YP Letters: Party sees light to ditch Julia Mulligan as crime commissioner

I DON’T recall which government of which particular persuasion, dreamt up the ridiculous notion of unaccountable police commissioners to replace a tried and tested, accountable police authority, which had functioned for decades as part of the ‘answerable’ local authority democratic process.

We, in North Yorkshire, who generally will vote for anything with the slightest of bluish tinges, had foisted upon us a Conservative nominee as police commissioner of whom we knew nothing.

Other parties and independent nominees in North Yorkshire have little chance of success, meaning any other well-qualified candidate stood little chance of having control of a business (and that’s what the police is) with a colossal budget, financed by the taxpayer.

Despite public dissatisfaction with the ability of Julia Mulligan, and a collection of grandiose pointless projects, such as relocating the police headquarters to a totally unsuitable greenfield site, subsequently returning into a totally unsuitable town centre site in Northallerton, she got re-elected at the first re-election process because the political blue tinge swayed the vote.

Irrespective of her previous results, people were voting on party lines as opposed to what was good for the area. An independent nominee who was well-qualified stood against her and lost, leaving the taxpayers of North Yorkshire to finance more nonsense and inefficiency.

During her tenure, there has been a series of short-term ‘lacklustre’ Chief Constables. We now hear the crime rate is increasing, public confidence in the police generally is at an almost all-time low; and yet expenditure at Mulligan Towers in Harrogate is rising.

Despite the district councils and the county council opposing the inclusion of the fire service into Ms Mulligan’s remit, they were overruled by the Home Office. Fortunately, the Conservative Party have seen the light and have declined to re-select Julia Mulligan.

Wrong way to be accepted

From: David Craggs, Shafton Gate, Rotherham.

WHAT puzzles me about the interviews I’ve seen with the young woman Shamima Begum was the way she failed to put forward a case to be accepted back into the UK.

Personally I’d have sobbed into the microphone, genuinely pleading my case.

How I’d made a huge mistake joining IS, how I wanted to join my family, get back into full-time education, including university, so that I could make a useful contribution to the country that had accepted me back.

I would have emphasised that I wanted to give my baby the best possible start in life, being educated in one of the best systems in the world. Why hasn’t she done this? Could it be that some sort of misguided loyalty, and pride, is preventing her doing so? Her attitude seemed to indicate that she felt that she would be doing us a favour by allowing her to return to the UK rather than the other way round.

Let Brexit rebel resign

From: Bob Watson, Baildon.

JUSTICE Secretary David Gauke, along with two other Government Ministers, is threatening to resign unless Brexit is delayed if Parliament does not approve a deal in the coming days (Tom Richmond, The Yorkshire Post, February 26).

Well, considering that Mr Gauke is suggesting scrapping short jail terms of six months or less, the sooner he goes the better. Hopefully he will then be replaced by a Minister who will have much more regard for public safety.

At the moment it appears that both he and Prisons Minister Rory Stewart are disaster areas.

We just got on with it

From: Gillian Anderson, Warren Lane, Eldwick.

YOUR correspondent Mrs C Gannon (The Yorkshire Post, February 23) echoes the view what many people feel about reducing the hours of the school day. It would be totally stupid!

Her comments also about how tired young people complain of feeling when working six-hour days is something we hear often these days. My husband and I have also heard the younger generation complaining about tiredness.

My husband had a demanding and responsible full-time job for 47 years.

In addition to his initial studies to qualify for Public Health diplomas, he got married at 22, subsequently became a father to two children, did his 50/50 share of housework etc, had twice-weekly commitments to his hobby playing in a brass band, did additional degree studies (sandwiched between working full-time ) for his career and carried out his duties with me as parents, ensuring we had plenty of leisure time with the children as a family.

He (and me) just got on with it, even when he was feeling tired. We hear our two children, both now in their late 30s complain of feeling tired, and while both have busy full-time jobs, neither seems to have lives as fully packed with what their father has had.

He never complained. I think today’s younger generation need a good shaking. They don’t know how well off they are.

Yorkshire links missed

From: Walter Raine, Pennine View, Northallerton.

WHEN you decided to publish the picture of Sub-Lieutenant Harold Salisbury (The Yorkshire Post, February 25), you omitted his Yorkshire connections. He served as Chief Constable of the North Riding Constabulary from 1965 to 1968, where he earned the respect of all who served with him and then went on to become Commissioner of New South Wales Police Australia.