YP Letters: Boris's folly on EU and now Syria

IT is my view that the US presidential candidate Donald Trump has only one serious rival to being the most ridiculous politician in the world.

That rival is the ludicrous UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, who has shown himself to be utterly clueless on leaving the European Union (EU).

Indeed one could be forgiven for believing he secretly wishes Britain to remain in the EU.

Of even more concern is Boris Johnson’s views on Syria – any UK military involvement on the side of the jihadi rebels risks confrontation with Russia. A confrontation that could rapidly escalate into a world war.

Premier Theresa May should therefore remove Mr Johnson from his post, as his ignorance on Syria is alarming. It is the jihadi Islamists, and not Russia or Assad, who pose a threat to Europe. It is the jihadi Islamists and their financial and weapons backers, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who are holding 250,000 civilians in eastern Aleppo hostage. Russia and the Syrian military are right to cleanse eastern Aleppo of the Islamists.

This will unfortunately result in civilian casualties but it is a price worth paying. For when Aleppo is controlled by Assad’s troops, terrorist forces in Syria will be quickly defeated.

From: Paul Morley, Ribblesdale Estate, Long Preston, Skipton.

ISN’T it about time the Remain voters stopped whinging like spoilt toddlers and accepted the fact that more people want to leave the EU than stay in it? They wouldn’t be demanding Parliament approval, or another referendum, if they had won by the same majority.

From: David Cragg-James, Stonegrave, York.

PEOPLE wonder why the Government is not sharing with us its real motives for pursuing fracking. However 84 per cent of recent scientific studies contain findings that indicate public health hazards, elevated risks or adverse health outcomes in fracking areas.

Perhaps it would be advisable not to conclude with Michael Gove, that experts should be ignored, especially when there is a question mark over the economic viability of fracking.

Plummeting reputation

From: Phil Hanson, Beechmount Close, Baildon, Shipley.

RE your article today (The Yorkshire Post, October 15) on Bradford Council’s lack of funds to provide adequate gritting services.

I am not at all surprised. The council leader, Susan Hinchcliffe, has been very keen to go on record stating how she could see no cap being applied to the number of refugees coming to the city, so it is of no surprise that the coffers are heading towards empty.

While the Labour councillor is playing to her own, unelected agenda, the poor folk of Bradford see worsening services and a city with a reputation approaching third world. Thank you Ms Hinchcliffe, you and Labour have made a great jobs of continuing the city’s downward slide.

Dancing on the tables

From: Granville Stockdale, Hardwick Street, Hull.

I NOTE that in the collected memoirs of Bill Mitchell (The Yorkshire Post, October 15), reference is made to Bill Alderson. I once met him, many years ago, in the Crown Inn, Askrigg, then under the control of a superb landlord, Owen Metcalfe.

Bill was known as “Upstairs Bill” as he came from Angram, a hamlet between Muker and Keld. On the night when I was present, he was reminiscing about his youth. He said: “We used to dance on pub tables in them days.” He was tall, angular, and still fit. He suggested he was about to perform said act. He was politely dissuaded from this. Different days!

Government road to ruin

From: Michael Robinson, Berry Brown, Huddersfield.

FOLLOWING the report that the Department for Transport has paid £8m (The Yorkshire Post, October 12) to a company contracted to run driver theory tests, even though the company never provided a single test to the public, are there people who still advocate nationalisation of the railways?

After all, history shows that there is no better organisation for running industry than a Government department. Witness British Leyland, and the Ministry of Defence’s legendary procurement department.

Railway rubbish

From: Alan Winstanley, York.

ON my travels to Wakefield from York, I observe the amount of detritus accumulated from scores of travellers or people living near access to railways.

This surely is giving Britain a huge label as litter louts . Whatever happened to Keep Britain Tidy?

Surely more can be done by the management of the railways and platforms to ensure a cleaner environment?

English would vote Scots out

From: GJC Reid, St Anthony’s Road, Middlesbrough.

IF Ms Sturgeon were to hold her independence referendum south of the border, I think she might win with a landslide (The Yorkshire Post, October 14).

From: Andrew Mercer, Guiseley.

PLEASE can the English vote on Scottish independence – so we can scrap the Barnett Formula.