by some religious fundamentalists who attempt to have their views promoted in publicly funded schools.

Creationism and ‘intelligent design’ do not meet the strictures of the scientific method, and at best are metaphysical systems. Therefore, they should not be taught as scientific in publicly funded schools. In order to advance their superstitious claims, creationists often conflate the philosophical and scientific usage of the term theory. Thus, the theory of Darwinian evolution would have no greater veracity than the claim that cows lying in a field are a predictor of rain.

This form of argumentation is not only false but also dishonest.

At the same time, an understanding of evolution is central to understanding all aspects of biology. Currently, the study of evolution does not feature explicitly in the National Curriculum until year 10 (ages 14-15).

Free Schools and Academies are not obliged to teach the National Curriculum and so are under no obligation to teach about evolution at all. The teaching of evolution should be mandatory in all publicly funded schools, at both primary and secondary level.

It is quite incredible that in the 21st century such bizarre metaphysical nonsense as creationism and its variants can be taken seriously. Of the various ways that humankind has attempted to divine the ‘human condition’ for example, the belief in gods, revelation, metaphysics, magic and astrology – science and reason are the only rational way forward.

Larry Wright Burford Avenue Swindon

Get help sooner

I am also a type 2 diabetic and my treatment has been the same as your correspondent Maurice Card. I would like to suggest that many amputations are brought about by patients who, a) know they are ill but won’t see the doctor, b) have sought treatment but won’t take the tablets, and c) just can’t be bothered. People cannot be forced into treatment and I personally know of two acquaintances who did not seek help until it was too late.

Robert Major Reeves Close Swindon

Cut footy first

I was very surprised to see the headteacher, or should that be chief executive, of Churchfields Academy complaining about his budget being cut (Adver, March 14).

I have worked in education and training for a number of years now and earlier this year, just after Churchfields was rebranded as an academy, I was horrified to see that the school was the matchday sponsor at Swindon Town Football club for one of their League 2 games.

This allowed staff and partners of the school to enjoy matchday hospitality and of course acted as an advert for the school. However, are school budgets not for spending on books, educational supplies and teachers rather than advertising and jolly ups? Surely a school that has so much surplus cash it can afford to sponsor a professional football match, can afford to have a cut in it’s budget.

Trevor Smith Braemar Close Swindon

Loopy logic

I have to applaud Michael Jones for writing in about the shambles that now passes for traffic flow through town.

I really have tried to understand the logic behind the changes but I am still baffled. When they were first described, I thought they had just not been explained clearly and I would ‘get it’ when work started – I was wrong. Then I thought all would become clear when it was finished – still wrong.

I frequently travel into the bottom of town from east Swindon but now get forced up Princes Street and have to complete a ridiculous loop around the Law Courts. The changes have actually created at least two new rat runs. The one around the courts and one taking traffic up by Spring Gardens car park. The latter presumably prevents traffic travelling from Corporation Street to Princes Street. This is completely ridiculous.

I can only assume that our town planners have decided that the decline in town centres cannot be halted and are intent on putting town centre traders out of their misery as soon as possible. No doubt they will soon block off the new rat runs to complete the process.

Personally, I suggest that our traffic planners should be released to complete work more in keeping with their talents i.e. designing an extension to the Hampton Court Maze.

John Gough Liden Swindon

No rest for Rud

“East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet”.

British forces have been engaged in Afghanistan since 2001.

Rudyard Kipling must be turning in his grave.

Frank Avenell Beckhampton Street Swindon