Miliband’s blunder on EU poll

SO, the Labour Party is to offer us a referendum only if even more powers are given to the EU (The Yorkshire Post, March 13).

Apparently all the power already handed over to the EU doesn’t count with Ed Miliband, even though, under our constitution, sovereignty belongs to the British people and not to the political establishment.

However, it is clear that Mr Miliband hasn’t the first idea how the EU works. If he had bothered to read the treaties, right from the beginning the critical clause has been “ever closer union”. The reality is that the EU is forever voraciously swallowing the rights, liberties, powers and sovereignty acquired from its captive nation states.

And thus, if Mr Miliband is to actually honour his commitment, we will get a referendum from him quicker than we would from David Cameron. Somehow, I don’t think that is his intention. So this ill considered announcement may be Mr Miliband’s “cast iron” moment.

From: David W. Wright, Uppleby, Easingwold.

ONE of your recent Question of the Day polls confirmed the view held by the majority of people nationwide that the current Lib Dem and Conservative coalition is not good for the country, particularly with the ongoing unresolved question of in or out of the EU.

The recent rantings of Nick Clegg and Vince Cable are simply showing that the true allegiances of the Lib Dem must lie with Miliband and Co, but Cameron is not blameless as he continues to deny the electorate an urgent referendum and is himself tarnished with Liberal tendencies.

Is it any wonder, then, that the rise of Ukip is unquestionable and indicative of the UK’s distrust and disillusionment with the three main political parties?

From: Mr V Platt,
Hereford Court, Harrogate.

GOOD on David Cameron. When Environment Agency (EA) chief Owen Paterson has completed his recommendations on how to prevent future flooding in Britain and these have been approved by David Cameron, the British Government then has to submit them to Brussels and ask their permission to implement them.

It’s going to be really tough getting the other 27 governments of the EU to repeal EU Directive 2000 Nature (2000 Nature is the order that Britain has to allow and encourage flooding in certain areas of Britain in order to establish wildlife habitats).

Yes, David Cameron, you are going to need all your powers of persuasion to win this one. Go on, show us and them what you are made of. Don’t let them push us around and good luck in your endeavours.

Grandma needs her own space

From: Diana M Priestley, Fixby Road, Huddersfield.

I AM amazed to read H Marjorie Gill’s letter “Families must care for Gran” (The Yorkshire Post, March 10).

As a teenager, I was appalled by the thought of having my Grandma, whom I heartily disliked, to live at our modest house.

In those years when I needed my room to study, it would have been an unforgivable intrusion. Also, the strain on my mother would have been intolerable because, when young and old clash, it is the person in the middle who suffers.

I was lucky – other arrangements were made, but I have a friend who, more than 50 years later, still deeply resents the way she was squashed into a corner, and her mother bullied, by a grandmother who moved in with them.

Now, I am Gran and my daughter has two children and a professional job. Would I like to go there? No! The hectic, happy, noisy world that they inhabit is lovely for a visit, but oh, the relief of crawling back home!

Many things have deteriorated in my lifetime, but the recognition that people need their own space is, to me, a considerable improvement.

Creeping threat of illiteracy

From: Bob Crowther, High Street, Crigglestone, Wakefield.

YORKSHIRE is, once again, is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, namely the failure of our schoolchildren to achieve literacy targets 
(The Yorkshire Post, March 
10).

I am afraid that this has just not suddenly exploded upon the scene but has been slowly creeping up upon us for the past few years.

People in government and local education must have recognised that this was an incident waiting to happen.

All due respect to your paper for publicising the fact and launching a campaign in an attempt to quell the tide, but as stated, this should have been foreseen

In my humble opinion, the explanation for this disgraceful state of affairs lies in the fact that first, there has been an unsuitable teaching curriculum in place.

Secondly, the standard of teaching has been below acceptable levels and thirdly a very high percentage of pupils do not have English as their first language.

My sympathies lie with the teachers who are trying their utmost to overcome the above problems, which, I am afraid, will only intensify.