Backbone of England needs leadership that stands tall

From: Joan Clarkson, Chapel Allerton, Leeds.

Musing over our politicians juggling to get their messages across, we are as far away as ever from getting a fair deal for the North of England.

Sandwiched as we are between the South, which has prospered and fed off London’s prosperity, and Scotland, which originally benefited from the Barnett Formula, and has successfully managed to cajole other benefits, we are struggling. Where is the man or woman who can rally and unite the “backbone of England” and fight for the equality we need and deserve?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our manufacturing base has declined steadily for the last 50 years and we have lost so many skills, and sold off so much. The export drive of the 1950s led to prosperity in the 1960s. Let’s start making things again.

Transport, rail and road need investment on a parity with the south. Get Hull and Liverpool connected. Start work in Leeds and head south if another fast track to London is really going to be beneficial. Use Robin Hood Airport instead of another runway in the south. Trains from Sheffield to London will transport passengers south.

Stop messing about with the health service. More doctors and nurses and less management from people who don’t seem to know what caring for the sick and elderly entails.

Similarly with education. High schools in cities, towns and rural areas need some of the help that has raised standards in the London area to something to be proud of.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After the success of the Tour De France, which brought Yorkshire much publicity, is there another Gary Verity to lead our cause?

From: Karl Sheridan, Holme on Spalding Moor.

UKIP, making a point that it was only 100 days to the next election, sent out an email listing 100 reasons why one should vote for them. It made interesting reading. What a pity the other main parties (including the Greens) don’t take up the idea and lay out their own plans for the future in this way. At least we the public could see what they were promising in the whole of its entirety.

Let’s face it, how many times in the past have we voted in a party having seen only a few of their policies and promises, only to find at a later date that there were many things on their agendas that we didn’t agree with? This idea of a simple and straightforward listing would also be an ideal way for us to see just how many promises during their term in office they actually keep.