Why Scunthorpe steel plant closure would be a disaster – Yorkshire Post letters

From: Roger Backhouse, Orchard Road, Upper Poppleton, York.
The future of the steel industry is, once again, in doubt.The future of the steel industry is, once again, in doubt.
The future of the steel industry is, once again, in doubt.

MARK Casci is absolutely right – closure of the Scunthorpe steel plant would be a disaster and the Government is to blame for the mess. Hoping a buyer will turn up is naive to say the least (The Yorkshire Post, May 23).

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When Rolls-Royce fell into serious financial difficulties, the Conservatives, under Edward Heath, rushed nationalisation to keep the strategic aero-engine industry in UK hands. Steel is equally vital to a modern economy and to British workers. Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, was right to propose nationalisation as Scunthorpe and its jobs cannot be saved without a major intervention.

Conservative politcs today is not about the British people or British business. It is about a group of twits fighting among themselves to lead the party. Many MPs like Jacob Rees-Mogg are openly in favour of the “free market” ideas promoted by Professor Patrick Minford who said of the car industry: “It will be in your interests to run it down, just in the same way we ran down the coal industry and the steel industry. These things happen.”

That is the dominant ideology of the Conservatives today. A leadership change will make no real difference.

Heaven help us.

From: Les Arnott, Athelstan Road, Sheffield.

SIR Vince Cable has admitted that the Government couldn’t help British Steel because the unelected EU Commission won’t allow state aid. Perhaps those who mock Brexiteers would like to ponder this fact.

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I am utterly fed up with listening to the empty arguments of pie-in-the-sky Remainers. On economic grounds alone – before we even consider agriculture, fishing etc – the case against membership has been proven.

Let us stop listening to the blinkered ‘little Europeans’ who have repeatedly lost at the ballot box.

We need to leave with a ‘no deal’– within weeks, a desperate EU will offer us an acceptable Canada-plus arrangement.

Shocked by lack of charity

From: Fiona Lemmon, Clifton Byres, Clifton, Maltby, Rotherham.

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I REFER to the article by Father Neil McNicholas (The Yorkshire Post, May 23) concerning questionable practices by the charitable sector.

I appreciate that he is not against donating to charity 
and, in his profession, he may well be the first to dip his hand 
in his pocket.

But I was surprised at the rancorous tone that was prevalent throughout the article.

I, too, felt distressed with requests that I was receiving through the post from charities I support (“preaching to the converted” is a phrase that would appeal to Fr McNicholas) and some I don’t support asking for money.

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Fortunately, the recent changes to data protection legislation have enabled 
me to opt out of receiving 
these requests. I have unsubscribed from begging emails from charities and other organisations also.

I am unable to comment on the ethics of fundraising by charities but can only assume that TV advertising is paying off. The cost of such advertising must be huge, particularly on prime time TV to which Fr McNicholas was referring.

Charities are competing with each other for the same money, as he observes. This is the case also for those people who are employed, as was I in the voluntary sector, making bids to charitable trusts and funding organisations for mega bucks.

Fundraising is a never-ending merry-go-round. One success does not mean resting on one’s laurels.

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From my own experience as a fundraiser, I can say that one develops resilience in the face of adversity. I recently read in The Yorkshire Post that fewer people are donating to charity, perhaps yet another unexpected outcome of the Brexit fiasco.

I am sorry that Fr McNicholas feels unfairly harrassed but would suggest that he tunes out of the adverts which are causing him distress and, clearly, annoyance. Better still, don’t tune into TV while eating dinner and thus improve one’s digestion.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the countless thousands of people giving freely and/or on a paid basis to raise much needed funds for charity, whether it be the people standing in the supermarket with donations boxes or those tackling gruelling physical and mental challenges.

You do not receive the recognition you deserve and 
are grossly under-valued.

Need for bus route changes

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From: Martin Hirst, Commercial Director, First West Yorkshire.

ON May 19, we introduced some changes to our timetables and in response to Hilary Andrews (The Yorkshire Post, May 21), we’d like to explain why.

We are committed to operating a reliable bus service, which runs to the timetable printed. However, due to factors outside of our control, such as congestion and road closures, we need to make changes to our timetables to avoid customers waiting unnecessarily at bus stops. We monitor how punctual our bus services are running, daily, which helps to inform future changes.

Our First Bus App uses real-time information to show when the next bus will arrive at your bus stop, so I’d encourage 
regular bus users who have access to a smartphone to download the app.

Honour plea

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From: Coun Tim Mickleburgh (Lab), Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

SO Theresa May doesn’t want a lengthy and controversial resignation honours list, which is to her credit. But I hope she can find space for Sir Geoffrey Boycott.