Hold Boris Johnson and MPs to account over lockdowns – Yorkshire Post Letters

DAVID Alcock makes some good points in his letter about stamp duty (The Yorkshire Post, December 21), particularly on the use of the term “hard-working”.

He is also correct in saying the Government needs money to carry out its work. One problem is that governments are bad at determining how, where, on what and when to spend our (not its) money.

That is one reason we have (and need) elections every few years to give us the opportunity to “throw the rascals out”. Without this periodic check on their abuse of powers we would be in a much worse place.

Much of the money spent on “social support” related to the current pandemic has been wasted on keeping businesses alive where it would be better spent elsewhere; or better still given directly to citizens to allow them to decide how, where, on what and when to spend it.

Mr Alcock commits the common error of confusing “not having” for “deserving”. Many who don’t have, deserve. So do many who have. Many who don’t have, don’t deserve. So do many who have. Increasing the proportion of an economy controlled by government inevitably leads to more corruption.

From: Keith Massey, Bishopthorpe, York.

I DON’T want to be cynical but I find it questionable that the Prime Minister announced horrendous restrictions last Saturday – a day after Parliament was recessed – based on “new” facts about the mutation of the coronavirus (The Yorkshire Post, December 21).

Has he, once again, been “spooked” by Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance? Once again, the Government escapes all scrutiny by MPs and therefore it will only be debated – retrospectively – when Parliament sits in January.

This is not acceptable when the new Christmas rules are punitive and highly damaging to the economy – or what’s left of it.

I’ve lost count of the lockdowns now but one thing is certain – they don’t work. Yes, they will if the Government locks us in our homes for months – but we will be left with nothing worth living for.

They’ve had 10 months since this kicked off. Just ask the over-70s to look after themselves and let life move on and allow the economy to restart, and we will have to accept an unavoidable rise in deaths.

I am anxiously waiting for the vaccine to give me my life back and 2021 should be a celebration in winning the virus stakes at long last.

From: Nick Noy, Pudsey.

AS a Southerner who has relocated to Pudsey, I am able to see from both sides of the North-South divide.

There is a definite lack of thought and investment in the North. In Ipswich, where I was born and lived for 65 years, we had much higher standards of living.

Having said that, the cost of living was considerably higher. I always tell my Southern friends up here my fourth pint (when the pubs are open) is a freebie!

I see now that even Covid is something that you are not equal on. For example, testing in schools is going ahead in the South but not here.

Also, Ipswich has escaped being put in Tier 3, while detected cases have risen considerably, and yet Leeds is dropping but kept in Tier 3.

Is the fact that Matt Hancock has Suffolk links any connection? I might add I voted Conservative at the last election and wouldn’t consider myself a left-winger. If anything, I would say right of centre.

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