Tony Blair was an innate snob who left students in deep debt – Yorkshire Post Letters

I FULLY agree with the sentiments expressed by Mr Ron Firth (The Yorkshire Post, August 22) – Tony Blair was an innate snob.

He wanted to give the impression that he was keen for the ‘common man’ to better himself by attending university, thus resulting, as your correspondent pointed out, in a generation loaded down by debt as soon as they finished their courses and, in a lot of cases, no jobs to enable them to repay the loans.

As responsible parents, we try to teach our children not to get into debt and it’s very sad that they start their life outside university in a substantial amount of debt. The promise of guaranteed well-paid jobs at the end of their courses was, and still is, a myth.

The length of time some of the courses take could also be shortened dramatically – especially on some of the spurious subjects that are on offer.

It has become abundantly clear during this terrible pandemic that the people who are vital to our wellbeing are not the solicitors, accountants, estate agents, footballers, TV personalities and the like, but the nurses, refuse collectors, shop assistants, social care workers etc.

And I don’t know a poor self-employed plumber, electrician, painter and decorator or carpet fitter etc, do you? These are the jobs that the Government should be encouraging young people to take up. Leave the universities to the true academics who want to study ‘proper’ subjects.

A similar situation arose when Margaret Thatcher encouraged council house tenants to buy their properties. A seemingly noble cause, but now resulting in a dire shortage of affordable housing for people to rent.

I sincerely hope that all students can return to school in safety after a very difficult time for them. It would be helpful if politicians were in the real world rather than in cloud cuckoo land.

No school gate gossip? Why?

From: Brenda Batty, Heworth Hall Drive, Heworth, York.

I CANNOT believe that parents are being urged not to gossip at the school gates. Why on earth not?

As long they follow the social distancing rules, I can find no reason for them not to be able to pass the time of day. For some parents it may be the only time they have the chance to speak to anyone. They could, of course, retire to the nearest coffee shop and put the world to rights.

Our civil liberties are being slowly eroded, and I cannot foresee any time when they will be restored. Communities are being torn apart. Can we please have some uplifting news rather than all the negativity?

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Thank you

James Mitchinson

Editor