October 1: Victory for The Yorkshire Post’s Back on Track campaign

THE Government’s decision to press ahead with the electrification of this region’s railways can be interpreted in one of two ways – either it is a signal that Ministers are genuinely committed to the Northern Powerhouse or the decision has been hastily brought forward to spare them from accusations of hypocrisy at next week’s Tory party conference.

However it is a vindication of this newspaper’s Back on Track campaign, and the pressure exerted by Yorkshire’s business leaders, that Sir Peter Hendy, the newly-appointed chairman of Network Rail, has found in favour of the TransPennine Express and Midland Mainline so promptly and has set out a comprehensive timetable for the completion of these schemes which are critical if capacity on the rail network is to be increased.

Though there will be some regret that the time table for both schemes has slipped by three years, it has become clear that Network Rail was not fit for purpose under the previous management regime and the Government had to intervene to prevent already costly engineering projects from becoming an even greater drain on the public purse.

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Having made a compelling case, it is now essential that Network Rail and the Government honour the undertakings made at Leeds Station by Sir Peter and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin so the revised plan is delivered on time and on budget – nothing less will suffice in a region which has been repeatedly short-changed when it comes to investment in the rail infrastructure. It does not end here. Having been taken aback by the hostile public reaction to the ‘pausing’ of these two schemes, Ministers should be in no doubt of the criticism that they will face if they renege upon other policy promises that are central to the Northern Powerhouse and One Nation agenda. They have been warned.

Safer society for all: 21st century police priorities

GIVEN that Home Secretary Theresa May has managed to preside over a simultaneous fall in crime and police budgets, chief constables have reason to be fearful ahead of the next spending round. Nigel Brook, West Yorkshire’s assistant chief officer, alluded to this with his call for large metropolitan forces, like his own, to be given greater financial leeway because of the volume, and complexity, of their workload.

Yet, while the police have demonstrated their ability to make efficiency savings without compromising public safety, there does need to be an acceptance on the Government’s part that the thin blue line can only be stretched so far and the future role, and responsibility, of the police needs debating. Should forces respond automatically to all burglaries? Sara Thornton, who speaks on behalf of chief constables, is among those to challenge this assertion while the law-abiding public hold a contrary view. Other such decisions are no less easy 
to resolve.

However it is not just the Government and police chiefs like Mr Brook who need to be realistic with their expectations. The same applies to those rose-tinted residents who hold a nostalgic view of policing in the past. The “beat bobby” era immortalised by TV programmes like Dixon of Dock Green and Heartbeat is long gone – today’s crimes are more likely to be solved by new technology rather than street patrols. The challenge is making sure the police have the resources, both human and technological, so they can move with the times and stay one step ahead of the career criminal. That’s the key to a safer society for all.

The golden years: Retirees and their priceless value

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IT is invariably said that 60 is the new 40 – scientists have concluded that people hit middle age later because individuals are leading longer, and more healthier, lives. This “glass half full” optimism might have to be revised upwards still further after the Royal Voluntary Service revealed retirees are living their golden years to the full. Nearly a third of Britons aged over 65 are busier now than when they were working full-time.

Such energy and enthusiasm should be cherished on Older People’s Day. Not only have senior citizens earned the right to an active retirement thanks to an insatiable work ethic, but many families do not appreciate the debt that they owe to grandparents for childcare arrangements and so on. Britain would also be a much poorer place without those retired people who made it their business, because of a sense of civic pride passed through the generations, to become the mainstays of community life. Long may this continue – they should never be taken for granted by the young.