It’s Clegg who needs to face up to reality

From: John Armstrong, Main Street, Stillington, North Yorkshire.

YOU reported that Nick Clegg urged the Chancellor to face up to “economic reality” and raise taxes (Yorkshire Post, September 18).

I find Clegg’s doublespeak intensely frustrating. Workers in Yorkshire paying the basic rate of tax are already paying (counting National Insurance) a third of their wage to the taxman. For higher rate payers, it’s half. For our businesses that do make a profit, almost a quarter goes to the Exchequer.

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But it doesn’t end there – 20 per cent of most of the price of many of our purchases is taxed and for every £50 of petrol I put in my car, £30 goes to Nick. Is he trying to tell me (with a straight face) that more taxation is the solution?

It is Clegg, not the Chancellor, that needs to face up to “economic reality”. High taxation is already directly strangling economic growth by taking money out of workers’ pockets. If the state cannot balance its books on its already bloated take, it needs to curb its expenditure. Unpopular? Maybe.

Economic reality? Yes.

Bloom’s body blow to Ukip

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way Holgate, York.

What a shame that the Ukip conference and leader Nigel Farage’s speech were so diluted by the irresponsible action and words of the Yorkshire and Humber MEP Godfrey Bloom. This silly man opened his mouth and flayed his arms about, before engaging his brain. So many people are now hoping that at long last, via Ukip, this sad nation of ours might get its greatness back. In themselves, what Bloom did and said were not that bad, but the damage to the credibility of the whole party was immense.

In these grim days of political correctness, all politicians should know that their critics and foes are longing for gaffes like Godfrey’s. Hopefully time will be a great healer, and Farage and co can lead us to a far better future.

Family with a proud history

From: Mrs ME Bumby, Rye Court, Helmsley, North Yorkshire.

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I HAVE enjoyed reading the Yorkshire Post most of my married life. I am now 98 years of age and live in sheltered accommodation.

A recent article by Andrew Vine on Arnhem (Yorkshire Post, September 17) was very special. Although I have no personal relation to the story of Arnhem, my father, John Jackson, served in the Great War and died from wounds on November 3, 1918 (he is buried in France).

He was transferred from the Service Corps to a Scottish regiment (Seaforth Highlanders) and his name is recorded in Edinburgh Castle. My younger brother died as a prisoner of war. He contracted typhus from Russian POWs and is buried in Germany.

My husband was at Dunkirk and later fought in North Africa and Italy. My daughter is married to a Dutchman and lives in Holland.

I like the letters page and always enjoy Horace and Doris!

Of mobiles and movies

From: Graham Hall, Micklethwaite, Bingley.

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Two points I would like to comment on: firstly a letter written by Allan Ramsay and secondly the excellent article by Tony Earnshaw (Yorkshire Post, September 16).

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Ramsay on mobile phone usage whilst driving. I find it utterly appalling that so many people have a total disregard for either their own safety or others around them. Certainly penalties should be on a par with drink driving at the very least. Do we have to wait until a major highway disaster occurs where the use of a mobile phone can be proved to have been the cause? Like many people I see so many flouting the law and caring not a jot about the possible consequences of their actions.

Tony Earnshaw wrote a very lucid article about the almost forgotten hero of cinema development and I agree that Louis Le Prince should be honoured in some way – shame on Leeds! May I recommend an excellent book about Louis: The Missing Reel written by Christopher Lawrence, published back in 1990, which gives a highly detailed account of his life. Well worth a read and a must for anyone even slightly interested in the subject of movie history.

Race was on to scoop poop

From: Mrs I M Asquith, Sunnyhill Croft, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield.

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I HAVE been amused by the recent letters written about dog and horse “muck”.

When I was a child, a horse and cart delivered our fresh milk for many years. If the horse obliged and left a pile of digested hay in the road there was a race by the neighbours to spot it and see who could be first to scoop it up and feed their garden with it.

People pay for horse manure but I have never heard of anyone putting dog muck on their roses. Use what is of value while it is there.

Scraping dog dirt off children’s shoes is not a pleasant task but in all my career I have never had to clean a child’s shoes of horse droppings.

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I have kept dogs and horses most of my life and have cleaned up after both. You should see our garden fed by the horse!

Indebted to helping hands

From: Mary Overend, Moor Road, Burley Woodhead, Ilkley.

I WOULD like to say a big thank-you to all the people who helped me last Monday on the beach at Sandsend, near Whitby, when my 40-year-old son had an epileptic fit while climbing up the steps from the beach to the road.

The two ladies who were walking on the beach and the retired nurse and her partner who were on the footpath above all helped to get Tim back up the steps. Thank you also to the lady who ran to the doctor’s surgery (which was closed!).

I could not have managed on my own – thank you so much. Tim made a full recovery.