YP Letters: Is Honda collapse an opportunity for a British car maker?

The Honda plant in Swindon is due to close.

IT is indeed very unfortunate that Honda intends closing its Swindon plant with thousands of jobs at risk. What a refreshing change it would be as – an alternative to the mega-wrangle over Brexit – if the Government did everything possible to use the site and local skills to develop a new British car.

Experienced, perhaps retired, car engineers along with the expertise in our university mechanical engineering and business departments, could form a working party, perhaps chaired by an MP, to develop the project. How the Japanese, German, French and other car manufacturing countries would cringe! It would be a very positive move – ‘let’s make Britain great again’ to use a Trumpism!

From: Stewart Arnold, Leader of The Yorkshire Party

So NORTHERN Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry reckons One Yorkshire isn’t necessary because ‘people don’t travel between city regions’ (The Yorkshire Post, February 15).

I am inviting him to join me on the 16.48 Leeds-Hull train, stand all the way and still prove it.

Wrong type of tourism

From: Diane Haigh, Scalby Mills Road, Scarborough.

I READ with interest both Jayne Dowle’s article on Scarborough (The Yorkshire Post, February 11) and Bob Roberts’ letter in response to this.

While I, for one, was pleased to see the demolition of the Futurist Theatre, which was long past its useful life and had become an eyesore, I agree with Mr Roberts’ comments about what best to replace it with. Scarborough does not need another funfair or amusement centre – it has more than enough already – and the site is ideal for well-designed residential properties which would enhance the South Bay.

Yes, I agree that Scarborough Council is far too focused on tourism of the wrong type.

There is a need to learn from the successes of Whitby and Malton, both of which have reinvented themselves by looking at what the discerning tourist of today wants – certainly not a plethora of tacky amusements!

Hard shoulder here to stay

From: Nina Smith, Chair, Upper Calder Valley Renaissance Sustainable Transport Group, Hebden Bridge.

I AM pleased to read (The Yorkshire Post, February 16) that the “bright idea to scrap hard shoulder grinds to a halt”.

Can we now hope that hard shoulders are reinstated where they have been removed? Hard shoulders were designed into the motorway network from the beginning for safety reasons; the fallibility of computer and electronic systems in modern cars is one reason why hard shoulders are still needed.

The longer-term answer to congestion on motorways is to heavily invest in the railways to achieve a substantial modal shift of both passengers and freight from road to rail.

Failure to deliver on rail

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

AS turkeys don’t vote for Christmas, it’s hardly surprising that the perversely-named ‘Rail Delivery Goup’ is insisting on a “revenue neutral” solution to the rip-off railway ticket-pricing morass. Even that is set to take up to five years to take effect (The Yorkshire Post, February 18).

There was a time when a simple and comprehensible ticketing system operated under cash-strapped British Rail.

Perhaps even Chris Grayling could earn a couple of points by reintroducing that within six months – with adjustments for inflation, of course.

RDG could then do what they do best – hurling numbers back and forth to determine how to divvy up the spoils among the privateers.

Rebels must face voters

From: Coun Tim Mickleburgh (Lab), Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

THOSE MPs who have left Labour should realise the possible consequences of their actions. The last time a goodly number of MPs defected to join the SDP, they helped Labour to remain in opposition for 18 years.

Really they should resign their posts and put up for election under their new colours. That would be the honourable thing to do, as all were elected under the Labour flag.

Mission to aim high

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

WONDERFUL to read of young Joe Seddon’s work (The Yorkshire Post, February 18) in encouraging students from state schools to apply for Oxbridge.

It’s a shame that teachers in these schools seem unable to provide such help for their brightest pupils. Hopefully Joe will succeed in his mission.

From: Cecil Crinnion, Slingsby.

WHY do some politicians want 16-year-olds to have voting rights, when they are deemed to young to be named in court? Beats me.

From: JA King, Thurgoland, Sheffield.

GOOD to see our school children expressing their concern over global warming, but how many them go to school by private car rather than walking or biking?

What I find interesting was that they decided to strike from lessons on a school day rather than organising their protest on a Saturday where more youngsters could have attended without a guilty conscience – or was it that they just wanted another day’s holiday and they don’t give a jot about their education?