Whinging insurance companies

From: John Wilson, Wilsons Solicitors, New Road Side, Horsforth, Leeds.

WE have had another story in your paper bemoaning the so-called compensation culture (Yorkshire Post, July 28).

This is a concept that seems far more beloved of newspapers and insurance companies than of any proof that it actually exists. In this case, we have to get to the very end of the story before we read about a poor man who was crushed to death by a council lorry. Perhaps we are now to assume that his grieving relatives are to be accounted part of the whinging compensation culture.

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The truth is we all pay our insurance premiums and it’s not unreasonable to expect a payout when the insured event happens.

Of course, insurance companies are very efficient when it comes to taking money off us at premium charging time, but in my experience they are the ones who do the whinging when the other side of it comes along and they’re asked to pay out. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that what we have in this country is not a culture of whinging claimants, but of whinging insurance companies, who seem to think they have a god-given right to keep all the premiums without having to bother paying anything out at all.

I assume the council representative you quote about their good record on risk assessment and health and safety would not be so crass as to repeat this to the face of the family of the poor man under the lorry.

Climate of hunger ahead

From: Ken Holmes, Cliffe Common, Selby, York.

THE way the world’s climate is behaving, it won’t be long before malnutrition takes over from obesity. Only then will politicians sit up and take notice of farmers, supermarkets will be a luxury of the past, farmers are constantly trying to deal with adverse and daily changes to the weather.

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If it gets any worse, farmers will struggle to provide us with our milk and food. I’ll bet all England to a hay seed that MPs when supping their favourable and affordable (to them) tipple in the Commons bar, will give a thought to whom provided the malting barley. I can’t think of a politician who could start a combine harvester, let alone drive and work one.

Perils of privatisation

From: Derek Dawson, Common Ing Lane, Ryhill, Wakefield.

I AGREE with Malcolm Naylor’s Letter (Yorkshire Post, August 3) with regard to the public services and utilities. Surely, when they did belong to the public, politicians were the custodians of these services and not the owners, and should not have been able to sell them off to their friends or foreigners.

Before privatisation we got the usual spiel, “competition will give choice” (pay up or freeze) as in the energy industry, and competition will provide better services. What were the statistics for superbugs etc before hospital cleaning and laundry services were privatised? My late wife worked in the health service for 16 years, and certainly knew the answers to that one.

Waste of
council cash

From: Coun Peter Hemmerman, Chairman, East Yorkshire Independents, Langdale Road, Market Weighton.

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I HAVE read with dismay and disgust the proposals to spend £2.5m on tarting up the centre of Beverley, as desired by Stephen Parnaby.

This is clearly not a proposal requested by the residents or even the businesses affected but a personal crusade by the council leader and the chosen few who support him.

For the past years, many town and parish councils in East Yorkshire have had to fight to get any kind or road maintenance done due to various excuses such as the recession, funding and priorities or failing to meet the points criteria. It is clear where councillor Parnaby has found his budget underspend from – at the expense of the rest of the East Riding.

Market Weighton has been fighting to secure a roundabout on the A1079 and repairs to roads damaged by constant building work and this is a slap in the face to all those who have to endure poor maintenance and lack or resources so that Beverley can look pretty.

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I would like to challenge 
Coun Parnaby to come and explain to the residents of Market Weighton, Pocklington, Stamford Bridge, Driffield and all the surrounding parishes 
why Parnaby’s parade in the centre of Beverley should take priority over essential maintenance of their streets.