March 17 Letters: Defence of the realm should be a priority for politicians

RECENT reports highlighted that an unidentified submarine was lurking just off the coast of Scotland and the UK lacked essential resources to react to this potential threat. Indeed, allies had to send planes from as far away as France, America and Canada just so we could search our own coast.

If we ever did face a real threat, I highly doubt resources could be moved from Canada quickly enough to do anything but assess the damage. The world is an uncertain place, with powerful nations and organisations pursing aggressive agendas. We need to be able to defend our borders, coasts and airspace at all times. The threat may be remote, but we must be prepared. Ukip is the only party which wants strong defences and a total avoidance of meddling in other people’s wars.

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield

Owing to the demise of Nick Clegg’s party, another Conservative-Lib-Dem coalition is unlikely so I would settle for a Conservative-Labour alliance.

The possibility of a coalition led by Labour, aided and abetted by the Scottish National Party, whose fiscal policy seems to be based on the Greek School of Economics, fills me with terror.

From: Terry Palmer, South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley.

NIGEL Farage, yet again, has upset David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband by daring to tell the truth by suggesting that he believes that British workers should have preference when it comes to British jobs. It was okay when Miliband said it (The Yorkshire Post, March 13), but now all of sudden it’s become racist.

From: David Craggs, Shafton Gate, Goldthorpe, Rotherham.

I WAS disappointed, then rather annoyed that Anne McIntosh has decided not to stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming Thirsk and Malton election because, according to her she doesn’t want to weaken the chances of the Conservatives holding the seat – loyalty to the very party who showed no loyalty to her. She talks about losing friends if she decided to stand, but where was their support when she needed it?

As I understand it, the rules would not allow her to stand as an “independent conservative”, but she could stand as a independent who openly declared that she was prepared to support the Tory manifesto (The Yorkshire Post, March 14).