IS THIS country going mad? It appears to have contradictory ideas about housing, food production and green issues.

On the one hand we have Margaret Beckett harping on about a housing shortage – which, as far as England's point of view is over-exaggerated. The only reason we need more houses is to house immigrants, legal or not. According to law, they are not considered homeless if they have somewhere in the world to live.

If the Government was to find all the boarded-up houses and refurbish them it would go a long way to solving the problem. Yes we do need more houses – but not the number the Government says.

On the other hand, we have the Government setting up a committee to study food systems, as we are going to run short of home-grown food in a few years' time.

Surely the answer is to stop building on prime farmland and start using it for what it is for, growing food. Now there's a thought. I am sure this country, with a little more thought, is quite capable of feeding itself without importing everything.

Even Chris Brown, head of sustainable and ethical sourcing at Asda, has said: "The way the land is used needs to be tackled, including the number of major developments in areas which were previously farmland."

Perhaps councils will take this into account when they receive all the suggestions for land on which to build five or more houses they advertise for in local papers to try and find land for Mrs Beckett's extra houses.

Has anyone looked at our island on the world map lately? How small we are compared with the rest of the world, yet we still think we can make a difference to what is going on in the world. We should stop giving our assets away and try to hang on to what we have.

J Nash

Bude

Show some remorse

REMARKABLY, Councillor Andrew Mitchell has shown no remorse and taken no responsibility for the public relations, commercial and human cost of the Newquay Airport shambles. In fact he and other Lib-Dems have sought to blame the RAF, Ministry of Defence or the flight operators – it seems everyone is to blame but the Lib-Dems.

Coun Mitchell is keen on the spoils of office, but less keen on taking responsibility for his decisions. This year he was sixth highest paid county councillor out of 82, receiving £33,073 from the Cornish taxpayer at the same time as the average weekly wage in Cornwall is £329.30 (according to the Office for National Statistics).

As the man responsible for this fiasco he should resign his portfolio now, then an inquiry should be called by the Department for Communities and Local Government to find out if he was and is incompetent, badly advised or both.

A former MP for St. Ives was once accused of being a "here today, gone tomorrow" politician. Let us hope the same will soon apply to Coun Mitchell.

Stephen Sobey

Mullion

Excessive salaries

YOU are to be congratulated for the column headed "Council chief's perks scandal" (December 5) which concerned the excessive salaries to be paid to the senior officers of the One Cornwall unitary council.

The thousands of pounds being thrown around like confetti to secure the services of unknowns could have aided the reinstatement of payments to members of the public with moderate care needs, or part-funded improvements in the fire service. But no, that would not be possible for the Lib-Dems to conceive of, as it would be aiding the public.

Your article "Relocation packages a waste of public money" reiterated the message. Ms Gill Stewart, the appointed director of communities will command a six-figure salary while other residents face Christmas on the dole. I wonder how much she knows or will know of the communities of Pendeen, St Breward, Mousehole or Coverack.

Councillors like me who opposed the unitary concept will continue to fight, but cannot win yet because of the Lib-Dem majority on the county council, the inaugural unitary council from April 1, and the Implementation Executive. Indeed I have said many times that we are under – and will be until the unitary council elections – a Liberal Democrat democratic dictatorship.

John Payne

County Councillor, Penzance Electoral Division

Sell off airport

THE current fiasco over Newquay Airport fully vindicates what I said to you many months ago.

The county council should sell the airport to the best bidder, and those people or bodies who think it is a good thing could put their money where they mouths are and leave the rest of us to spend our money where we wish to.

As it is, many of us are forced to forgo what we need to live in order to satisfy those who want the luxury of an airport for which we pay – while they may not.

Harry Pusey

Troon, Camborne

Nightmare scenario

IF YOU have an oil-fired appliance and start having vivid realistic nightmares it may be carbon monoxide poisoning.

This may not be generally known as it is usually fatal. I was lucky.

A Gardner

Lynton