Thatcher’s real legacy of damage

YES, to an extent Margaret Thatcher was a giant (Yorkshire Post, July 7). A lesser person would not have sent a Task Force to re-take the Falklands nor have made the stand she did against the unions which had to be defeated by a democratic government even if they had some right on their side (and this applies to the present dispute).

In hindsight however, the unions, and not just the coal miners, were making a stand to get support from the government to protect Britain’s wealth- producing industries.

This support was not forthcoming and the move away from wealth-producing industries like manufacturing to wealth re-distributing activities such as finance, was actually encouraged by Margaret Thatcher.

With the collapse of the finance sector, Britain is now left with too small a manufacturing base to pay its way in the world.

There is talk of re-creating a British high-tech manufacturing sector, preferably British- owned, that could compete with emerging lower tech (though for how long?) low-cost economies but an apprenticeship to turn out a person qualified enough to start learning what is required by such an industry takes five years.

Has Britain got the luxury of having five years to do so and if it has, with it being nearly two generations since apprenticeships practically went out of existence, who is going to do the teaching?

I hope Britain has the time and succeeds. What a legacy.

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

UNLIKE William Snowden, I do not think that Margaret Thatcher was a “political giant” (Yorkshire Post, July 7). For it was under her leadership that unemployment totalled three million for the first time in post-war Britain, a figure seldom reduced if one takes into account those moved to other non-work benefits.

Many places have never really recovered from those days, whether they be former mining towns or places in which the chief employment was deep-water fishing. This helped to destroy whole communities, doing nothing for the hard-working Brits that the Tories profess to admire. For who worked harder and in such dreadful conditions as a miner or trawlerman?

Language of integration

From: Bob Watson, Springfield Road, Baildon, Shipley.

YOUR Editorial (Yorkshire Post, July 7) hit the nail on the head as to why the integration of the immigrant community in Bradford is still not happening anything like as quickly as it should.

The main issue continues to be that far too many appear unwilling to regularly speak English, or to fully embrace British values.

One therefore has to ask why:

Children, and others, born in this country speak with a heavy Asian accent rather than a Yorkshire one?

People, such as taxi drivers, continue to talk amongst themselves in Urdu rather than English?

Council and other literature continues to be provided in other languages, doing nothing to encourage the learning, and speaking, of English?

Free interpreters are provided on so many occasions? If these were fully charged for, there would at least be an incentive to learn English.

It is absolutely vital for the future of all the incoming communities that English is spoken on virtually all occasions both inside and outside the home.

That this is not happening is particularly apparent and, until it changes, proper integration will simply not be achieved.

Going off at a slight tangent, but there is also a perception, rightly or wrongly, through the wearing of Asian dress, that those involved are not really interested in proper integration.

It certainly doesn’t seem to help.

Where did the money go?

From: Trev Bromby, Sculcoates Lane, Hull.

a FEW years ago during Tony Blair’s reign, Geoff Hoon volunteered to take the bullet for £4bn lost/misplaced defence budget funds.

It now appears that another £6.5bn has gone missing. Nobody gets sacked or prosecuted over these “losses”. Why?

Also, under Blairwatch, £20bn was pumped into a black hole for a seemingly mythical NHS IT system. Again, no-one was sacked or criminal charges laid and no public explanation.

The above £30bn plus is just an example of years of incompetence.

The MPs’ expenses scandal is a drop in the ocean compared with misappropriation of billions.

I was prompted to write this letter after getting another “honest John” leaflet through my door from a back-biting councillor telling me how bad the other lot are.

It’s time the toxic triangle – Lib Dem, Labour and Tory – was expunged.

Though a reluctant voter, I will chance a vote for UKIP. That is if there is anything of Britain left after David Cameron has finished borrowing billions to save the world.