July 4: Proof that the North is low on Cameron’s real priorities

WITH the General Election over, the Tory commitments and promises begin to unravel (Tom Richmond, The Yorkshire Post, June 30). The biggest casualty is the binning of the Northern Powerhouse proposals. The deferment of rail electrification projects will leave the north of England’s economy moribund for years.

However David Cameron will not worry too much over this as the people of the North rarely figure in Tory Government considerations. If they did, there would be much needed investment in manufacturing industries.

The decision on rail investment, or lack of, indicates the lengths some politicians will go to in order to deceive the electorate. Having been returned to 10 Downing Street, Mr Cameron’s government cynically announces that there is no money available – something he must have known on the campaign trail when he was shouting loudly about the Northern Powerhouse.

From: Martin Richards, Hunt Court, York.

IT was predictable that with an election out of the way for another five years Conservative promises of better rail services in the North would soon be broken.

Anyone reading the professional railway press in the last year knew serious skills shortages notably in signalling were limiting new rail developments. A pity that Ministers seemed to be ignorant of such matters.

However disappointing for the North, I hope this won’t be the excuse for London-bashing. During my near 40 years in London I saw a steady deterioration of public transport there whilst large sums went on road construction elsewhere in the UK. Anyone who tried using the Underground’s Central Line would know the problems we faced. It’s true that Crossrail is now going ahead but only after many delays.

From: Ian Oglesby, High Cotton Road, Stamford Bridge, York.

I SAW Sir Richard Branson’s interview, as did Mark Casci (The Yorkshire Post, June 29). His huge multi-functional commercial empire dominates his views and there was no mention of the oppressive EU regulations which are stiffling small and medium-sized businesses, where the future prosperity of this country lies. There was also no mention of the desirability of our overcrowded islands being ruled from Westminster but then you would not expect that because he has bought an island on which to live, and as far from the UK as he can get.