Friday's Letters: We must give this pact the chance to succeed

John Redwood and Chris Huhne have spoken very sensibly, and in a non-confrontational manner, about several of the major problems facing Britain, and about their possible stumbling block issues on policy.

If the coalition can continue in this way, as it so successfully does in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and New Zealand, our future could be so much better.

It is a shame that so many in the media are very anti-Conservative and very much pro-Left wing, that they are already writing off this new coalition as a failure and doomed.

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Acomb, York.

From: Philip Smith, New Walk, Beverley, East Yorkshire.

AT last reason and pragmatism have triumphed and with a new coalition Government we have moved from the politics of conflict to the politics of co-operation.

Now the critics of Nick Clegg, as being someone of style but no substance, will see that there is indeed a great deal of substance in Liberal Democrat policies.

Otherwise why would the Tories have been willing to enter into a full coalition – with Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister? Those who criticised Mr Clegg for speaking to Labour at the same time as the Tories fail to realise that this was the best use of everyone's time – including ours – the electorate. It was far better to spend four days getting it right than no days getting it wrong.

From: David McKenna, Hall Gardens, Rawcliffe, Goole.

THE blame game has already begun. Yet it would appear from some of your correspondents that this is not so, that the "voice of the people" has spoken and the decision has been made.

The calculation that 10 million votes is more than six million plus eight million is lost on me, but it is reminiscent of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza's comment: "Indeed you won the elections, but I won the count."

The majority of your contributors (Yorkshire Post, May 12) seem to be quite clear that the Conservative Party "won" the election. I contend, however, that no one party fulfilled the wishes of the people since not one of us is aware of how problems are going to be tackled, even though all parties claimed to have "clear" plans. An immediate re-election is necessary to complete the process.

The real fault in this latest scrabble for votes lies with Labour ministers such as Ed Balls who, fearing a loss of his position, urged the electorate to vote Liberal Democrat in order to "keep the Tories out".

Couple this with the TV debates and the so-called "Nick Clegg bounce" and it is easy to see how the electorate, apart from the diehards on either of the two political parties, were suckered into thinking that there would actually be a "vote for change".

From: E Wright, Lidgett, Oakworth.

REGARDING whether Nick Clegg's credibility has been damaged by all the negotiations, I would say that it has. As Bernard Ingham said recently "he has no concept of honour, merely of opportunism".

From: Paul Newham, Vicarage Street, Kirkstall, Leeds.

BERNARD Ingham's response to the election (Yorkshire Post, May 12) had me laughing out loud. To borrow his football metaphor, Sir Bernard is that fan who sits week in, week out in the same seat in the stand, hurling a tirade of abuse at the players, the manager, the chairman, the ball boys, the tea lady and his fellow fans, lamenting like a painfully stuck record about how they don't play proper like they did in his day?

The world has moved on, Sir Bernard – no one plays the turgid, lumpen, brow-beating guff you clearly favour any more.

From: M Smith, Brendon Drive, Huddersfield.

AS might be expected, Bernard Dineen succinctly sums up our future prospects in the wake of the General Election (Yorkshire Post, May 10).

While we still have soldiers being killed on a daily basis in Afghanistan and an eye-watering economic crisis, the outcome of the election might have been an opportunity for real statesmanship.

Surely the two main contentious issues between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives, those of electoral reform and Europe are a low priority compared to the other two.

The Conservatives have conceded a referendum on electoral reform and it might be thought the Lib Dem leaders could have taken a more pragmatic approach to other dogmatic policy issues until some inroads have been made into the priorities.

Instead of that, the Lib Dem leaders dithered about deciding which way to jump while our economic Rome burns. When the full impact of the fiscal measures and their consequences necessary to restore our economic stability is felt, it is almost certain there will be another election in the very near future.

The electorate would do well to remember which party dithers when hard and swift decisions need taking.

From: William Snowden, Butterbowl Gardens, Farnley Ring Road, Leeds.

