YP Letters: North driven further into mire by HS2

THE media, and many in the financial community, have serious doubts about the logic of HS2. London is easily accessed from all the provinces by rail and saving 30 minutes is totally irrelevant. What is relevant and urgent is linking up all our provincial cities and becoming less London-centric.

So my view is we could agree HS2, but starting in the North.

If the PM were to give her immediate approval, and at the same time priotise high speed broadband throughout the the UK, I am convinced it would send out the strong message that, not before time, her party means business, rather than just talking, as they have done endlessly over the last 10 years.

Infrastructure rather than fancy QE financial engineering. Right now the Government can borrow long term funds (20-50 years) at historically low (preferably fixed) rates. I see no reason to delay getting on with the job and we will see the British public backing an initiative which will benefit the majority, not the affluent minority.

From: Arthur Quarmby, Underhill, Holme.

WELL the HS2 pressure group would say that, wouldn’t they?

Better to look at the evidence. When the high-speed train from Paris to Marseilles was proposed, the most tremendous boost to the Marseilles region was guaranteed. And what was the outcome? All the enterprise of the Marseilles region was drained away to Paris, which attracted all of the benefit.Exactly the same will happen with HS2. It is the last thing the North needs. However, if we could build HS3 across the Pennines, it would be a greatly-overdue boost to the North.

However London will have its way and we shall be driven further into the mire by HS2.

End of hi-vis Osborne...

From: Andrew McKeon, Leeds.

GREG Wright was spot on about David Cameron and his disastrous decisions (The Yorkshire Post, June 22).

But don’t exonerate George Osborne whose divisive budgets and cuts alienated a large part of the population who may well have used the referendum to hit back at an economic system which left them out. Thank God we will never see him in a hard hat and hi-vis jacket again. Can’t see Philip Hammond doing those phoney photo opps.

From: Nathan Lane, Leeds.

I ENJOYED Greg Wright’s column. It is great to read a reasoned debate and escape the Facebook mud slinging.

From: Matthew Evans, Senior Corporate Media Relations Manager, Nestlé UK & Ireland, York.

FANTASTIC piece on David Cameron’s government – hope you guys will keep the pressure on, especially on flooding.

Save your GP extra work

From: Christine Hyde, Scarr End Lane, Dewsbury.

WE hear of the health centre in Wakefield under threat, in addition to a surgery in Slaithwaite, increasing pressure on already stretched services.

Not only are GPs working 12 to 14 hour days seeing to needy patients and responding to the demands of NHS England, now Capita, for its back office functions role, is asking them to upload details of healthy patients on their lists who have not visited the practice for five years.

This includes healthy children who have passed the age of routine vaccination visits between the age of eight to 15 and students, young people and elderly. To save your GP extra work, if you have not visited the surgery for five years, consider contacting the surgery to confirm your continued existence.

Players score an own-goal

From: John Watson, Rowan Court, Leyburn.

HOW I agree with Dave Croucher (The Yorkshire Post, July 23) about the behaviour of some of our footballers on the field. I hardly watched any of the Euros, mainly because of what he says.

They couldn’t sing the National Anthem, and what was to come was an insult to the game. In a way I was pleased we were knocked out, I couldn’t bear any longer the unpenalised fouls, the falling about and the antics after a goal was scored.

Roll on the Olympics.

A rubbish Greek holiday

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

WE have just been on a cruise to the Greek Islands and were amazed at the litter spoiling the beautiful scenery (Tom Richmond, The Yorkshire Post, July 23). Returning to driving around Leeds, I realised how clean our city is. Congratulations are due to the Leeds Council who have got this priority right.

Our verbs are being mangled

From: David Burkinshaw, Huddersfield.

JUDGING by what I hear and read, it seems that hardly any of today’s newly-qualified journalists are aware of the correct usage in the “sat”/”sitting” distinction that is cited by J Williams (The Yorkshire Post, July 23). Recently I heard another BBC radio reporter state that “the man had wrote to me” – it should have been “written”.

This is another verb form that is becoming mangled beyond repair in both spoken and written English. Sadly, the wrong ways are becoming the right ways, or at least the most prevalent.