Former Speaker Betty Boothroyd out of order over ‘waffling’ Ministers

I HAVE always been a great admirer of Baroness Betty Boothroyd and was very pleased when she was honoured.

However, I was appalled that she used the nation’s hero, Captain Tom Moore, to try to score a political point and denigrate the Government (The Yorkshire Post, April 21).

Baroness Boothroyd does not say what these ‘lesser problems’ are, with which the Government is supposed to have busied itself.

All I have seen is the Goverment trying to deal with an unprecedented situation which has engulfed the whole world. Things have not always gone to plan – how could they when the factors at play have been virtually unknown? – and “hindsight is a wonderful thing”.

Perhaps, however, hindsight is what is needed now, not for the current problems but for the last time we were engulfed in a life-threatening situation i.e. the Second World War. At that time politicians of all colours worked together and did not criticise each other – antagonistic comments are bound to make people worry even more in a crisis. What we really need now is support for all those doing their best to deal with this dreadful virus – the analysis of where things might have been dealt with differently can come later, in a positive way, to inform actions in any future emergencies.

From: Dr John D Rayner, North Ferriby.

IN the face of continuing reports of problems with supply of PPE to hospitals and other carers and key workers around the country, the Government tiresomely protests again and again that it is working very hard to address the challenges presented by coronavirus.

As a recently retired lecturer, I have to say these protestations remind me of those weaker students who, on receiving a disappointing grade for their efforts with a problem, complain that they really deserve a better mark as they spent so very many hours on their work.

I say to the Government, as I said to my students, that the level of effort is not what matters, it’s the result you produce that earns the reward.

From: Aled Jones, Southcliffe Road, Bridlington.

ONE glorious day soon, Britain will pull through the Covid-19 crisis and, when that historic day comes, it’ll be the brilliant NHS and social care professionals we have to thank.

Nevertheless, I simply can’t help thinking that the monumental double standards of those in so-called authority may also be remembered in legend.

I mean, if it is okay for Londoners and the police to huddle together on Westminster Bridge for a clapping party, thereby starkly breaking social distancing rules, why isn’t it just as okay for distraught people to visit their frightened loved ones in hospitals and care homes?

From: Kevin Dodd, Robin Lane, Hemsworth, Nr Pontefract.

FURTHER to the letter suggesting public sector pay cuts (The Yorkshire Post, April 21), I would contend it is a very sweeping statement.

The issue of redirection of surplus employees, public and private sector, to more meaningful roles is more crucial than pay cuts. Look at Turkey where public sector workers have been retrained to produce PPE. It has to be remembered private sector work for profit where as the public sector provide service.

However, in the current dilemma over adequate PPE in the UK, I am not sure how anybody can continue to provide a service and remain safe.

The private sector were given no notice over closures, which would indicate a knee-jerk reaction. On the other hand I am aware, through adapting or a different way of working, some private firms have increased their business, reduced operating costs and employing more people.

It’s going to be a game of two halves and the analytics need to remain in a sealed box until the final whistle blows.

From: David West, Bay Crescent, Filey.

I USED to watch the daily briefings but got tired of the journalists asking the same questions day after day about

PPE (Jayne Dowle, The Yorkshire Post, April 23).

The Government should be challenged and questioned, but these are not questions of policy. They are questions of logistics and sorting supply problems.

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