Friday's Letters: Voters should not be swayed just by style and looks

We listened to an interesting question time on Radio One. This

consisted of first-time voters questioning Mr Clegg and they tied him in knots. They asked why he bought and furnished a house in Sheffield, charged 1,000 for gardening and 2.50 for a cake tin courtesy of the taxpayer when lots of their friends were struggling to buy their first home. Mr Clegg said he would be paying any profit he made on the house back to the taxpayers.

I have seen David Cameron speak three times and he was eloquent and impressive. He was very nervous, I think, in the first televised debate as he wants to be Prime Minister very much.

Gordon Brown did not perform well. As Neil Kinnock unkindly said, he has a radio face, not good enough really for a Prime Minister. I hope the Conservatives win and people are not swayed by style and looks.

I think if people had listened to the radio programme, they would have lost some of their ardour for Nick Clegg. He was shown to be shallow and without substance by these young people. It is a pity they are not asking the questions in the television debate.

From: Janet Berry, Hambleton, Selby.

From: Terry Duncan, Greame Road, Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

THE newspapers are really getting their knickers in a twist – because Nick Clegg could win the General Election.

And that would leave egg on their faces if their favourites crashed on May 6.

I was a "don't know" until I read the feeble attacks on Mr Clegg.

Now, I am going to vote Liberal Democrat.

From: Max Nottingham, St Faiths Street, Lincoln.

AS a student of politics, I would not mind a hung Parliament. But you can't vote for that outcome. You just have to vote for the party you prefer, and watch the way the cookie crumbles on May 6.

I hope the electors will vote for policies rather than well-suited charm. Leave the charm to babies and fluffy kittens. They do it with sincerity.

From: Ken Duckworth, Littlebeck Drive, Gilstead, Bingley.

REALLY the avuncular Vince Cable has had an easy ride. We should take a closer look. Until 2008, he was an avid exponent of membership of the euro. Following this advice would have been a disaster – ask Greece.

His flagship policy of taking the lowest earners out of income tax is noble but flawed. Raising tax thresholds from 6,500 to 10,000 would not only take the earners of 200 per week out of income tax but also lose them as much in the withdrawal of benefits.

In effect, this 16bn tax cut for the many would only benefit the few 10 per cent of the lowest earners. Most of us would have a tax cut of 700 per annum in a time of massive government debt. Supposedly he would fund much of this with a "Mansion Tax" plus vague assurances on tax evasion.

Does he not know that the poor pay most of their tax in VAT, council tax, excise duty and lottery tickets? This is Alice in Wonderland politics.

From: Raymond Bell, Rantakartanontie, Helsinki, Finland.

I PRESENTLY work as a teacher in Finland. For several times over the past 10 years, Finland has been in the number one position as the least corrupt country in the world. This list is compiled annually by the respected Transparency International.

The UK is currently in the 17th position but because of the MPs'

expenses scandal, cash for questions and lobbying, this years

statistics will certainly show a fall in the UK rating and it will most probably be overtaken by the USA.

The most important issue I consider in deciding on who to vote for is the perceived honesty of the candidates. I want nothing to do with candidates, of any party, who have been tainted with false expenses claims, even if repayments have been made for these fraudulent claims.

I am going to vote Lib Dem in the election because I don't have time to analyse the candidates in my constituency so I am voting on party lines, as the Lib Dems are the only major party which is untainted by corruption.

As an ex-pat Brit, I am not going to ask other readers to vote for my choice of candidate or party. I am going to ask them to vote for the man or woman, who they evaluate as the most honest candidate to serve their constituency and the nation.

The vast majority of British people are honest and hard-working. We are being let down; the country's international reputation is suffering because of the sickening political corruption.

We only get one chance every five years to put the country's house in order. Let's boot out the crooks once and for all. If we don't do this, we'll end up in the same mess as Greece is today.

Youngsters prove good ambassadors

From: Pat Hunter, Headteacher, Rossett School, Harrogate.

I AWOKE to the news about the Icelandic volcanic eruption and wondered how this would affect our Year 8 football/rugby students due to return from Barcelona.

Little did I realise the chaos that would be caused.

In times when people are quick to criticise the behaviour of young people, I would like to sing the praises of the students and staff from Rossett.

Having travelled with only hand luggage, they were faced with the prospect of six further days away from home. They were complimented on their attitude and behaviour in the airport and in the hotel.

The staff were exceptionally resilient in maintaining morale and made sure the students ate well, kept hydrated and were adequately protected from the sun.

Thankfully, the whole group is now home safely. I thank my staff for their resourcefulness in the face of adversity, parents for their understanding and last – but by no means least – our students for being mature and well-behaved ambassadors for Rossett School in trying times.

