YP Letters: Why politicians must spare us ‘pure drivel’ over Brexit

I SPEAK the Yorkshire version of Plain English. Most politicians, and certain others, speak pure drivel. We do not speak the same language.

Matthew Flinders: Where have our leaders gone over Brexit?

They do not seem to understand our language, and we certainly do not understand theirs. We speak two completely different languages.

From: Jarvis Browning, Main Street, Fadmoor, York.

WHAT is Jeremy Hunt playing at (The Yorkshire Post, February 1) over Brexit? Theresa May keep saying we are leaving on March 29 with a deal or no deal.

A lot more distrust and more uncertainty will do nobody any good. Once we know what the outcome will be, the better it will be for all to move on with, whatever the result turns out to be. We do not need any more if, buts or delays. Just get on with it, the EU isn’t going to budge either!

From: Arthur Quarmby, Mill Moor Road, Meltham.

FROM the outset, I suspected that the EU would insist on such departure terms as to defeat Brexit. Let us not be taken in by such fears – to remain tied to the failing “United States of Europe” would condemn Britain forever to utter failure and no escape.

From: AJA Smith, Cowling.

LAST week, Parliament voted down Yvette Cooper’s Brexit amendment (The Yorkshire Post, January 30) which threatened to extend Brexit day to December 31, 2019. Can we now expect her to demand Parliament votes again on the grounds that MPs didn’t know what they were voting for?

From: Henry Cobden, Ilkley.

IF Yvette Cooper was Labour leader (Bill Carmichael, The Yorkshire Post, February 1), she would have done no better than Jeremy Corbyn in trying to balance the divide between Leave in the North and Remain in the South. It can’t be done.

Grayling could derail plans

From: Bruce Anderton, Otley.

THE Northern Powerhouse Rail plans (The Yorkshire Post, January 31 and February 1) are surely to be welcomed – but haven’t we been on this line before, only to later find that similar schemes heralded by equally-hopeful fanfares were ultimately derailed or cancelled in favour of southern-based infrastructure advances?

I also note that the long-awaited (but very obviously unaffordable and unsustainable) Leeds-Bradford Airport rail line now seems to have disappeared in favour of a link road, but that’s just common sense.

The real problem with Northern transport proposals, as The Yorkshire Post correctly points out, is the attitude of Chris Grayling, the “southern-centric Transport Secretary”.

As long as he remains in post, proposals such as these are very unlikely to reach fruition, however much local protagonists may press for their implementation.

MP right over marriage call

From: Bob Watson, Baildon.

MP Philip Davies (Conservative, Shipley) is absolutely spot-on in calling for all Muslim couples to conduct a civil service before or after their Islamic marriage ceremony (The Yorkshire Post, January 29).

As he says, this will ensure that Muslim women get full legal protection, something which I suspect that many never even consider until it is too late.

There was also mention in the report about the role of Sharia councils, and one has to wonder why, in this country in the 21st century, there should be acceptance of anything Sharia at all.

Simpler answer to knife crime

From: Paul Morley, Long Preston, Skipton.

MORE ridiculous ideas from our hopeless politicians. Banning social media use and curfews for people convicted of knife crime.

Totally pointless if it can’t be effectively policed and enforced.

If the current laws were used robustly by the judiciary when sentencing, with full term custodial sentences for the first offence, it wouldn’t take long before many of these budding criminals thought better of going out armed because it’s cool to do so.

On careful motoring

From: Brian H Sheridan, Lodge Moor, Sheffield.

I HEARTILY agree with my fellow octogenarian Peter Hyde’s defence of elderly drivers (The Yorkshire Post, January 31). He rightly identifies the main cause of accidents as “young idiots”; it’s also worth mentioning that they are often driving stolen cars or have neither licence nor insurance.

I also agree that Prince Philip made a faux pas in not wearing his seat belt after his recent over-publicised accident. I have a lot of time for the Duke of Edinburgh but he betrays a stubborn streak in being very much his own man.

However, Mr Hyde also frowns on Philip for “for having an accident”. I sincerely hope your correspondent’s extraordinary “accident-free” record is intact when he finally hands over his keys. And what will it take for him to do so?

Unnecessary form-filling

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

CAN it only be me who is sick to death of filling in surveys? I am having weekly physiotherapy following a bad road accident at the moment.

Each time I go I have to fill in my name, date of birth, address, sex, GP name and address, my ethnicity and whether or not I have been in the UK more than 18 months. It fills in a bit of time whilst I am waiting, but I would love to know how all that information is used and why it is necessary every time I attend.