Disgrace of aid for police killer Beiber

I HAVE to believe that the legal establishment is getting its kicks out of antagonising the public by putting two fingers up at the public, for how else can the latest legal aid fiasco be interpreted (Yorkshire Post, April 6)?

American David Beiber is serving a minimum sentence of 37 years for shooting Pc Ian Broadhurst in Leeds seven years ago. He shot the policeman once and then cold-bloodedly went up to him as he was lying injured on the ground, and shot him again in the head to kill him.

His appeal is against his classification as a Category A prisoner, which he argues breaches his human rights and amounts to “psychological torture”. He maintains his close supervision by prison officers is unwarranted. He maintains his prison conditions should be made easier and he should have a better life in prison.

Which buffoon decided this appeal was appropriate and civilised; which idiot ruled that the taxpayer should pay the bill? Are those in authority so barmy they feel his grievances are correct? Unbelievable, quite unbelievable.

Heart unit cut doesn’t add up

From: Mrs M Hellawell, Cross Lane, Scarborough.

Regarding the threat to the cardiac care centre at the Leeds children’s hospital, I would ask are the health chiefs who are behind this qualified medical people or business people?

Doesn’t treatment and care cost the same in Leeds as in Newcastle?

Surely the case for keeping the Leeds centre is absolutely essential – the second largest populated area in Britain after London is South and West Yorkshire and East Lancashire.

Then add in all the additional transport costs going to Newcastle, the time lapse for proper treatment, the extra worry for families, the implications for visiting and let’s not forget siblings. who will consequently have one parent missing for lengthy periods.

This proposal is unacceptable.

Euro empire faces collapse

From: Dick Lindley, Altofts, Normanton.

IT was with a mixture of sadness and happiness that I read of the demise of the Portuguese economy (Yorkshire Post, April 7).

Sadness for the people of Portugal but happiness that the ongoing problems in the Eurozone may well be a precursor to the failure of the euro and ultimately to the collapse that great swindle we used to call the Common Market.

Our new rulers in the EU must be filled with despondency and despair because their great vision of a new European Empire, stretching from the Urals to the Atlantic, is teetering on the brink of collapse and we, the British, may at long last be freed from the interfering, unelected bureaucrats in who run the EU.

They probably are not aware that many others have tried to rule over the British and failed and they will also fail, the sooner the better.

Liberalism will endure

From: Don Burslam, Elm Road, Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury.

You can’t open a newspaper nowadays without seeing an article forecasting the most dire catastrophe ever to befall the Lib Dems (Alan McGauley, Yorkshire Post, April 4).

Most of these pieces by “experts” are based on a few recent opinion polls and reading similar efforts elsewhere.

These Cassandra-like prophets of doom actually seem to feed off and reinforce each other.

No-one denies that in the short term the outlook is bleak. I am sure the party elders fully expected this adverse reaction after the cuts forced on the Government by the financial mess.

Similar Biblical-like disasters were predicted for Labour in the 1980s and the Tories after 1997 but lo and behold, they sprang back in due course with unexpected resilience.

Short-sighted commentators (including several academics) should appreciate that our parties are incredibly robust.

Because they represent a coherent and distinctive political philosophy, they are able to endure and survive all the vicissitudes of the electoral cycle.

So it will be with the Lib Dems who are the heir to a long and honourable tradition which, as a matter of fact, pre-dates Labour.

Letwin’s slur on a city

From: C Corbett, Bull Lane, Lawrence Street, York.

I DO not class myself as a “political animal” and am more than willing to give any party or parties a chance, not least the current coalition Government who have been left with a mess to sort out.

However, as your Editorial comment (Yorkshire Post, April 5) pointed out, the remarks made by Tory Minister Oliver Letwin concerning the folk of Sheffield were very misplaced.

Although born, bred and also resident in North Yorkshire (for the last 25 years), I recall my three years in Sheffield with great affection. Economic times were hard in the early 1980s, but the work ethic there was very evident to me and the friendliness of the people to newcomers second to none.

Should the citizens of South Yorkshire wish to take “cheap holidays”, I hope that they will continue to do so in our beautiful northern city of York where we shall make them more than welcome.