Contradicting the coalition’s greatest wish

LIKE Jane Austen, I have decided “to draw no limits in future to the impudence of an impudent man”. I am, of course, referring to our putative Energy Minister, Chris Huhne, who would like us to believe that he is terribly concerned about energy prices (Yorkshire Post, September 20).

Alarmingly, he adopts policies which he knows will seriously escalate energy costs, yet pretends to care about the consequences. This is a colossal cheek. That, or his policies and their results each occupy separate compartments in his mind, never to meet.

Contrary to the coalition’s stated aims, Mr Huhne is making it harder to attract and retain industry, and consequently jobs, to the UK. At the same time he is increasing fuel poverty here at home – again contradicting the coalition’s supposed wishes.

The coalition cannot have it both ways – high price energy means fewer jobs and more people unable to heat their homes properly. Perhaps Mr Cameron needs to make an honest and transparent choice here, because Mr Huhne seems incapable of it.

Failing to see the obvious

From: Malcolm Iveson, Summerbridge, Harrogate.

ONE of the great frustrations of today’s world is that people fail to see the obvious. This is particularly the case with politicians and councillors.

Recently, much thought and money has been poured into the problem of our dying and nearly deserted traditional high streets. At the same time a sizeable town, Harrogate, has taken the decision to allow the construction of another superstore, when the town already has several.

The proliferation of superstores and the demise of the high street are opposite sides of the same problem: You can’t have one without the other. Perhaps politicians are too busy calculating their expenses to notice such a fact?

Puzzlement at atlas blunder

From: Dave Haskell, Newchapel Road, Boncath, Pembrokeshire.

WHAT are we to make of the bloomer by the Times Atlas of the World whereby the Greenland ice cap is shown to be melting so fast that, since 1999, nearly a sixth of it has vanished – an area approximately the size of the UK?

Leading polar ice experts at the Scott Polar Research Institute have said recent satellite images of Greenland made clear that there are numerous glaciers and permanent ice cover where the Times Atlas shows ice-free conditions and the emergence of land.

They also say there is no support for this claim in the published scientific literature.

In particular, I wonder what the global warming supporters make of this, and indeed, the statement by Richard Betts, head of climate impact at the UK Met Office, that he had not been responsible for “any of that Greenland rubbish”.

To be sure, I am reminded of the words: For whom God wishes to destroy, he first drives mad.

Ring-fence the vital services

From: George Appleby, Clifton, York.

IF politicians involve money people in the actual running of basic public services on which the most vulnerable of ordinary people depend, often with no other option, it can only lead to profiteering and suffering for the weakest.

There are basic services which need to be ring-fenced against them and remain as priorities for the public purse, to which we all subscribe except those with the most.

They can supply goods and supplementary services under a strict, well trained central buying department for the best value with open competition. The NHS tops the list of no go areas. Those who want to are free to go private and pay again. That is their choice.

Yesteryear’s jam today

From: Mrs JW Smith, St David’s Road, Otley.

I THOUGHT this may be of interest to some readers.

My husband’s Shipley firm, John Smith’s Jams, closed in 1974. I stockpiled some jars of course and opened the last of them less than a month ago.

It was seedless bramble jelly. There was no crystalisation on the top and no liquid at the last spoonful. The colour and taste were a “wow” factor. I shared a taste with my daughter, then scoffed the lot myself, with no ill-effects at all, save the regret that I had no more.

That jar was filled prior to April 1974 which makes it 37½ years old. Is that a record? No sell by or use by instructions then.

I only wish that my husband were still alive to receive a great cheer for the obvious cleanliness and care they must have shown in its manufacture, of which he was personally in charge.

Challenge this waste

From: Phil Hanson, Beechmount Close, Baildon, Shipley.

HURRAY for a glimmer of common sense to try and ease the congestion we face daily.

However, as a Bradfordian, I would rather see the abolition of the biggest waste of money in years, the two-plus lane off the M606. This is a ridiculous waste and was from its inception. I want to know which clown thought of it and when we are going to get our money back or the extra lane at what is a black spot daily.

Also, the fire control centre that will never be used, can we have it made into a monument to the Labour years of waste (Yorkshire Post, September 20)?

How can we improve the quality of our government if such waste goes unchallenged?