Bonds to bail out Britain – discuss

MARTIN Shaw’s letter (Yorkshire Post, January 31) raises an interesting matter regarding the issue of Government Stock to reduce national debt. Various letters on February 2 refer to financial responsibility by highly remunerated bankers and commercial entrepreneurs.

In 1917-18, Stanley Baldwin, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, in later years becoming Prime Minister, gave 20 per cent of his wealth to the country by purchasing a quantity of War Loan stock. He donated it back to the Government rather than redeem it. This example was followed by some other like-minded people.

According to current media reports, some MPs have wealth and could follow such an example. Perhaps any bankers and industrialists with “a bit to spare” might join them to buy Bail out Britain Bonds and foregoing any return.

Is this stretching the imagination?

From: Michael Ross, Weeton Lane, Dunkeswick, North Yorkshire.

MARTIN Shaw’s letter on war bonds puts forward an interesting case for today’s equivalent but includes some misleading information.

We may not be being bombed as we were in the 1940s, but in those times we were able to easily identify our enemy. Today our enemies are far more subtle with their disguises and many come from within our own communities.

He also stated that in the 1930s, bankrupt Germany set about eliminating its large and wealthy Jewish population. It should be noted that only a small percentage of Jews in Germany were wealthy.

As with most communities then and now, it is only the very few who are wealthy, the majority as always are either struggling to make ends meet or failing to do so.

As to their “portable wealth”, again like most others those that had assets were usually in the form of their homes and those few able to avoid elimination in the ovens and gas chambers discovered that these and their contents had been ‘sequestered’ by their friendly neighbours.

Who do they represent?

From: Coun Sandy Fraser (Labour), City of York Council, Micklegate Ward, Millfield Road, York.

I REFER to your report concerning council tax (Yorkshire Post, February 1) which gives undue credence to the Taxpayers’ Alliance.

Your report refers to Richmondshire District Council’s (a council wholly within Tory Foreign Secretary, William Hague’s parliamentary constituency) decision to raise its council tax next year by three per cent and to reject the Tory-led Government’s “bribe” of a one-year only grant, which would have created the need for even more swingeing council cuts the following year. Just who does this organisation represent? Certainly not me and I’m a taxpayer.

From: Bob Holland, Skipton Road, Cononley, Keighley.

THE Taxpayers’ Alliance is always anonymous (Yorkshire Post, February 1) and always support freezing council tax. May we ask them some simple questions?

Will those who benefit most from this freeze in tax be owners of the most valuable houses?

Isn’t taxpayers’ money provided to freeze council tax, money which benefits Tory cronies and their financial supporters?

Will the TPA inform us who are their leaders?

There are far more very expensive houses in the South. Tax freezes help the South. In addition, the Government’s grant cuts have a disproportionate impact on the North.

Surely MPs should vote in Parliament against this.

Performance related pay

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

I AM not about to defend the obscene wages paid to some Premier League footballers, the seeds of which were sown in the United States when sports stars were accorded the status of their film and showbiz counterparts.

However, it is simply not true that the limited number of Wayne Rooneys in English football do not attract much criticism for their unjustified salary levels, as Bob Watson claims (Yorkshire Post, February 2).

Most importantly though, unlike the so-called City fat cats, their remuneration is at least performance-related. No bonus for them if they don’t deliver the goods. Their star wanes and their clubs seek to unload them to less generous employers.

Bus solution

From: David Walls, Croft Rise, Menston.

MR McWilliams (Yorkshire Post, February 1) comments on the £2 charge to access Leeds Bradford Airport to drop off and pick up passengers. Manchester charges £2.50 for picking up.

Perhaps he could use the hourly bus service from Harrogate: if he is a pensioner, then it’ll cost him nowt! There is a “free lunch” scenario here.