YP Letters: Why Ireland must have a hard border

I really cannot understand the conundrum of whether or not to have a ‘hard border’ between Northern Ireland and Ireland after the United Kingdom exits the European Union.

Of course we should have a hard border!

It should be remembered that the IRA fought, tortured and murdered during the 1960s to the 1990s in order that the North split from the United Kingdom.

Ireland is a completely different country, very much like Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and cannot be seen to be our partner now, or at any time in the foreseeable future.

They want to remain part of the European Union, and I respect their decision, if not agree with it.

But they simply cannot have their cake and eat it. Hard border it is!

From: Janet Berry, Barfield, Hambleton.

One cannot help feeling sceptical of the smiles and handshakes between Barnier and Davies.

It is unacceptable that freedom of movement continues until the end of 2020.

It is estimated a million immigrants will arrive from Croatia and to agree they need no documentation beggars belief.

Only remember what happened when restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians were lifted in 2014.

It is so unfair on our fishermen to have to wait another year before deciding on a fishing policy and they have been betrayed again.

Why? This is not what we voted for.

Let’s face it, our politicians are not good at negotiating and do not fight Britain’s corner.

We needed business people being involved and more people like the finance chief of Porche speaking out against a trade war which could have cost countless jobs across the EU. Let us hope they have not sold us down the river.

Spring is not down to sun

From: Tony Drake, Knedlington Road, Howden.

“Sun decides the start of spring”, (The Yorkshire Post, March 19).

The claim that the sun decides the start of spring on March 20 by Mr JA King is not correct.

The seasons are based upon the position of the sun, eg the winter solstice is when the sun is at its lowest in December and the summer solstice when it’s at its highest.

In June, the equinoxes mark the time when the lengths of night and day are equal. If March 20 is the first day of spring then that means that the winter solstice is three months before, therefore Christmas time must be the beginning of winter. Christmas time is called midwinter in the same way June 20 is called midsummer.

The first day of summer is at the beginning of May and used to be celebrated by most of Europe since early history and they would use the maypole (and some countries still do) to celebrate it.

So there is a fault in Mr King’s explanation that the first day of spring is decided by the sun.

It’s only relatively recently during this century that many people have chosen to call the March equinox the first day of spring.

This is OK if that’s what they want to call it but it certainly isn’t the decision of the sun.

From: Jeff Thomas, Strait Lane, Huby, Leeds.

The bad weather is now hopefully behind us. A good time perhaps to dispense with the “sexed-up“ media-driven hyped-up weather forecasts that are sending us all crazy!

No need for the reporters to stand next to a snowdrift in some country lane or motorway overbridge with no snow on the carriageways or standing in water a metre deep in a flooded beck somewhere.

Let us hope our airline pilots, seafaring captains and farmers get more accurate weather data than the rest of us!

All we ask for is simple accurate forecasts with a good helping of common sense, not too much to wish for is it?

Learn to keep quiet Mr Blair

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

Why do we have to hear what Tony Blair has to say on education (The Yorkshire Post, March 19)?

When he was Prime Minister he introduced fees for those attending university and encouraged student loans to pay for an often useless degree in the name of improving education for the poorest in our society. Now he’s pontificating on what he would do now to the education system.

You have had your chance, Mr Blair, now go and retire and keep your mouth firmly shut. The cream of students will always rise to the top no matter what their origins.

In the eye of the beholder

From: Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire, Bradford.

There is a place for statutes of famous people in our towns and cities but at the same time they may not constitute great art.

As proved by the Angel of the North situated in Gateshead by Antony Gormley, with every individual and local authority up and down the country wishing to have an equivalent for their own area.