Wednesday's Letters: Tory plans and the danger of this region being ignored again

He mentioned years of under-investment and I agree the region, along with most others, could do with more, but there are new hospitals and schools, millions of pounds have gone into road improvements – for example, increased capacity on the A1 including removal of the bottleneck at Ferrybridge.

He said Conservatives need to lay out in clear terms their plans and visions for rural communities, the transport system and schools.

He did not say how it would be possible to regenerate post offices, local pubs and shops which have suffered through lack of support

largely due to the influence of supermarkets.

They have promised to bring high speed rail to West Yorkshire with a connection to Leeds. Fine, but this is via a spur from Manchester which will leave North and South Yorkshire and the East Midlands without a direct service. This not only completely ignores the greater part of the region, but also extends the possible journey time from Leeds.

He confirms he will increase NHS spending but does not mention schools and policing. Unhappy parents can choose to create new, better schools. How can this be better? It will only be evident after years of

operation and could even lead to complete failures. He did not say how they would be staffed and funded and, most importantly of all, that

the final approval would be in the hands of the Secretary of State for Education, not local people.

He says: "We need to build on our strengths and ensure that never again can this region be left behind."

This region was virtually ignored and many parts of it decimated between 1979 and 1997. Every single area is now significantly improved.

From: JW Smith, Sutton-on-Sea.

From: Elisabeth Buckton, Wentworth Court, Beech Grove, Harrogate.

I WAS brought up to believe that as so many women fought and even died to give us the vote, I should use this privilege at every election

which I have always done but, for the first time in my life, I have little idea what any of the parties stand for apart from a determination to line their own pockets while the rest of us struggle to keep our heads above water.

I would seriously consider voting for any party who guarantees to sort out the farcical sentencing within the criminal justice system, puts a curb on immigration and releases us from the stranglehold that the EU has on our country – but I am not holding my breath.

From: D Wood, Thorntree Lane, Goole, East Yorkshire.

DAVID Cameron Yorkshire Post, April 5) that a hung Parliament would damage Britain. Yet he will be the one responsible for this occurring, by not giving the electorate what they want most, a referendum on EU membership. This is going to cost Mr Cameron at least four million votes which will go to UKIP and the BNP.

The tragedy is that Mr Cameron has some good ideas – and most people would like to vote for him – but the voters know that he cannot implement his ideas because of EU laws.

Mr Cameron needs the courage to guarantee us a referendum on EU membership. If he did this, UKIP would probably withdraw from the

contest and the BNP's support would most likely move to the Conservatives, providing Mr Cameron with at least four million extra

votes and turn a possible hung parliament into a Conservative

landslide.

From: Max Nottingham, St Faiths Street, Lincoln.

MY wife goes into a mock coma when she hears the words General Election, Tiger Woods or Wayne Rooney's foot.

I would think millions of women share her views.

We must fight victimisation of Christians

From: Mrs Maureen Hunt, Woolley, Near Wakefield.

IN his article (Yorkshire Post, April 9) Bill Carmichael described the case of the nurse, Shirley Chaplin, who was prevented from wearing her cross by the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, as it, supposedly, contravened "health and safety" regulations.

An employment tribunal panel has just ratified the decision. Mr Carmichael declared that "the nurse was singled out for persecution by the bullies of the diversity gestapo simply because she is a Christian".

During the Second World War when Denmark was occupied by the Nazis, King Christian X used to ride out each day through the city on his horse Jubilee. He rode alone, without groom or guard.

The greetings of his people were acknowledged but the German salute ignored. The Danish flag still flew on his castle, Amalienborg.

There is a legend that he wore the Star of David on his sleeve to show his support for Danish Jews who suffered during the Occupation.

However, the yellow badge was never actually used in Denmark. What is true is that during a conversation with his Minister of Finance, Vilhelm Buhl, about the possibility of the symbol of the Star of David being introduced, the King said: "Perhaps then we should all wear it." And had it happened, he would surely have done so.

What would have occurred if all the nurses in the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital had supported Shirley Chaplin by wearing crosses themselves? Doubtless, the outcome could have been very different. The absurdity of a deranged patient attempting to strangle her with a flimsy chain could have been exposed to ridicule and Mrs Chaplin could still be wearing her crucifix at work.

Thank God Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, and other senior Anglican bishops are taking up the fight against the victimisation of Christians and the attack upon our religious freedom. Let us hope they are successful.

Home truths on parenting

From: JW Slack, Swinston Hill Road, Dinnington, Sheffield.

