Lib-Lab pact to rule cloud cuckoo land

From: Peter Asquith-Cowen, First Lane, Anlaby, East Yorkshire.

SO Nick Clegg is uncertain what Labour’s policies are or will be (Yorkshire Post, September 19). They are quite clear to me. Labour stands firm and square to protect, uphold and defend the “rights” of ordinary British workers from unfair exploitation by amoral, unprincipled, profit motivated organisations such as big business, bankers and international corporations.

Its purpose is to ensure fair pay, proper conditions of service, union representation in any disputes, protection of workers from bullying tactics by management, and a proper, index-linked pension package for all workers in old age.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I see nothing vague in this. It is fair and equitable. It should oppose the current zero hours employment and oppose low pay. A future Labour government must protect the NHS, and fund it from taxation. Ensure that education is there to serve all the people, and is also properly funded.

There is rising opposition to the £11bn the coalition Government are “giving away” as overseas (foreign) aid, and a policy to channel some of this money back to salvage struggling services here, in Britain, should be of paramount concern.

There must be a drive to create a “living wage” and the abolition of the “minimum wage”.

There is a whole gamut of things I could suggest. However, Nick Clegg, beyond any shadow of doubt, is quite clear what Labour policies will be, he just lacks the courage to admit it. If he thinks there’s a glimmer of hope for a pact with Labour, he’s living in cloud cuckoo land.

From: Allan Davies, Heathfield Court, Grimsby.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

MAY I suggest that those of your contributors who persist in blaming Gordon Brown for our economic woes read the article by your business editor Bernard Ginns (Yorkshire Post, September 17)?

Mr Ginns, after looking at the approaches of several other nations, noted: “It was Britain, under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, that led the way in the Western world with its rescue package for banks.”

Right remedy for NHS ills

From: D Birch, Smithy Lane, Cookridge, Leeds.

THE news is full of complaints from everyone about the NHS and A&E departments. There appears to be insufficient staff and facilities.

Why doesn’t the NHS as the governing body try to separate the patients and the A&E departments and spend the money available in the following ways?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

1. Insist that all our GP surgeries have an 8am to 6pm practice for normal everyday patients and from 6pm to 12pm have one GP and one practice nurse on duty, or available for duty seven days and nights per week.

2. A&E should only in the main be used for what it was meant to do and treat accidents and emergencies and not drunks/bad colds and problems that are not emergencies in the real sense of the word.

3. All the smaller hospitals should have a full daily and a small emergency area for family and medical problems. GPs could refer some of the people to them, if they need an X-ray or something everyday that is not life threatening.

From: Ian Tomlinson, Westbourne Gardens, Garforth, Leeds.

With regard to the problems with the NHS, in my view, instead of throwing more money down the pan the Government should take the bull by the horns, regardless of any controversy and institute savings.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

For example, the NHS should cease giving free treatment to non-UK residents. A&E departments should cease treating drunks and drug-takers, which from personal experience extends waiting time. In addition, if GPs were obliged to work weekends, this would alleviate some of the pressure on A&E.

We should reduce the amount squandered on consultants, who have no medical experience, cut the administrative side to a minimum and leave the running of the NHS in the capable hands of the doctors, surgeons and nurses, who I am sure could do a far better job of curing the NHS efficiently and effectively.

Plan ahead for potash mine

From: Terry Morrell, Prunus Avenue, Willerby, East Yorkshire.

THE North York Moors national park is currently receiving considerable attention from a number of quarters, possibly some from people and organisations who under other circumstances would prefer a more silent dialogue.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Since the proposal by Sirius Mining to set up a potash extraction site within the park, the area has suddenly become very precious, a hot potato.

The scenery, the tourist client, the need to generate local business has become an 
urgent issue.

Yet, the same agencies state that the mining project would ruin the whole of the area.

The creation of at least 1.000 jobs on the mining site, plus considerably more jobs as a spin-off to the work, infrastructure development, business development in a variety of support services, including comestible and housing needs, is significant.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Apart from the visitation of the curious onlookers and relatives of the workers, visitor numbers would expand the tourist numbers and the local (if not the national) economy considerably. In fact, the real problem would be “how to control the expansion to manageable proportions?”

This is where proper planning, using foresight, skill and imagination by officers with genuine public interest could provide a winning situation for everyone concerned.

Of course, we need to protect the broad structure of the park, prevent permanent scarring of the landscape, improve the road network and limit the size of the villages to sensible proportions. But the possibilities for the National Park tourist trade and all concerned are tremendous.