Fair shares, but caution 
on devolution

I AGREE with Ratna Lachman when she says that we expect parity in any future government’s distribution of finances to the regions (The Yorkshire Post, November 7).

I hope I’m not putting words in her mouth, but she also appears to advise a cautionary approach to regional devolution. I would agree with those sentiments, too.

People in all walks of life in the North say they resent the unequal balance between London and the South East and the rest of the country.

Fair enough, yet they seem quite happy for London-based politicians to nominate Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield as the three “super cities” of the North.

Ms Lachman is right to point out that this is incredibly divisive. She is also right to point out that, while Leeds has clearly benefited from the city region concept, Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees have not while the jury is still out on Wakefield.

I recall, not that long ago, the Conservative politician Coun Robert Light, who at the time was leader of Kirklees Council, wondering what benefits Kirklees had got out of being a part of the Leeds City Region.

I believe that we all need to draw breath – things have moved quite quickly since the Prime Minister was scared witless by the mood of the Scottish people towards independence – and think very carefully what this might mean.

As your excellent columnist Jayne Dowle said (The Yorkshire Post, November 10), admittedly in relation to an entirely separate matter: “Be careful what you wish for, because should you get it, you might not have a clue what to do with it.”

Cost of NHS
re-employment

From: Bob Watson, 
Springfield Road, Baildon.

The article (The Yorkshire Post, November 10) concerning a couple who were paid £120,000 for four months work by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust only weeks after they had received redundancy payments totalling £1m from previous health service jobs in the North East made for disturbing reading.

That such people are re-employed in this manner is surely unacceptable.

It would have been nice to have seen a proper justification of their employment from the Leeds NHS Trust, but the only reported comment was that the couple were paid in line with the roles they were fulfilling.

Just what sort of response was that? With so much public money on the line, don’t we all deserve a far better explanation of this costly re-employment?

That there was none is a damning indictment of the way in which too many of these bodies appear to operate.

Control needed
over borders

From: David Cook, Parkside Close, Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

the immigration issue seems to cause so much controversy – but why should it?

Roads are seriously overcrowded. Train fares seem to be geared to keeping as many people as possible away from railways. There is a serious lack of affordable housing – especially for first-time buyers. Hospitals seem overburdened with patient numbers. Unemployment shows a steady high in most places. Where skills shortage exist why not train our own people?

With a constantly rising population, the situation can only get worse. We need fewer, rather than more, people both from the EU and the rest of the world.

We are the most densely populated country in Europe, unable to absorb the numbers that would love to live here.

I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t think we need to have some control over our borders and upon the numbers coming to settle in this country.

David Cameron promises us a referendum in 2017, which is just his way of avoiding the issue. Why not one this year before things get desperate?

Turbines that
aren’t turning

From: Dr J P Whiteley, Stonedale Close, Pool-in-Wharfedale.

driving back home to Yorkshire from Norfolk the other day, a clear crisp sunny day, we passed very many wind turbines.

There were tiny ones powering road signs, small ones in farmers’ fields, big ones all in a row and some humongous ones towering over the landscape.

However, they weren’t turning – no wind, no electricity! Would we be breaking out the candles when we got home?

Luckily, as we neared home, we saw the three sisters Ferrybridge, Eggborough and Drax working away. Leave the candles in the cupboard and put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea – at least for now.

Ukip shunned
at Cenotaph

From: Les Arnott, Athelstan Road, Sheffield.

I WAS truly angered by 
David Cameron’s self-serving obduracy over the matter of naming Ukip peers and that is an anger which I can just about suppress.

However, the shunning of Ukip, winners of the EU elections, for the Cenotaph Remembrance Service by egregiously choosing to rely on out-of-date rules has embittered me.

Should Ukip ever fade into oblivion, I promise you this – no Conservative will ever receive my vote for as long as I walk this planet.