EDWARD McMillan-Scott's chameleonic conversion from Conservatism to "Liberalism" (Yorkshire Post, May 11) was clearly ideologically driven: he believes in the centralising edicts of the European Project. I do not.

Politicians like Mr McMillan-Scott piously profess to be democrats and yet consistently deny people the right to a referendum.

The founding fathers of the European Project, recognised that their desire to establish a federal Europe would be thwarted by the people. They thus adopted a gradualist approach in which their ultimate

ambition would be achieved by stealth.

Each successive treaty, concocted by Europe's political establishment, and without the consent of the people, has represented an incremental step of the path to a United States of Europe.

Under such an amorphous system, Britain would be reduced to a jigsaw of vassal regions, each of which would owe ultimate fealty to the Great Power.

That is not democracy, Mr McMillan-Scott; it is the antithesis of democracy.

From: Allan Davies, Heathfield Court, Grimsby.

DAI Woosnam (Yorkshire Post, May, 10) overlooks the fact that the federal structure in the United States is very different from the UK's parliamentary system. It has three tiers – the federal government in Washington, the 50 states' governments, and the third tier which is closer to local government in Britain.

The central government and the states each have a set of responsibility which together cover those of the Westminster parliament.

I do not know how many elected members the 50 states have, each with its own governor, but when these are taken into account, the picture which emerges will be very different from that which Mr Woosnam paints.

Flaw in argument over high council staff salaries

From: Peter Bricklebank, Mill Lane, Foston-on-the-Wolds.

THE East Riding Council's very high pension payment to a senior staff member has angered many people and rightly so.

One of the reasons often expressed is that the high payments are necessary in order to attract the very best people.

Most people running businesses have by hard work and skill to generate sales income in order to maintain the resources to support a successful continuance of the business.

The council executives, by comparison, have no real worries to generate income.

They have an automatic list of customers who have no alternative but to pay whatever the council demands. When costs go up, they impose their balancing price increase and the public have no choice but to pay it.

As a result of not having to strive for customers, it follows that the job of running the council does not require all the skills of many business executives striving to run their enterprises in these difficult times.

Any claim that the council has to pay very highly to obtain the best people is a false one. In fact, one wonders what is their real motive when they appear to sit in secrecy and decide how they should

remunerate themselves?

New image is a perfect fit

From: Bill Marsden, Tempest Avenue, Darfield, Barnsley.

RE Ian McMillan's column (Yorkshire Post, April 27), the mystery solved, troubled spirits quietened in The Avenue, the pit-time groanings and wheezing have invoked thoughts of spirits past.

Is it the ghost of the Houghton Main winding gear, or the early morning Devonian zooming along from Glasgow to the south coast, as it puffs along the track in the valley pit bottoms?

Could it be the re-awakening of the 1947 Low Valley "ghost" that has found its way to the top of Darfield?

Courtesy of the Yorkshire Post, it's that dapper little fella in his dressing gown doing his early morning workout before setting off on his early morning strut around the village. Gone is the Hawaiian 5-0 "tent" shirt, replaced by a new outfit to suit the sylph-like figure as he steps out, as if from the pages of the Next catalogue. We now realise the plastic carrier must contain his "power" drink, not the hard stuff.

Well done, Ian, the new image suits you.

Roadside art not a distraction

From: Mrs D Whitaker, Godfrey Road, Halifax.

I REFER to the article (Yorkshire Post, May 10) relating to the roadside artwork. I should have thought that Bradfield Parish Council would be proud to have such a talented sculptor in their midst.

I can't see why his work, entitled Remorse, is said to be a distraction to traffic, anymore than a road sign featuring half a dozen

destinations would be.

To my mind, these figures are really beautiful works of art and truly depict what they are supposed to do, unlike some of those

ridiculous "creations" entered for the Turner Prize under the heading "art". I often think Turner would turn in his grave if he knew.

Excellent work, Andrew Vickers, and I hope your work becomes accepted and valued for what it is.