PM takes a new holiday from reality

LAST year, I nominated Harriet Harman for crass political quote of the decade: “It’s not part of politics for someone to be telling lies to get themselves elected.” No, it’s the norm.

Giveaway Dave Cameron has started off the new decade with what could be a winner. Commenting on his fourth jaunt since April –“It’s important to relax... or you get fried and make terrible decisions.” On this basis, he should work one week on, one week off.

We’ve no need to panic, he is taking his mobile phone to keep in touch, deciding who to give the £46bn to he’s just “borrowed”.

Their scriptwriters could make a fortune at Edinburgh comedy fringe. As John McEnroe stated with such fervour: “You cannot be serious.”

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Holgate, York

I USUALLY agree with most of what Heather Causnett of Escrick says and writes (Yorkshire Post, August 18), but I disagree entirely when she states that “the more she sees and hears of PM Cameron, the more she likes him”. As far as I am concerned, David Cameron is the worst Conservative PM since 1945, even worse than Edward Heath, and that is saying a great deal.

Cameron has wrecked the Tory Party, changing it almost beyond recognition. He has an army of “wets” as his lieutenants, and he tries to be all things to all people, which is an imposibility. He does not run a democracy, he runs a hypocrisy.

He dare not give the people what 75 per cent of us most desire; a referendum on whether we leave the EU or remain in. His foreign policy is riddled with errors and the failure to learn from mistakes, and his domestic policy is littered with U-turns due to rushed policy-making.

His latest enterprise zones are a throw back to the largely failed 1980s ideas, surely the entire nation should be encouraged and be an enterprise area, not just 11 or 12 zones? He should be modelling our failing nation on the blueprint of the massively successful German model.

Cameron is a disaster. Luckily for him, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens are even worse.

From: John DC Piper, West Burton, Leyburn.

THERE have been some excellent letters from Thomas Jefferson, Jim Beck (Yorkshire Post, August 16) and others regarding the problems that we have in this country.

Without reiterating the many reasons for the malaise in our society which many others have, there is part of the answer in the zero tolerance of Ray Mallon in Middlesbrough.

The European question/referendum is still paramount. At the last election that and the economy were the two questions which I wrote to our MP William Hague about; I voted for him only out of the great respect I have for this man. I felt like voting Ukip and may well do so in future unless the Cons give us a referendum – as promised.

I have well passed my sell by date but still feel very strongly on these matters. If only someone would listen.

Toxic toll of ragwort

From: David L. Lyle, Owmby, Barnetby.

I REFER to Howard Frost’s article (Yorkshire Post, August 13) regarding common ragwort. There should be no “re-thinking the ragwort threat” as your headline suggests.

There are very good reasons, which still apply today, why it was included in the 1959 Injurious Weeds Act requiring all land occupiers to control this poisonous weed – its toxins can be absorbed and permanently retained in the body of any animal, including humans.

Horses succumb to the toxins more easily and more noticeably than other species partly because they are kept on to their more “senior” years where others are slaughtered much younger.

Sheep can become unthrifty and “poor doers” after winter grazing of land where ragwort has died down naturally.

This would also apply to wild animals if they resort to eating ragwort in severe circumstances.

The death of animals is not the whole issue. Ragwort “poisoning” is a slow build up of toxins that affect the liver – not necessarily causing death. It cannot be diagnosed nor treated in the live animal – so most are probably culled because they become unproductive or poor doers. Only a post-mortem will confirm if the liver has been affected by the ragwort toxins.

Ragwort also knows no boundaries. On public open spaces, in gardens, on playing fields and their surrounding areas, I suggest it is or it could become a public health issue as young children will pick the attractive looking flower – and even put it in their mouth – while unsuspecting adults might use the “wild yellow daisy” in a flower arrangement. The toxins can be absorbed through the skin and who can say how that minute trace will affect a person’s health now, or later in life.