Why this Labour MP is a new ‘enemy’ of business – Yorkshire Post Letters

POLITICIANS of all parties make comments they wish they had not made.

However, Labour MP Alex Sobel’s comment that business is ‘the enemy’ is not only naively stupid, but also totally insensitive to all those working to make their companies successful.

The pandemic has put enormous stress onto business owners and employees across the country and one can only wonder what those in his Leeds North West constituency, and in particular those in the tourist and hospitality industry in Otley and Wharfedale, make of being described by the Shadow Tourism Minister as ‘the enemy’.

Mr Sobel has form in attacking business with his support of Extinction Rebellion and their hardline disruptive tactics in interfering and hindering legitimate business activity.

Perhaps the electorate will have an opinion of the MP at the time of considering his ideological words and thoughts in contrast to those of hard working people who want to make a success of their business lives.

EU’s actions affect the UK

From: Robert Bottamley, Thorn Road, Hedon.

FORMER Liberal MP Michael Meadowcroft is puzzled by criticism of the European Union’s approach to the UK following a recent dispute over vaccine distribution. He need not be (The Yorkshire Post, March 30). Your correspondent suggested that ‘the EU has not taken any action against the UK government, only against the company’.

But a consequence of the European Union’s action against AstraZeneca was to be the non-fulfilment of an order placed by the UK, long before the EU placed its own. In that sense, action was not directed ‘only’ against the company as Mr Meadowcroft suggests.

Ursula von der Leyen’s argument – that a contract she dislikes can be abandoned, whilst another of which she approves must be honoured – turns on itself.

From: Michael Green, Baghill Green, Tingley.

IN response to Michael Meadowcroft, the EU is trying to persuade AstraZeneca to break its contract with the UK, with the threat of compulsion if the company does not back down.

All, apparently, because the EU was slow off the starting block, and is now lashing out because it can’t cope with being second in line.

And, to add insult to injury, it looks as though some EU member states are doing their best to rubbish the vaccine. Do they really not want it after all (in which case, why the furore?) or is it just sour grapes?

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