YP Letters: '˜Populism' is new liberal elite insult

NICK Baines, the Bishop of Leeds (The Yorkshire Post, January 23) in his superior-sounding commentary on the contemporary political scene makes a veiled but bitter attack on Brexit via the opportunistic route of “populism”.

Paddy Ashdown (The Yorkshire Post, January 25) employs the same tactic in his smug glorification of his own liberal beliefs. Populism is now a pejorative term that the liberal elite use to damn the electoral success of their opposition and to vainly rationalise their own consistent failure to persuade the nation to swallow their own sanctimonious unreality.

They attempt to equate populism with nationalism and, by inference, to rampant xenophobia. It never occurs to them that the central reason for the vote to leave was the electorate’s instinctive antagonism towards the surrender of legislative powers to remote, unknown, self-serving, unelected bureaucrats.

Of course, in this debate, economic factors are significant and also the disregard of genuine widespread concerns such as uncontrolled immigration that have been imperiously dismissed by the ruling liberal establishment. The Utopian attempt to change the nature of man has submerged us all, for years now, in ludicrous and damaging political correctness.

The Bishop of Leeds even associates populism with another piece of new jargon – a post-truth world, a corruption of language, in which most of the lies and deceptions are ascribed to populist, jingoistic, riff-raff who are opposed to the saintly international liberal order as embodied, of course, in the EU institution. This is the liberal international order that has elevated itself to monopolise compassion and moral virtue whilst the rest of us, who don’t conform, are nationalistic bigots.

Democracy? They wouldn’t know it if it came on the end of a torpedo.

From: Don Wood, Howden.

BREXIT Secretary David Davis said in Tuesday’s Commons debate ‘Do we trust the people or not?’

The question should have been can the British electorate trust the people they elect to be MPs? In a large number of cases the answer is unequivocally no.

The likes of Nick Clegg, Tim Farron, Anna Soubry and many others spout a lot of garbage about Parliamentary sovereignty.

But these same people have sat idle for 40 years while thousands of unwanted EU laws have been forced upon the British people.

This week’s vote needs to be published in full so that the people of this country can see who is for Britain and who is for the EU. They can then take the appropriate steps at the next General Election.

From: Paul Emsley, Hellifield, Settle.

GIVEN that MPs were unable to convince their constituents of any strong reasons to vote ‘Yes’, or ‘No’, last year, why are a group of unelected judges able to give these ‘representatives of the people’, another chance of delaying the implementation of the United Kingdom’s EU referendum?

From: Tom Hughes, Sheffield.

THERESA May’s trip to see ‘America first’ Donald Trump beggars belief. She’ll get a few crumbs for a trade deal but a far more important story was the Trident misfire and May’s refusal to Andrew Marr’s “Did you know about it?” question.

Putting the gent in retail

From: Mike Firth, Managing Director, DMB Foods, Birstall, Batley.

I WAS privileged to be a supplier to Morrisons during Sir Ken’s tenure and got to know him quite well.

In 2015 I persuaded him to speak at our last Yorkshire International Business Convention in Bridlington. He told us his life story.

When Morrisons went public, Ken struggled with some of the demands of the City – not least the requirement for non-executive directors. He told us that he would sooner have two extra check-out staff than a non-exec director and threw in the following joke: “What’s the difference between a non-exec director and a shopping trolley?” “You can get more booze into a non–exec director”.

An amazing businessman with true Yorkshire values and a very approachable and lovely man.

He will be missed! Sir Ken led 
by example.

From: Kate Dale, Helperby, York.

AMIDST all that is going on in politics and the wider world, isn’t it refreshing to be reminded of Sir Ken Morrison’s common sense approach to doing business? His simple philosophy was based on hard work, respecting individual talents and communicating effectively.

Another sad loss from that great generation of Yorkshire honesty and integrity. You’ll be missed but not forgotten, Sir Ken.

From: Raymond Shaw, Elland.

YORKSHIRE, indeed our country, has lost a real gentleman and character with the passing of Sir Kenneth Morrison. Very shortly after meeting him, he would say “call me Ken”.

A true view of his humility was when asked what Lady Morrison said when informed they had bid for Safeway. He replied that she said “your tea is ready”.

From: Peter Bye, Park Crescent, Addingham, Ilkley.

IN these times, it is almost impossible to think that a great business can be built on the qualities of honesty, integrity and common sense. None of which are taught in universities or business schools. Ken Morrison, rest in peace.

From: David Cook, Horsforth.

I’LL never forget the time I saw Sir Ken Morrison at the store in Guiseley as he assessed the quality of fruit and veg. He was only too happy to talk to shoppers. I just hope standards don’t slip without him.