YP Letters: Did voters fail to put their country first?

STUDENTS at university, exercising the right to vote won for them by their forebears for the first time, did so, apparently because they were promised the removal of tuition fees (meaning, of course that their studies would be financed by the taxpayer).

Elderly people, mischievously persuaded, particularly by the left-leaning BBC, that they would suffer because their pensions would not, in future, rise by an automatic six pence in the pound each year – an increasingly unaffordable commitment for any government – threw a walking stick wobbly about it. Even allegedly hard-headed Yorkshire folk were asked to consider “what’s best for their county” rather than – and this is the point – what was best for Britain.

I am sorry to say so, but in their refusal to back Theresa May, the electorate have once more demonstrated their obsession with issues which are personal to them – and which in many cases they only half understand – rather than the needs of the nation as a whole.

From: Robert Reynolds, West Bank, Batley.

THERE should be no surprise that Britain has returned a hung parliament. There are too many uncertainties in life.

Why are standards of living falling and costs rising? Why are so many essential services being cut? Why can’t younger people get jobs that pay for their own homes? Why are the super- rich walking away with so much wealth, as the poorest struggle to survive? No politician has answers.

Plutarch said the greatest danger within a state is inequality. Huge wealth and privileges are now in the hands of a few. Just as in America, people are waking up to and are angry about the greed and injustice.

For the Tories to then demand support for Brexit is like asking a wolf to guard your sheep. Workers will find their rights trashed, bosses getting more power. We are slowly becoming slaves in our own country – and I will be nobody’s slave.

I want a Government that delivers good opportunities and fairness for all. I want someone I can trust, someone to believe in, someone with answers. I want someone who will make me proud to be British and give my daughter a future.

Is anyone listening?

From: Dave Croucher, Pinfold Gardens, Doncaster.

THERESA May needs to take notice, I believe that the reason for the kick up the backside in the election is because of the state of the NHS.

The public have been trying to get the message across to the Conservatives that we are not prepared to put up with waiting weeks for a GP appointment and months for hospital appointments. People are dying because of this.

The excuse of “we are putting an extra X-million pounds into the NHS” doesn’t wash any more.If Theresa May thinks Thursday’s result was bad, they had better tighten their seatbelts, because the next time the country goes to the polls, the Conservatives will go into free-fall if the NHS is not at least back to the waiting times they were before the Tory party ripped it to bits.

From: Nick Martinek, Briarlyn Road, Huddersfield.

SO who won, and who lost? Well, almost all the political parties lost. It’s almost as though the electorate collectively said: none of the above.

While the Conservatives were mainly defeated on their badly-presented and dire manifesto, Theresa May’s arrogance sealed her fate. She has lost all credibility and must surely go. Then Labour, too, failed to convince the country, despite the post-result smirks from that serial briber of the electorate, and terrorists’ friend, Jeremy Corbyn. Indeed, the two big parties only retain the separate referendum mandate for leaving the EU.

The Lib Dems’ paltry result of 12 seats shows there is no enthusiasm for their speciality of regarding 17.4 million of us Leave voters as not knowing what we voted for and thick with it. Ukip’s performance was generally dreadful – down from 3.9 million votes to a mere 600,000, or under two per cent.

So who won? The DUP, arguably. Absurdly there is already a petition against them, even though we have all just voted. And with a higher turnout, the electorate also won – democracy still matters to people. Leaving the EU is having its effects: no longer being ruled from Brussels in the future means who we select to be the UK government becomes increasingly important.

From: Colin R Lancaster, Bradford Road, Guiseley, Leeds.

DO we really know what qualifies prospective parliamentary candidates to represent us? What do we really know about them?

Anyone who has applied for a job knows that first contact with a prospective employer is via a CV which provides comprehensive details of one’s employment history, position, projects, responsibilities and achievements etc.

Yet, to the best of my knowledge, no candidate has ever provided this information and their dubious ‘qualifications’ only become apparent as they progress through their political life. Surely, in view of the latest fiasco, isn’t it time for the public to insist that each and every candidate submits their CV to their prospective constituents, or are we to continue taking their capabilities on trust to the detriment of our political system and democracy?

From: Martin Deane, Chair, Hull and East Riding Green Party.

NOW that’s what I call democracy...

There are 650 MPs. 1.6 per cent people of people voted for the Green Party. 1.6 per cent of 650 MPs is 10 MPs. Under a fair system there would be at least 10 Green MPs instead of one: Caroline Lucas in Brighton.

From: Elisabeth Baker, Leeds.

THINGS have gone badly wrong for Theresa May since she had her hair cut really short several weeks ago. Is she Samson to Jeremy Corbyn’s Delilah?