YP Letters: A feeling of doom as Brexit plans unravel

HAVING begun the year thinking that the country was, at last, heading for better times thanks to Theresa May’s confident and rousing speeches, I am now rapidly beginning to believe that we are heading for destruction.

Firstly the Government is handling Brexit like a house move where the vendors haven’t bothered notifying any of the utilities or indeed the removal company of dates, and haven’t bothered sorting and packing everything tidily ready for D-day – in other words no coherent planning whatsoever.

Then we are told that austerity measures will remain and that there isn’t an endless supply of money in the kitty. That’s all very well, but we are all taught to turn off taps to conserve our water.

The Government has left the Treasury taps running at full flow and is still allowing billions to flow down the sink.

Sir John Major once used the phrase ‘back to basics’ and he was right. We need a government that will go back to the real basics – that is prepared to sort out this country’s problems first rather than trying to be the great benefactor to others.

We also need a government with a Chancellor who understands the needs of the working man and does not prioritise the needs of greedy manipulative financial institutions that exploit us to their own benefit.

From: Mr JB Cross, Thixendale, Malton.

I WRITE to welcome the publication of Lord Donald Curry’s speech with regard to the future of farming in our country once we leave the European Union (The Yorkshire Post, July 1).

Many published articles emphasise the downside of Brexit; namely we shall all suffer extreme hardships and many personal and business bankruptcies. This is, of course, complete nonsense.

We are going to leave the EU, and the sooner we all support our leaders and negotiating team, the better for all.

May I humbly suggest that you publish details of the many benefits that will accrue once we are again able to govern our own country?

I have read in the business section of your paper that new investment in our county alone is considerable and there are many overseas countries who are willing to set up in the UK.

From: David Collins, Scissett.

NOW that Northern Ireland is to get £1bn, a question occurs to me as to how this will be paid. Will this be paid in one lump sum? Will it be paid in monthly instalments? Will it be paid at a rate of say £10m for every vote cast in Parliament?

It is time the Government got real (The Yorkshire Post, July 3). What we need is a Government of national unity to address Brexit.

Using the best people in and out of Parliament to get the best deal. Any legislation that won’t get majority Parliament backing from most parties should be junked for the time being.

This will have the extra benefit of giving health and education a breathing space from constant interference from the powers that be. It occurs to me that all these bodies need from Government is money.

From: Michael Ross, Weeton Lane, Harewood.

YOUR front page heading re fuel bills and poverty line (The Yorkshire Post, June 30) requires some additional context.

Before making the definitive statement that ‘thousands are unable to pay fuel bills’, were any questions asked as to whether those same ‘thousands’ were able to pay their bills for mobile phones, iPads, large-screen TVs, satellite subscriptions, cigarettes, alcohol etc?

Perhaps their priorities are just different to the millions who choose to keep warm?

From: Mr A Davies, Augusta Park, Grimsby.

CATH Palmer (The Yorkshire Post, June 30) is wrong in blaming Gordon Brown for the financial collapse 10 years ago. No lesss an authority than Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, made clear in the Dimbleby Memorial Lecture in 2014 that the responsibility lay on the shoulders of the financial community. It was worldwide. It started with the collapse of American banks and spread to the UK.

Gordon Brown (and Alistair Darling) recapitalised UK banks and stabilised a very dangerous situation. To do this, he provided banks with liquid assets and by sleight of hand, the banks’ private debt became Government public debt.

From: Nigel Boddy, Fife Road, Darlington.

INSTEAD of the public sector pay freeze being expressed as a percentage, why isn’t it a set amount of money instead such 
as £1,000?

The front line nurses, junior doctors, police and firemen would all benefit more than their bosses and the top ranking civil servants by an across the board pay rise using a specific amount.

Percentages are just a way of top-ranking highly paid civil servants feathering their own nests at the expense of their staff and paying for their luxury lifestyles in the nation’s capital. Their junior members of staff can hardly afford to commute into London and certainly cannot afford to live there. Wake up Yorkshire. They are playing you as if you are fools.

From: Don Burslam, Elm Road, Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury.

I HAVE always believed that it is a good thing for MPs to have had substantial experience in ‘proper’ jobs before entering the Commons. However, there are several MPs who have apparently not relinquished responsible jobs such as doctors, nurses and teachers on being elected.

True there are exceptional people who can juggle multiple tasks with success, but there is a doubt whether they can devote the hours required for discharging their responsibilities as MPs.

Many successful members have been chosen by a small coterie of activists and voted in on a party label. There were several unexpected results at the election so people should not take voters for granted.