Chris Packsham should stop ignoring old ways of rural living – Yorkshire Post letters

EVERY year that passes in my 85 years, I am more convinced that the ruling urban elite understands less the rural countryside. It has been emphasised twice recently, in both the wild bird issue, and the approach to climate change.

Urban politicians, in their lack of knowledge, are fair game to extreme lobbyists who only think they understand the countryside and its culture. Chris Packham, in his understandable zeal to stop mass pheasant shooting, has made a sad mistake in the blanket attempt to stop all forms of control evolved by the rural community to control wildlife. He has made a serious error in that he is going to achieve the decimation of the songbird community, together with the peewits and other such birds.

Cows and sheep are scheduled to be the patsy in the climate change debate, instead of the aircraft and the Bentley used to transport a certain film star from LA – the real villains of the climate change scenario.

When I was young I walked behind horses to harrow in clover seeds spread by my father with his fiddle drill on the field of spring barley, to be grazed the following year by sheep to produce wonderful fat lamb. When that clover levy was ploughed out, it produced a wonderful crop of winter wheat due to the residual fertility of the legume and the sheep muck. The sheep also provided wool, more sustainable for clothing than the oil-based clothing we see on the television interviews of hyped- up MPs. Rather than planting trees to capture carbon on arable land we should be using the old-fashioned rotational farming of my youth, to keep more cattle and sheep.

That could replace the pig and chicken meat produced with the use of so much fossil fuel.

Disrespect to President

From: Cecil Crinnion, Sycamore Close, Slingsby, York.

JEREMY CORBYN has refused an invitation by the Queen to attend a state banquet in honour of the President of the United States. Nothing new or unexpected in that. This is the man that welcomed Mr Chavez and Mr Maduro on a visit to London.

Lest we forget Mr Chavez sowed the seeds of destruction in Venezuela with his crazy socialist economic policies, hailed as a model for all countries to follow by Mr Corbyn. We can all see the resulting tragedy that is Venezuela today. Like most politicians, Mr Trump is immune to insults and pointless gestures. It just shows that Mr Corbyn is no statesman and is unfit to be leader of a political party or, heaven forbid, a country. Mr Trump was elected by the American people and, like it or not, is doing his best to do what the American people voted for.

Now who can believe it? In the so-called cradle of democracy, there are those that would gag or prevent an elected President of a country from speaking in parliament, not a hostile country but our main ally. Surely they should welcome the President’s address, listen and then voice any criticisms they may have in the appropriate manner – or perhaps they are afraid that people may agree with what is said? After all, a politician that tries to do what the people voted for is most unusual.

Sir Vince Cable and John Bercow should also be ashamed of such pettiness and lack of respect for the President of a nation that suffered 6,603 casualties on D-Day, more than double the casualties suffered by Britain. How thoughtless of them, especially as June is its 75th anniversary. No matter how they try to justify their action I believe it will be seen as an insult by all Americans – after all they have not been asked to agree with Mr Trump, just to respect the position he holds.

Take charge of care homes

From: Mr PL Taylor, Milner Street, Lockwood, Huddersfield.

A RECENT report in The Sunday Telegraph regarding conditions in care homes further makes one realise how bad the services for elderly people in this country have become.

The residents of some care homes have worked most of their lives, paid their dues and taxes and they are treated as some garbage to be conveniently disposed of.

The elderly in most Third World countries are treated with respect and admiration. I am afraid that I am now becoming totally disillusioned with Theresa May’s Government. A minister should be appointed to take charge of conditions for the elderly. Spot checks, i.e. unannounced visits, must be made to all care homes and stringent conditions must be applied. Relatives should have an obligation to make visits on a regular basis where possible.

Maybe I should emigrate when it is time for me to live my last days in a care home?

Huawei deal security risk

From: Arthur Quarmby, Mill Moor Road, Meltham.

SURELY Theresa May would never contemplate endangering the Five Eyes Security Network (our partners therein being US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia) in favour of a deal with China’s massive Huawei organisation?

Too ridiculous to contemplate, yet these revelations are the reasons for the sudden sacking of Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, and the sooner the Government denies that any such negotiations are being or will be contemplated, the sooner Britain will be reassured. I am far more concerned about Mrs May’s dealings with Huawei than with Mr Williamson’s alleged leaks, which surely must be construed as being in the national interest?

Arresting TV

From: Max Nottingham, St Faith’s Street, Lincoln.

REGARDING the Line of Duty TV series. My word, things have changed since Z Cars and The Bill. Evenin’ all!