YP Letters: Juncker's folly undermines EU credibility

THE position of Jean-Claude Juncker, as the EU Commission president, is becoming rather exposed and vulnerable due to his recent tantrums.

Tony Armitage (The Yorkshire Post, May 15) mentions Mr Juncker’s comment that “English is losing its importance in Europe” which makes him look quite foolish because he was telling the conference in English that he wasn’t going to speak in English. How daft is that?

As Mr Armitage states, Mr Juncker appears to have ignored the fact that English is the most widely-used international language and is used for numerous systems, organisations and events worldwide. Aviation and shipping both use it; statements from Nato and the UN are usually given in English; major international sporting events have post-match interviews usually in English and major international snooker tournament referees use English for scores and rulings.

From: Mrs S Galloway, Stirrup Close, York.

IN his column (The Yorkshire Post, May 17), Chris Moncrieff asserts that “with the exception of Germany, we contribute more to the bulging EU coffers than any other members”. In fact the UK is the eighth largest net contributor to the EU.

From: Martin Vallance, Brompton-on-Swale, Richmond.

SO Nick Ahad (Arts View, The Yorkshire Post, May 12) says Shore to Shore is “particularly relevant to people who voted for Brexit” and implies in the following quotation from the author, Daniel Tse, that such people are narrow-minded.

Well, I suppose by now we should be immune to such 
views emanating from “luvvies”, but of course the opposite is the case.

Most of those of us who voted to leave did so in order to depart from the corrupt, undemocratic union which has impoverished so many European countries.

“Out of the EU... into the world” is our position. And we can do without the Ahad/Tse patronising nonsense.

From: Terry Palmer, South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley.

NEWSPAPER caricatures of Emmanuel Macron show the president of France as the puppet or plaything of Angela Merkel. A lifetime since the Second World War, the British in particular still rate German European ambition yet still under-rate French strength.

Nothing can change these views, not even the German chancellor’s reluctance as a hegemony.

Nor France’s tenacity in defence of its own interests.

It is as though a nation’s performance circa 1940 defines its true self forever, as still many remember both France and Germany’s actions of 1939-45.

This complacency about one continental power and paranoia about another leaves Britain unprepared for Macron’s ultimate project, the restoration of Franco-German leadership of the EU.

Phone ban hits a chord

From: James Kenny, Westfield Road, Leeds.

I AGREE with your Editorial on social etiquette and the use of mobile phones at concerts (The Yorkshire Post, May 16).

Chris Rock is to be applauded for his stance that those 
caught breaching his ban on their use will be ejected from 
his show at the First Direct Arena, Leeds.

This was successfully policed at an Eagles concert in 2015 when two persistent offenders were made an example of.

As is almost always the case these days at any concert, you have the row of drunks behind you talking incessantly, and 
who return polite requests to be quiet with lager-emboldened threats.

Then, in the rows ahead, a sea of blinding screens vying for a grainy recording of a giant TV screen or a distant megastar that will probably never see the light of day.

Leeds Arena itself needs to impose a blanket ban on the use of phones.

When you are spending often hundreds of pounds to see your favourite acts, they have a responsibility to ensure that it’s an enjoyable night for everyone.

Make use of rural schools

From: Paul Morley, Ribblesdale Estate, Long Preston, Skipton.

WE are told that rural schools must close due to falling pupil numbers (The Yorkshire Post, May 16). So the pupils from closed rural schools must be shipped out to urban schools. However, due to increased population and immigration, we are also told that urban schools are bursting at the seams.

Wouldn’t the obvious solution be to bus pupils from overstretched urban catchment areas into the half-empty rural schools?

Snail mail

From: Jeanne Cossins, Kirkbymoorside.

DO Royal Mail want the public to use their service? I received a letter on May 15 that had been posted on April 27 . It had a first class stamp and was clearly addressed with the postcode, also it was only sent from 15 miles away. I posted an Easter card on the Tuesday before Easter and it was delivered the following Tuesday second class mail, the same distance.

Swear box

From: Robert Carsledge, Princess Road, Dronfield.

WITH REFERENCE to letters about the amount of swearing on the BBC programme All Round to Mrs Brown’s. In times gone by, it would not only have been frowned upon but debunked out of hand. But today’s jargon is in line with society – we swear to impress.