April 11: Election letters and the unwelcome return of Tony Blair

AS the slanging matches and vilifying the opposition hots up with the political parties struggling to convince us to vote for them, I suggest that the Labour Party have scored an own goal by allowing Tony Blair to resurface and throw his own two penneth in (The Yorkshire Post, April 8).

This man, who perfected the art of spin and making money from the political system as well as involving us in a fruitless war, is the last person on earth to advise the population on how to vote and I had hoped we had seen the last of him.

The last four decades have proven that none of the three main parties ever had any long term strategies, resulting in the chaos that we are now enduring. Time for a change and let one of the lesser parties have a go – they certainly can’t make things any worse!

From: Phil Hanson, Baildon, Shipley.

THE idea that Tony Blair can lecture David Cameron on the EU referendum being a distraction is, to say the least, galling and hypocritical. Oh, Mr Blair, would it be as distracting as say, waging war on Iraq?

The EU issue may have a major impact on people around the EU and Britain, alas it will not leave hundreds of thousands, approaching a million dead as did the deeds of this rotten example of a politician and humanity. For while people still die daily in Iraq – so much for our dispensing of Saddam Hussein, Blair lives in a cosseted world of denial and wealth. I would be the first to pay for a taxi to get this guy in front of a court to answer for his crimes.

From: Terry Palmer, South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley.

TONY Blair says leaving the EU would “leave Britain diminished in the world” and would “take our country out of the leadership game globally”. All this from the man that opened the floodgates to immigration, changed our country totally and who also changed the Labour party to a party of no more than second- class Tories. Are any of our leaders global statesmen ? Can anyone name a giant in the global stakes? No, neither can I.

From: Martin Hall, Woodhouse Lane, Beighton.

DAVID Cameron’s track record gives no cause for any optimism that there will ever be the promised in/out referendum on EU membership demanded by Ukip.

In the unlikely event that it were to happen, however, I would like to know whether the question will be fairly framed, will EU monies with only one purpose flood in from Brussels as happened in Ireland an will the media be scrupulously neutral?

We were scammed into voting ‘Yes’ in 1975. I can see identical, shifty tactics being employed once again!

From: J Hutchinson, York.

IN view of the fact The Yorkshire Post describes the two 17-year-olds recruited to Syria as “two teenage boys”, how can 16-year-olds be classed as “young adults” with enough common sense to vote in an election? Isn’t it time politicians decided where to draw the line between adults, impressionable teenagers and boys in order to even contemplate giving a say in the running of the country to people who have not yet come of age?

From: Phyllis Capstick, Hellifield, Skipton.

I AM now in my seventh decade and over the years have learned that a Labour government has absolutely no idea of how to run this country.

That fact has been proved over and over again. They throw money at everything and leave the Conservatives to sort out the mess.

Young people have not lived long enough to witness this phenomenon. I have definitely lived and learned in this department and I am still learning. If Labour is returned to power in the forthcoming election, the same scenario will happen all over again.

From: Allan Davies, Heathfield Court, Grimsby.

DAVID Cameron has told us that we are better off as a result of his Government’s policies. He tells us that national output (and thus income) has reached pre-crash levels and that there are more people in jobs than ever before. We know, too, that the population has risen in recent years.

From this, we can safely conclude that a) income per head has fallen and b) output per head of working population has also fallen. Both living standards and productivity are down.

We need no more than simple arithmetic to draw these conclusions.

From: Dick Appleyard, Saxilby, Near Lincoln.

I’VE heard a few people in general say that voting ought to be made compulsory; I disagree with them. Why should it be compulsory to vote? Millions of people who are eligible to vote but choose not to, believes that all parties are the same, so it is a waste of time bothering.

As many people have said though, of people cannot be bothered to vote, then they have no right to get angry if they think the wrong party has been elected.

From: Barry Foster, High Stakesby, Whitby.

WHAT a thought-provoking article we were able to enjoy by Barrie Frost (The Yorkshire Post, April 4) about the forthcoming election. At a rough estimate I would guess at least 90 per cent of us would agree with him and it is probably one of the best articles I have read in your newspaper this year.

I am finding it extremely hard to come to terms with just who I should vote for. I am sure there is very little difference offered to us and I have yet to be persuaded that they are in it for our good and not their own.