March 17 Letters: Building the future out of Lego

ALL the major political parties are promising a massive increase in house-building after the General Election, but in the light of the public concerns about immigration, they aren’t saying how these houses will be built.

National recruitment agencies and job centres are not reporting a huge increase in the numbers of UK brick-layers, electricians and plumbers, who will be needed to construct and service this massive programme.

So will the politicians make a concession to Poland, Spain and Portugal and Italy, to allow their tradesmen to come to the United Kingdom to deliver this construction programme?

Perhaps they are proposing CITB Training Centres to be set up in the identified ports of departure so that immigrants will be trained – before they arrive in Hull, Dover, or Liverpool? Personally, I cannot see how such a building volume increase is achievable, without encouraging our own apprentices to take up these trades, with a proper training and career development structure in front of them.

So I propose the Lego Option. Promote the use of Lego amongst all of our children and young teenagers and incentivise the manufactures to produce a Duplo Plus version of the toy. Children can start their homes from an early age and can add extra rooms each birthday and Christmas, when the presents arrive. Changing a room when a baby is due will be made so much more simple and you can just move a section to the end of the garden, when the grandparents want a bit more peace and quiet.

What do you think, David?

From: Peter Asquith-Cowen, First Lane, Anlaby, Nr Beverley.

LORD Baker must be stark, staring crazy to even suggest a Tory-Labour coalition.

Socialism is a counter-balance to Conservatism. His stupid suggestion has two sides. One is to undermine Labour, because he knows if this idea were embraced, the Labour Party would haemorrhage millions of members and self-destruct overnight. It would be signing a “pact with the Devil,” committing political suicide.

This idea of a “grand coalition” has been nipped in the bud with senior Labour figures claiming it was part of a Tory underhand plan to undermine Labour’s prospects in Scotland.

Despite ruling out a coalition, perhaps the best hope for Labour would be an alliance with the SNP. They have kept the torch of core socialist principles alive in Scotland. I, for one, being of Scots ancestry, would vote for this.

Labour needs to edge away from Blairite neo-liberalism, a sell out to Thatcher’s ideas, that betrayed what Labour stands for. To join forces with the SNP would not cause a constitutional crisis in itself, but it could be a knock-out blow to the Tories.

I can see panic in Tory ranks beginning to surface already. This alliance of Labour with the SNP could begin the rebuilding of Britain, putting people before profit, taxing the wealthy pro rata to help maintain the NHS and restore the public sector, and put the brake on the right-wing oppressive policies of this wretched coalition Government, such as the Health And Social Care Act.

I’m in favour of a Labour SNP axis and if given the chance, will vote for it, solidly.

In praise of Clarkson

From: John Watson, Leyburn.

WELL done Bill Carmichael, what you wrote about Jeremy Clarkson needed saying (The Yorkshire Post, March 13).

I am not a fan of his, but 
I like his attitude and he is 
the only person I know of on TV who stands up against the politically- correct crowd at 
the BBC.

A lot of what he has said and done has been absolutely harmless and his “calling a spade a spade” is a refreshing change from all the fellow travellers and yes-men that we have to endure.

From: Richard Billups, East Avenue, Rawmarsh, Rotherham.

JEREMY Clarkson is untouchable as he is in the inner circle of Rupert Murdoch’s clique.

Nobody in this clique has ever been afraid of anything happening to them as Rupert is the most powerful man in the UK. He has picked every Prime Minister since 1979 bar Gordon Brown. They have all relied on his support.

The election polls are a waste of time. If people want to know who will win, consult the man who knows – Rupert Murdoch, king-maker supreme.

From: Arthur Quarmby, Underhill, Holme.

SUCH a pity that the old ways of settling a minor dispute appear to have been forgotten.

If the situation was as has been described (dispute over food; Clarkson throws a punch at producer) – then an independent observer should have stepped forward and required Clarkson to apologise.

He would then have required the producer to accept that apology; the two would then have shaken hands – end of matter.

Don’t fear 
the reaper

From: Hugh Rogers, Ashby.

As anyone who has ever read one of Terry Pratchett’s books will know, Death always spoke 
in upper case (The Yorkshire Post, March 13).

So the report of his untimely death should have read “AT LAST, SIR TERRY. WE MUST WALK TOGETHER”. Goodbye, Sir Terry, we’ll miss you.