Remember those who fought to vote

WHENEVER I see a letter or hear some person use the expression “to vote or not to vote” as in Mr GHD Duffett’s letter (The Yorkshire Post, December 31), my mind always turns to our history of living in this precious hard-won democracy that we all treasure and why every citizen must always use his or her vote.

Just think firstly about the young suffragettes, shackled to iron prison beds, brutally being force fed with hose pipes, just for daring to ask to live in a democratic country. All over the world, people have fought and died for the right to vote.

One image that should shock everyone was the student standing facing a line of battle tanks in Tiananmen Square, where hundreds were killed.

One must also keep in mind the struggles of the brave people of South Africa to create a democracy, thousands upon thousands of them walking in bare feet for hundreds of miles just to create the sacred democratic nation.

Please do not lose what we have gained, because we would do so at our peril.

From: Robert Reynolds, West Bank, Batley, West Yorkshire.

THE latest Tory campaign, showing a road through green pastures stating “let’s stay on the road to a stronger economy”, is laughable in so many ways (The Yorkshire Post, January 3).

First, the original picture was taken in Germany, showing a broken up road. Obviously the broken road highlights Tory vandalism of public services, but German countryside! Is this a coded message? Union with Germany perhaps?

As for the “kaput” British economy, Cameron claims more jobs have been created. The Tories have created poverty jobs, some previously being college apprenticeships. Debt is at an all time high. More austerity threatens. A Minsky moment beckons.

Then we have Mr Cameron himself, who I have always believed to be unsuited for the job. In 2010 he gave a speech stating the UK should use every opportunity to trade with Russia, despite President Putin having already invaded and murdered his way through two independent countries.

Then, after Russia’s incursions into Ukraine, that foreign policy changed 180 degrees.

Clearly Mr Cameron is a visionless untalented oaf, but who else should get our vote?

From: Hugh Rogers, Ashby, Scunthorpe.

THE Labour Party says that under the Tories, the NHS as we know it, will be unrecognisable.

Good. The sooner this huge, villainously expensive, massively inefficient and overblown bureaucracy becomes a thing of the past, the better. Then maybe we can set up a sleek, modern, cost-effective health service which will be the envy of the world. But that will only happen under a Conservative administration. The Labour Party is still trying to pump up a leaking inflatable dinosaur.

From: Max Nottingham, St Faith’s Street, Lincoln.

THERE are 600 food banks which shows the extent of poverty in our country. I splashed out at Christmas and gave £300 to food banks split between 15 areas. It encourages organisers to be told they are doing a great job.

From: Trev Bromby, Hull.

WHAT a great year 2014 was for us plebs! Mysterious, faceless, nameless bodies fined banks, airlines and power companies hundreds of millions of pounds for daring to overcharge us with a variety of ruses.

Due to inept contractors causing rail chaos over Christmas 2014, the railways are going to be fined millions of pounds.

Wait a minute. In anticipation of being fined, the rail network has hiked up ticket prices. Banks give us no interest on our paltry savings, airlines introduce surcharges, power companies increase the dubious “standing charge”.

It seems to me that the good old plebs are paying the fines imposed on these fat cats, in the meantime they are enjoying pay rises and massive bonuses.

For the uninitiated, the dictionary definition of “bonus” is as follows: a sum of money added to a person’s wages for good performance..

Ah well! Back to the food banks and the pawn shop.

Not at home in Yorkshire

From: Stephen Nixon, Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield.

I ENJOYED the 2014 regional quiz, but was a little surprised to find that Chatsworth House was now a “Yorkshire stately home”. I think our friends in Derbyshire might have something to say about that. Happy New Year to all your staff. The Yorkshire Post is still the best read around.

Safety worry over shoot

From: J Wing, Filey

I REFER to the photograph on page two (The Yorkshire Post, December 29) entitled “Shooting Party”. I have been involved from childhood in all types of country sports. Safety was always drilled into me.

I was somewhat surprised therefore to see a gentleman on a formal shoot, shotgun under his arm and a large dog which appears to be attached by a lead to his body. My experience, in over 60 years of dogs is no matter how well trained they are, they can be distracted and run off.