YP Letters: Work with us to avert a skills shortage in wake of Brexit

JEREMY Corbyn said he wants ‘the best Brexit deal for jobs’, one that will underpin his plans to ‘upgrade the economy’ (The Yorkshire Post, September 28).

However, he did not use his party conference speech to respond to the grave concerns of the business community following the Migration Advisory Committee report.

It will be impossible to maintain, never mind upgrade, our economy unless our post-Brexit immigration system works for business. That means no arbitrary salary thresholds, no bureaucratic Tier 2 system and ample access to lower skilled workers who are the backbone of sectors like the construction industry. The system suggested by the MAC report would be a disaster for construction, especially construction SMEs. We’re calling on the Opposition to work with us to challenge these recommendations and help avert a post-Brexit skills drought.

From: John Hall, Pennithorne Avenue, Baildon.

GIVING sovereignty to the 37 per cent who voted for Brexit is poor democracy (John Upex, The Yorkshire Post, September 26). Our parliamentary representatives speak for everybody and take decisions on our behalf. Disappointment awaits those who think we can pass laws and the world will kow-tow.

The same argument applies to Derrick Bond’s letter. Lib Dems need no lessons on “democracy”. As for no second referendum: people deserve a meaningful vote when they finally learn what Brexit means Brexit actually means. It is ridiculous and childish to suggest that we have the best of three. This belittles any sense of “democracy”. Referenda require that people be informed about what they are voting for and should only be held when a new situation presents itself.

From: John Roberts, Wakefield.

LIKE trade union boss Tosh McDonald at the Labour conference, I started work on the railways in the late 70s. I had to laugh at what he said about waking up an hour early to hate Margaret Thatcher a bit more. If he worked the unearthly hours we had at that time he would not have had the energy to wake up an hour early. The shift system we had at that time made you feel like you were living in a parallel universe.

A good ruse, to get back on regular day hours, was to become a trade union official and build your career on that. You would remain on the train driving rota, but your duties would be performed by spare drivers.