From: David F Chambers, Sladeburn Drive, Northallerton.

THE Icelandic volcanic eruption is claiming its place in the headlines, despite Rooney's foot and the General Election. My sympathies are with those who opted for air travel, and I suppose, with the airlines and airports affected.

I am further concerned that as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is now presumably going to report an intensification of their perceived greenhouse effect, they do not attempt to blame this on human activity. It's not our fault, for heaven's sake.

From: Ruthven Urqhuart, High Hunsley, Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

WHILE having huge sympathy for all those who are being so dramatically affected by this "volcanic invasion", surely most of us must be somewhat relieved by the fact that this cruel and natural disaster has acted as a wonderful, yet temporary, distraction from the constant, media controlled pre-election "slanging matches" transmitted by both the radio and TV channels?

It's an ill wind, etc, etc!

From: Frank Collins, Forest Hill Road, Holywell Green, Stainland, Halifax.

INSURANCE companies have an exclusion in their policies for "Acts of God" (God's domain). More often than not, this usually applies to storms lightning and heavenly happenings and avalanches, etc.

Volcanoes, however, are sourced from the bowels of the Earth (the Devil's domain). I have not yet seen such an exclusion in any insurance policy. Do we have a claim? You can bet future policies will cover it.

From: Libby Mitchell, Springfield Road, Baildon, Shipley.

I HAD made up my mind to vote for Philip Davies in the election as he has proved himself to be a good constituency MP in Shipley, but I have been saddened and dismayed in the last few days to hear both Conservatives, Lib Dems and all the others knock hell out of the Government over the "volcano situation" for their own political gain.

Surely, if there was ever a time for all of us to band together to help stranded travellers in far distant places to return safely home, then this was it?

At nearly 81, I never thought I would ever hear myself say this but "Oh for a return to old- fashioned values and loyalties".

Neglect of manufacturing reflects badly on politicians

From: GC Wilson, Forest Crescent, Harrogate.

AS someone who has been involved in applying automation to both industrial processes and machinery, I very much endorse the advice given by Mike Saunders, the managing director of Pegler Yorkshire, on the need for British manufacturers to invest in automated facilities (Yorkshire Post, April 15).

I entered this industry in about 1980 when British industry was just beginning to wake up to the fact that the world did not owe them a living.

In the following years, much of our manufacturing industry disappeared due to the failure to invest in automation and also the failure of management and trade unions to see the consequences of their head in the sand policies.

In addition, the financial institutions began to believe that they

could apparently make more money by developing an incestuous

relationship whereby they increased the velocity at which money circulated among themselves.

Those companies who did invest, often after management buyouts, managed to significantly increase their turnover with a smaller workforce than before.

This aspect did initially trouble me as I thought I was in the business of putting people out of work. However the alternative, no work at all, was even harder to contemplate.

In many cases, the resulting increase in turnover created more jobs after a time, though never at the level seen before.

The neglect of manufacturing is, I am sure, a reflection of the lack of experience of politicians of all parties of what might be termed proper jobs. Many of them have no experience of the efforts needed to meet a price, a specification or a delivery deadline, but instead many have been political researchers where there are no wrong answers.

A further point, which again seems to have been neglected in the rush to increase the number of young people attending universities, is the dire lack of training for those who will be required to replace an ageing group of highly skilled fitters without whom the cleverest automation systems cannot be developed.

There are successful companies in the UK who are leading the way in niche markets but whose efforts are only paid lip service by politicians. We could considerably increase our manufacturing base but it will have to be tackled in a well thought out way by people who know manufacturing and are not simply bean counters or politicians.

Truths about Catholic priests

From: B Murray, Halifax Road, Sheffield.

THANK you to Father Neil McNicholas for such an accurate picture of Catholic priests (Yorkshire Post, April 14).

I have been a Roman Catholic all my life, met many priests and have never seen one who is not caring, honest and trustworthy.

I hope that the comments will be accepted by the media who have given a very distorted picture of the real situation.

Mail surrender

From: AG Marsden, Pledwick Lane, Sandal, Wakefield.

WE all know how the Government has run down the Post Office in recent years, and the EU has forced us to open the Royal Mail to competition, but I received the other day a letter from NS&I, a government department, sent not by Royal Mail but TNT.

Bring on the clowns.

Hero or villain?

From: G Ellison, Hawthorne Avenue, Dronfield.

ENOCH Powell was one of the Tory ministers in the 1950s who encouraged mass immigration from the West Indies with the same old lame excuse that we needed workers.

He made his "rivers of blood" speech in the late 1960s to embarrass Ted Heath when in opposition. Powell was no "hero" to the British people.