Abolish cruel penalty of tuition fees

STARTING the second year of a university law course, a Yorkshire student reckons she will owe the Government of the day over £50,000 if her studies are satisfactorily completed.

The politicians, who have inflicted this “penalty” on thousands of English youngsters, enjoyed free university places – after many of them had received expensive educations at private, often “public” schools.

“Man of the people” Tony Blair opened the gates for charges with the introduction of a £3,000 annual fee. He was loyally assisted by Gordon Brown and the argument for the case was led by “socialist” Hilary Benn.

Gleefully, Tories David Cameron and George Osborne upped the fees to £9,000 when they took over the country. Lickspittle Nick Clegg broke a solid promise not to increase charges. Germany does not demand its university students pay fees, nor does Scotland. English youngsters pay the highest fees in Europe.

An incoming government must address this cruel penalty and abolish the fees retrospectively. We should protest that English youngsters should not be treated differently from their Scottish kinsmen.

Extra cash for GP services

From: David Treacher, Nelson Road, Hull.

MORE money needs to be invested in GP services. This is the first call for a patient who often can either be treated by the doctor or signposted elsewhere for help.

This would cut the number 
of urgent admissions to a hospital.

Leader like Blair needed

From: Mrs W Abbott, Boulsworth Avenue, Hull.

IT is too close to the 2015 General Election for the Labour Party to consider replacing their leader Ed Miliband (The Yorkshire Post, October 8).

Ed Miliband has been sliding down in the popularity polls for some time now, yet despite all the warning signs the party continue to bury their heads in the sand in exactly the same way as they did when Gordon Brown was in control. The party should have taken steps to replace him when doubts of his leadership abilities first became apparent.

In the 2010 leadership contest many believed that his brother David Miliband would win. A recently conducted poll suggested that a substantial number of people now believe that he would have been a better choice. The recent Heywood and Middleton result shows the party majority has been reduced from 6,000 votes to a mere 617.

The Labour Party should be searching for a leader who has the qualities Tony Blair had when he led the party to victory in 1997.

Off the rails with finances

From: Karl Sheridan, Selby Road, Holme on Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire.

I WAS always brought up to ensure you paid your debts before outlaying money on expensive or extravagant items – part of the old school I suppose in that if you didn’t have enough to buy something then you’d save up until you had.

It appears the Conservatives have never followed a good housekeeping policy and persist in wishing to spend on uneconomical extravagances instead of clearing their debts – I refer to the billions that have already been spent and the billions that will be spent on HS2.

Following their usual trend of “selling the silver” when in trouble, like Margaret Thatcher did to the detriment of most of us, the Conservatives have already sold off Royal Mail for peanuts, and now apparently they intend to sell off our stake in the Eurotunnel. I despair of those in charge of our destiny because time and time again they prove to have little sense when it comes to balancing the books.

Beware of voting Ukip

From: Helen Hallam, Keighley, West Yorkshire.

I AM am not a member of any political party, nor do I subscribe to one, but I am alarmed at Ukip’s electoral success.

The reason for this is two fold, one being the fact that each representative seems to give a different account of the party’s policies.

What I do know is that this party is a wolf in sheep’s clothing for the working people of this country.

My reason for saying this is the fact that Ukip plan to auction off the whole of our NHS to private companies, thus it will be profit before care.

They plan to introduce a flat rate of tax which means raising taxes for the poorest while the rich – like Ukip backer and election supremo Paul Sykes would pay much less.

Not only do they want to make working people pay but want to scrap working people’s legal rights to the current level of 
paid holiday, and at the same time feel that job security is a luxury to be paid for with lower wages.

Finally they are seeking to scrap the right to maternity leave for women working in smaller companies – a direct attack on women.

How do I know these things? It’s just a matter of listening to the Ukip representatives and getting past Nigel Farage’s rhetoric.