Sir Keir would fare no better in virus fight – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

IS it only me who felt disgusted with the self-serving article by Sir Keir Starmer (The Yorkshire Post, May 30) where he would have solved all the coronavirus problems if only he was PM?

He pays no attention to the fact the Chancellor quickly introduced the furlough scheme that saved many jobs in our part of the world, the speed at which the testing strategy grew and the novel ways the Government sought out and distributed PPE after initial stumbles.

He enjoys the comfort of the 20/20 vision of the retrospective. Unfortunately our Government, led by an ill Prime Minister who also had the strain of becoming the father of a newborn, had to manage this unprecedented pandemic on the hoof.

Face it, Sir Keir, I doubt if your party could have done any better.

From: William Rees, Boroughbridge.

I WAS struck by the contrast between the calm, thoughtful and compassionate tone of Bill Carmichael’s column on Dominic Cummings (The Yorkshire Post, May 29) while, on the same page, Tom Richmond presented a sharp contrast, making questionable assertions and apparently having the ability to read the mind of the Prime Minister.

Mr Richmond criticised Boris Johnson for apparently being reluctant to appear in front of the Parliamentary Liaison Committee. All I can say to that is that I watched the session and was not impressed by MPs who, with a limited number of exceptions, wanted to make speeches of their own, designed to appeal to their own supporters, rather than asking the Prime Minister useful questions.

And for Mr Richmond to describe Dominic Cummings as Boris Johnson’s “puppet master” is beyond ridiculous.

From: Robert Taylor, King’s Road, Ilkley.

IN his article “Why Cummings deserves our support”, Bill Carmichael (The Yorkshire Post, May 29) says “many gullible people have been whipped into a frenzy by fake news peddled by some national newspapers” in what he terms “an outpouring of bile and hatred that has brought deep shame on our country”.

Does this condemnation include you, sir, in your leader on Tuesday, May 26, headed “The arrogance of Cummings”?

You criticised him and instanced several aspects of his account which many struggle with, including “that drive to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight”. Interestingly, Bill Carmichael fails to mention this incident, although many have found it hard to reconcile with an overriding desire to protect a vulnerable child.

From: Barry Paterson, Burton Salmon.

THE continued false indignation shown by your Dominic Cummings coverage and letters (The Yorkshire Post, May 30) is just a lingering reaction against Brexit.

Why was no such indignation even mentioned over similar digressions by other MPs and officials? Please refrain from petty bitching over Brexit and get behind your public.

Yorkshire overwhelmingly voted to leave the EU. Let this Government get on with delivering that decision instead of trying to trip it up by making cheap political points at every opportunity.

From: Paul Rouse, Sutton upon Derwent.

WHEN we voted for Boris Johnson en masse, we wanted to get Brexit done and little else mattered.

Since then Covid-19 has turned the world upside down and laid Boris low enough to leave the running of our country in the hands of amateurs.

I am sure he chose a team he felt would be sure footed around Brexit negotiations, but they are out of their depth in the current crisis. His right-hand man could possibly have provided the required steerage but he was to come down with the same infection as his boss, probably because of his boss, and at the same time.

The Prime Minister is back at his desk, but certainly not back to his blustering best and I would guess the last thing he wants now is to lose Dominic Cummings. I, for one, don’t blame him for that.

The people baying for Cummings’s blood should ask if sacking him will help the country – and the answer has to be no.

From: Martin J. Phillips, Tinshill Lane, Leeds.

SINCE police have decided Dominic Cummings broke no rules by driving with a car full of people with coronavirus symptoms – which may have included toilet and petrol stops – it is likely there will be a rush of appeals from other people already fined by the police.

If we are truly “all in this together”, enforcement of the rules should apply equally to all, no matter who the culprit is.

From: Steve Wilson,
Lenton Villas, Bradford.

TUCKED away in Andrew Vine’s piece was another woeful Brexit whine (The Yorkshire Post, May 30).

Yorkshire people will judge Boris Johnson and the rest in due course. We don’t need patronising re-runs of tired old moans.

From: Ted Naisbitt, Thirsk.

I AM not a Conservative, Johnson or Cummings supporter. I often don’t agree with Bill Carmichael (The Yorkshire Post, May 29) but I do on this occasion.

Please do not let us plunge to the depths of US politics and remember, let him/her without sin cast the first stone.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

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Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor