Tuesday's Letters: Democracy loses as our MPs are out for their own gain

He has now given five pledges and commented that he and the Labour Party will work selflessly for the electorate and not self-interest. Wasn't he in charge of the finances when all the expenses cheating was happening? Didn't he have to pay back 6,000 for claiming for his brother's cleaning bill? Haven't they been in office for13 years? What have they been doing apart from taxing and spending?

Now we have his previously hated enemy Peter Mandelson, ennobled and in charge of everything and talk of his nemesis Tony Blair coming back to help him in the election campaign. So, when the campaign starts in earnest, the top three campaigners running for the Labour Party will be non-elected to their posts. This is democracy as seen by this

Government.

These are reputed to be his own words when discussing Tony Blair: "I'll

never trust a word that man says again."

This Government has seen the gap between the richest and poorest widen, savers punished while spendthrifts flourish, the country's debt

expanded to unbelievable proportions, the doors to mass immigration opened to recruit more voters – the list is endless. They are basically a bunch of incompetents.

The Conservatives may have their problems, but their philosophy is one of small government and self-reliance, not a bloated bureaucracy and a nanny state. They are the only party to suggest that the number of MPs should be cut.

My only complaint is that they suggest a hundred fewer, whereas I think that halving the current number would increase efficiency, save at

least 60m per year and ensure that the remainder are focused on helping the country rather than themselves.

From: Geoff Sweeting, Station Road, Wressle, Selby.

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

THANK heaven for Dispatches, the TV investigative journal which gave us an awful glimpse of politicians off their guard. Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt, Geoff Hoon and a Tory whose name escapes me but who bragged that he was due to enter the House of Lords were so steeped in smugness and vanity that they hadn't a clue that they were being set up. Nor could they have guessed how puerile they appeared.

Byers's solecism "between you and I" befitted a man who thinks he is much better than he really is. Watching the egregious Hewitt I recalled that this was the woman who thought Harrogate was a seaside resort.

Disappointingly, Hoon did not display the same blithe unawareness of detail which are the tell-tale signs of mediocrity – like Nick Clegg not knowing what the state pension was – but his self-absorption was excruciating. As for the Tory whose name escapes me but was due to enter the Upper Chamber; well, he isn't now.

The programme's great achievement was not to expose a dubious system but to ridicule the contemptible individuals who seek to exploit it.

From: Alan Chapman, Beck Lane, Bingley.

LABOUR suspends cash-for-influence MPs, as exposed by the article from David Heath (Yorkshire Post, March 24) in which he portrays his Lib Dem Party as the clean up "gang".

Does this include full revelation of the publicly- funded expenses drawn by his leader Nick Clegg for the duration he was an MEP?

Indeed, the four Labour MPs suspended well fit the term "Champagne socialists". They claim to have done nothing wrong as they were doing what comes naturally; no recession for them. Perhaps it is time to rename Labour – The Pirate Party? On reflection perhaps too late? In reality, this is the tip of the iceberg; considering their old boss Tony Blair is making his fortune peddling his contacts. These innocents are just following in their master's footsteps.

Labour MPs are an extraordinary bunch. They try to present themselves as working for the disadvantaged, but, in fact, they expend their personal efforts in getting their own snouts in the trough.

From: Terry Duncan, Greame Road, Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

How can we vote for a Prime Minister who has a poor memory?

Gordon Brown seems to have forgotten he cut, twice, the funding for our troops but later admitted it after being reminded by the media.

Schools are failing the less able

From: J Jones, Old Lane, Bramhope, Leeds.

IN your education column (Yorkshire Post, March 23) your reporter is regretting the lack of state pupils getting in to Oxford.

We should admit comprehension is not the answer, not only are the less able pulling the results down, schools are failing the less able.

My grandchildren attend the large local school. There is nowhere secure to hang their coats, so in the snow they had to carry their wet coats

all day. No lockers to store books, so they have to be carried round school all day, moving from one classroom to another.

At my grammar school we had a base classroom, where the teacher came to

us, unless we were in a lab or gym. We had locked desks for our books.

One of my grandchildren is less able but a well-behaved girl who wants to learn, but she has been put with the ones who don't want to learn. One would hope that teachers could differentiate and place the child where they would do best.

I understand some of the less able are entered for numerous subjects in exams to boost figures. This makes them rebel, miss school and can only wait till they can leave, whereas they should be able to enjoy

woodwork, biology, dressmaking and cooking. After all, we all eat every day.

Common sense seems to be lacking in education, as elsewhere.

Waste of NHS cash

From: Barry Foster, Manor Cottages, High Stakesby, Whitby.

THE other morning through the post, I and five other members of my family each received a communication from the North Yorkshire and York NHS advising of the NHS summary care record shortly to be introduced.

