YP Letters: Our age group has earned a few benefits

I FULLY agree with G Cooper about the attitude towards the older “golden” generation by those who label us as freeloaders, with our few benefits, and voting for Brexit (The Yorkshire Post, March 7).

Being born during the Second World War, I also remember the austerity and sacrifices that were endured by our parents and families and having worked all of my adult life, I reckon I have also earned the few benefits that are available to our age-group.

However, Mr Cooper’s reference to his wage at 16 “the equivalent of 80p a week (that’s right 80p)” needs some correction. I’m sure that he doesn’t imply that his weekly wage was slightly less than the cost of a copy of The Yorkshire Post at the time, so “equivalent” is not the correct term.

I would guess that his wage was 16 shillings a week in the mid-1950s, well before decimal coinage was introduced in 1971, making it 80p. His starting wage at 16 was therefore, with inflation, equivalent to about 
£22 in today’s values; quite a bit more than 80p but still a bit miserly from his employer at the time.

From: Dick Lindley, Altofts, Normanton.

IF the Budget was designed to insult and alienate our self-employed workers, then it was a resounding success. Unfortunately for Philip Hammond and the Conservative Party, these are the very people who not only are the lifeblood of our economy, but potentially almost all will be Tory voters.

The Conservative Party is, or was, the only party in the UK to support enterprise and hard work, which is typical of the self-employed individual running his or her own business. These brave and hardworking people often risk the family home and all their savings in order to make their chosen enterprise successful, thereby enabling them to create jobs and wealth for others as well as for themselves.

The question I would like to ask Philip Hammond is this – why are you punishing the primary capitalists of the UK for such a miniscule amount of tax raised, when £12bn of hard-earned cash goes to third world countries each year?

From: Janet Berry, Barfield, Hambleton.

THERE has been much protest about the increase in National Insurance in the Budget, but the worst is the massive increases in business rates.

Eight units that we rent out to various small businesses now face a collective increase of £19,525. This is in the small market town of Selby which is overrun by charity shops and has many commercial properties up for rent or sale. This is not helping anyone.

One of the units has increased by 110 per cent and another from a valuation of £18,250 to £24,000 – quite impossible to operate and make a profit. It is a no-win situation because if tenants leave the landlord is left to pay these vast business rates when the property is empty and there is no income.

Another irony is that if the landlords ring the council for information they are told that answers cannot be given because of data protection rules.

Logical matter of equality

From: Canon Michael Storey, Healey Wood Road, Brighouse.

THE Yorkshire Post has brought to its readers the pros and cons of the designation of Philip North as Bishop of Sheffield.

Within any organisation, it seems to me that some laws, rules or teachings are basic and have to be accepted by its members. Hence, in the Church of England there are such basic laws, rules and teachings which may, sometimes, in the light of new insights, have to be amended. In recent times, the Church of England agreed that males and females, representing God equally, could be deacons, priests and bishops. It seems logical to me that, therefore, all deacons, priests and bishops should accept that equality, in the sight of God. Hence, how can Philip North, not agreeing with that teaching, become a bishop?

From: Anne Robinson, Reader Emeritus in the Diocese of Leeds.

I AM at a loss to understand your Editorial ‘The Church must alter’ (The Yorkshire Post, March 10). It seems to imply that it is the fault of the Church that this ‘man of admirable qualities and unblemished integrity’ (quote) has stepped aside from accepting the position of Bishop of Sheffield.

On your front page, you point out that it is his ‘longstanding opposition to female clergy on theological grounds’ which has caused so much criticism of him.

Surely it is his own stance over this matter, and that of other male clergy who hold these views, which needs to change in order for the whole Church to alter and to accept equal status for men and women as priests and also bishops, as they were both created in the image of God.

Prosecuting the wrong target

From: Jackie Dusi, Mastall Lane, Arksey, Doncaster.

I WAS appalled to read that Humberside Police had prosecuted a man of 83 for defending his own property after he had telephoned for police assistance. This is yet another case of the police prosecuting the easy target. Who is going to pay Mr Hugill’s £30,000 legal bill? Not the perpetrator of the crime – Richard Stables. This is another case of the law being an ass.

No peacocks at Harewood

From: The Dowager Countess of Harewood, Harewood House, Leeds.

I DON’T know where the redoubtable Amanda Owen had her memorable encounter with a peacock (The Yorkshire Post, March 11) but it could not have been at Harewood. This is one bird you will never find in our Bird Garden as my deeply superstitious husband thought they were unlucky and would never allow even a feather in or near the House.