I WRITE with reference to Ann Widdecombe's article (Yorkshire Post, April 9) when she points out that "We now only fail to back the non-working wife, but we pour support on people existing on two incomes".

This apparently amounts to a 6,035 tax free allowance plus heavily subsidised child care costs. This is, indeed, a scandalous inequality but even more disturbing is the fact that bringing up a child is the most responsible task any parent has but the child's future may lie in parenting skills not enabling him/her to develop intellectually and emotionally.

The Sutton Trust has traced links between poverty and parental skills recently and suggests outreach programmes to improve contact with vulnerable families and for centres to offer parenting programmes, but if the child is in the hands of well-intentioned parental substitutes rather than parents, how effective will this be?

In the 1950s, Dr Mia Kellmer Pringle of the then National Children's Bureau suggested that mothers bringing up children should be paid to ensure consistency and stability in home life. One aspect of today is the perceived deterioration in child behaviour, possibly caused by too many adults giving conflicting standards and role models.

In my experience, the pupil, parent and teacher relationship is vital. There is no greater challenge than bringing up a child properly and mothers who stay at home should not be penalised financially for accepting the responsibility.

EU funds for potholes

From: David H Rhodes, Keble Park North, Bishopthorpe, York.

VISITING a friend in Pocklington, I've noticed that the ravages of winter have made the road to her house as bad as those of a Third World country. The potholes and surfacing are a disgrace as are many roads to varying degrees across the country.

Over several years visiting friends in Spain we would often travel from Malaga to Gibraltar and notice the new road construction in this area. I was informed that all this was being done with European Union money.

As Britain is the second largest net contributor to the EU funds, we have thus paid a substantial amount into the Spanish road system. Will any of the political parties pledge unreservedly to get EU funding to bring British highways and byways up to an acceptable standard?

Not likely – we seem destined to be denied even the crumbs from our own table.

Let's show our support – with the flag of St George

From: Michael J Robinson, Park Lane, Berry Brow, Huddersfield.

THE letter from Mrs Lesley Skorupka referred to flying the Union Flag for our football players at the World Cup (Yorkshire Post, April 10).

There should be no problem making sure we are not flying our flag

upside down. The only team from the home union which will be represented at the World Cup is England.

I don't believe the Scots, Welsh or Northern Irish will consider the England team to be in any way representing their interests. Indeed, I know a good number of Scots who will be cheering on England's opposition, whoever they are. The Union Flag will be entirely inappropriate, and I would be surprised if anyone noticed if the St George's Flag is flown upside down.

From: Patricia Gommersall, Heckmondwike.

I WAS so pleased to read the letter encouraging us all to fly the flag the right way up (broad white stripe at the top next to the flag pole) as it makes me very angry to see one flying upside down.

Many years ago at a summer fte in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, the army cadet force had a demonstration which included a flag pole and the union flag flying upside down. I asked the leader if he had a problem, to which he replied: "What do you mean?"

So, I explained that he was flying a distress signal and would he

change the flag to fly correctly but he refused, saying that it didn't matter and he hadn't time to change it.

I do hope this is not the sort of attitude encouraged by our Armed Forces at whatever level.

I also enjoyed the article written by GP Taylor (Yorkshire Post, April 10) and would like to suggest he form a "Yorkshire Party". I am sure there are many like-minded people who would join him.

Why is dentistry so expensive?

From: Margaret Duckham, Megson Place, Thirsk.

I WAS gladdened to read Jayne Dowle's rant regarding the iniquitous lack of NHS dentistry/funding (Yorkshire Post, April 8). I have always paid my taxes, looked after my teeth and, latterly, paid a monthly dental insurance. Now (a pensioner) I need a tooth crowned and I'm supposed to find nearly 330.

Where is all this lack of affordable dentistry going to leave us? Of course, again it will be the rich (including politicians) with their cosmetic dentistry smiles, and the rest of us with nothing to smile with but our gums. Most of us realise that we can't all have fortunes, large houses and expensive holidays, but we would at least like to have some teeth! How dare the Labour Government do this to us?

On the wrong wavelength

From: John Parker, Station Road, Baildon.

YOU just couldn't make it up! The last throw of this Government is to abolish FM and AM radio transmissions sometime in the future.

Digital radios use more electricity and the reception seems to vary from mediocre to poor and often requires an outside aerial.

If digital radios were any good, they would be selling well to customers. The fact that they are not selling tells us that the customers do not want them and are happy with their radios as they are.

If the AM and FM radio transmissions are stopped, then up to 100

million radios will have to go into landfill. Is this the same Government who want us to reduce landfill and reduce electricity consumption? You just couldn't make it up.