The letter was signed by Jayne Brown, the chief executive, receiving no doubt a substantial salary. Well, I would have thought she and her minions could have discovered a far cheaper way to inform patients – a newspaper or TV advertisement – or is that too easy?

At the same time, one reads of patients being denied treatment because of lack of funds.

If also you happen to live in the town of Whitby, it is to be noted the serious decline of hospital services for the area.

From: John Watson, Hutton Hill, Leyburn.

I wonder how many civil servants are employed to notify my wife and I that, on reaching the age of 80, we are going to be paid an extra 25p a week on top of our pension?

Who is responsible for this? Are we honestly paying people to send out this rubbish to pensioners, approaching 80, most of whom regard it as

an insult?

This flies in the face of Government intentions to increase efficiency and cut down on red tape.

There is a discussion going on at the moment comparing public sector pay with that of the private sector.

This episode confirms to me that we must have a glut of civil servants doing non-jobs.

Blowing in the wind

From: David F Chambers, Sladeburn Drive, Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

YOUR lead article (Yorkshire Post, March 16) welcomed the possibility of 10,000 jobs on the south bank of the Humber, for the production of wind turbines.

I think we are all by now aware of the vast expense and dismal performance of these symbolic contraptions. Fewer perhaps are aware that within a few years we shall lose 40 per cent of our electricity generating facility when our ageing power stations are closed down by order from Brussels.

Surely the 10,000 should be offered proper jobs in the replacement of our proven nuclear power stations in order to minimise the looming gap in electricity supply?

The present proposals seem to be aimed to some extent at improving the employment figures. What will be the effect on jobs of several years of power cuts? Why do we hear so little about the Danes, who plunged into wind turbines, encountered the obvious problems and are now concentrating on conventional power stations?

We should similarly proceed in a conventional, common-sense fashion for a while, until the global warming scare has blown over. Jobs might then be found in the dismantling of wind turbines, restoring our countryside and easing navigation for shipping.

Gay agenda being forced on Catholic charity

From: Andrew Charles, Park Drive, Horsforth, Leeds.

I FEEL I must respond to Brian Sheridan's letter (Yorkshire Post, March 18) regarding the ruling that Catholic Care has seized on a loophole so as not to place children being placed with homosexual couples as being hypocritical. No such hypocrisy has, as far as I can see it, taken place.

The magnificent work undertaken by Catholic Care in respect of

vulnerable children was greatly at risk as a result of the 2007 Equality Act and the use of that Act by groups for a good spot of Catholic bashing.

As Catholics you are taught that every human being regardless of sexuality, creed or colour is made as an image of God's likeness and is therefore sacred in that likeness. Equally, as part of the Catholic faith, the proper place for children to be raised is deemed to be as an image of the Holy Family, the Virgin Mary, St Joseph and God's Son, Jesus Christ.

A gay agenda being forced on those who do not agree is hardly tolerant and the best position would be allowing for a tolerance to be provided to Catholic Care to allow them to continue their widely- recognised good work.

Catholic Care has been forced to protect itself to allow that work to continue. Is Mr Sheridan seriously suggesting that the lives of the children so transformed because of the care shown should be in future extinguished because of the agenda of others? I am not aware that Catholic Care has condemned any individual for being gay but merely wishes to be allowed to continue in their good work. It is unfortunate that they have had to use the law to protect themselves.

Musician's legacy lives on

From: Basil Smith, Southfield Holmfirth Road, New Mill, Holmfirth.

MAY I endorse Ian McMillan's eulogy to Holin Hammerton (Yorkshire Post, March 23).

My granddaughter, Abigail, started her musical interest by learning to play the flute in primary school.

On moving up to Darton High School, Barnsley, she soon came to the attention of Holin Hammerton. He quickly saw the potential of filling another chair in his "Big Band" and soon had her playing a saxophone.

She goes to practise in Darfield every Thursday, plays in the regular monthly concert at the Ardsley House Hotel and went on visits to Filey

and Cornwall.

As a 14-year-old, she has had experiences with her musical friends which will stay with her for life.

"To live on in the hearts of those you leave behind is not to die." This is the true legacy of Holin Hammerton. He will be remembered in musical circles throughout South Yorkshire for a very long time. The

music must go on and someone must be found to take up the baton.

From: Glyn Gibson, Great North Road, Woodlands, Doncaster.

I WOULD like to congratulate Ian McMillan on his article. He described perfectly Holin Hammerton, a truly special gentleman who will be sadly missed.

I only knew him for a short time a few years ago when some friends and I were able to sing in his choir at the chapel in Darfield, a lovely experience and a treasured memory. The honours system very often misses people like Holin who truly enrich so many people's lives.