West’s double standards on Crimea vote

WHENEVER Argentina and Spain renew their perennial claims on the respective territories of the Falklands and Gibraltar David Cameron reissues the same mantra: “It is up to the people (of the claimed territory) to determine their own future.”

Have not the people of Crimea (not Ukraine) simply gone through the process of doing just that, and fulfilling their desire to be a part of the Russian Federation; however unorthodox the process has been perceived by the US and EU?

From: Derek Hough, Northallerton.

ROBERT Reynolds (The Yorkshire Post, March 15) states “it really was inevitable that the pro-fracking fraternity would use scare stories to support their cause”.

I think the reverse is true, the anti-fracking lobby use scare stories for their cause. The Americans have been fracking for some time now and the cost gas of has been reduced to the customers, helping industry and economic recovery.

There have been no real disasters.

We do not import much Russian gas as yet, but this may well be increased in the future without fracking. Germany imports a lot of Russian gas and as a result Angela Merkel was reluctant to impose sanctions on Russia due to their invasion of Crimea.

Is Mr Reynolds not only anti-fracking but also anti industry?

From: Terry Watkinson, King Edward Avenue, Allerton Bywater.

THE people of Crimea, right or wrong, voted to go back to Russia. I feel that they have the right to do this because we are now interfering again in Europe and the United States.

My thoughts on this are that maybe the people of the Crimea feel that they would be better off with Russia than the utter rubbish that we have to put up with from the EU. Maybe they think that Russia will treat them better than Brussels.

There are more politicians in the UK than any other country in the world except China, and they can do nothing unless Brussels say so.

From: Robert Reynolds, West Bank, Batley.

APOLOGISTS for Russian aggression have taken surprising form. Lord Heseltine opposes actions against Russia in Ukraine because “we need them against a possibly belligerent China”. Michael Portillo declared Russia’s actions to be a “symptom of a declining State”. These Tory dinosaurs are horribly wrong.

Russia has never understood democracy. Russians experienced massive unemployment, inflation, hunger and a banking collapse wiping out their savings after 1991.

Over 30 per cent of Russians want Stalin back. Since 2000 they’ve had him – ex KGB Officer Vladimir Putin. Journalists and businessmen opposing him have been shot or imprisoned. Civil rights have been trampled, homosexuals and Jews persecuted and propoganda imposed on TV and radio, with the opposition silenced. In the meantime, the wily Chinese wait.

Two totalitarian states on our doorstep should demand solidarity in Europe – not UKIP separatism or Tory stupidity.

Will Tour run
into a wall?

From: Phil Moon, Lime Close, Addingham.

THE Tour de France passes through Addingham twice and the road surfaces still need some serious consideration along with many other roads.

However there is another aspect relative to the safety of the riders in this event and possibly more-so to the spectators.

After some form of inspection in Addingham at the bottom end of Silsden Road (one of the roads that the Tour will use) it has been found that a stone wall’s foundations were, apparently, in a serious condition.

As this will be something that the spectators will no doubt use as a viewing point repairs are being made to the wall and its foundations which must be costing council tax payers thousands of pounds.

The point I am trying to make is, that along the whole of the Tour’s route, there will be many other vantage spots which will be formed by walls, fences, bankings etc, some owned by various councils but many owned by “private individuals”.

Considering the ageing infrastructure in Yorkshire which has had little maintenance over the past years, what is the situation regarding the responsibility for safety of the riders and spectators and who will bear the cost of any litigation that may arise ?

Have all the consequences of injury and damage to property been considered in this great event thrust upon us?

Guns not jabs for badgers

From: RW Perkin, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds.

THE badger huggers want a vaccine to rid the badgers of TB.

But have they thought how they would give it to a shy, nocturnal beast which can be vicious if approached? Do they think the badgers will form a neat line and hold their paws out?

Even Defra marksmen cannot shoot them. Some 50 years ago farmers, vets and the Ministry of Agriculture joined forces and cleared TB from the cattle.

We are told that James Herriot went TB testing on his honeymoon. The sanatoriums were all closed and milk was safe to drink. TB is costing the country millions each year.

Defra must be encouraged to do all it can.