YP Letters: Rail fares rise adds insult to injury in North

From: Bob Buxton, Yorkshire Party.
Can rail fare increases in Yorkshire be justified when the region has been starved of investment?Can rail fare increases in Yorkshire be justified when the region has been starved of investment?
Can rail fare increases in Yorkshire be justified when the region has been starved of investment?

WHY must Yorkshire suffer from this blanket increase in rail fares when the imbalance in investment between London and Yorkshire is so great? Remember, the transport infrastructure spending per person in London is 10 times greater than that in Yorkshire and yet fares still rise to astronomical levels (The Yorkshire Post, January 3).

The Ripon Line, the Otley Loop and many other Yorkshire railways were destroyed by the Beeching axe. Scotland has reversed many such cuts, including the Borders Railway, but not one line has been replaced in Yorkshire. A proper, powerful devolution deal for Yorkshire would give us the same control over our destiny which Scotland already has.

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The effects of under-investment are visible every day in Leeds, including in the congestion along the A65. While London gets £15bn spent on Crossrail, Leeds remains the largest city in the EU without a mass transit system and, consequently, suffers some of the worst air pollution. Before any increase in fares, we need an expert-led Leeds-Bradford Transport Review and solid progress instead of further politically-led white elephants, like the poorly planned Leeds-Bradford Airport road and the abandoned Trolleybus scheme.

From: Arthur Quarmby, Mill Moor Road, Meltham.

I NOTE with some concern the close connection between Stewart Arnold, leader of the Yorkshire Party, and the Esquerra Republican party in Spain, aiming for full independence for Catalonia (The Yorkshire Post, January 2).

I do not think that the people of our county would vote for independence, and the history of Ireland and Scotland should warn us about this.

Instead why do we not look carefully at the fine example of Switzerland; divided up into self-governing Cantons for centuries, yet still a united (and very rich and prosperous) country? How have they achieved this?

From: Christopher Clapham, Shipley.

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ONCE again, Labour has tried to get publicity out of rail fares rising with the aim of nationalisation and the bad old days of British Rail coming back (The Yorkshire Post, January 3).

It is 20 years since privatisation came in and the fact of the matter is that not much of British Rail exisits today. That shows the mess the railways were in when there is a need to replace so much of the infrastructure.

Saftey could not have been a very high priority, thus never getting a mention in recent times.

Clegg honour is a scandal

From: Shaun Kavanagh, Leeds.

THE awarding of a knighthood to Nick Clegg is nothing short of scandalous. To draw a comparison, the Brownlee brothers in Leeds have become British ambassadors thanks to their endeavours in the triathlon.

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A while ago, Alistair received a MBE – but nothing at all for Jonathan. Yet Nick Clegg receives a knighthood for achieving absolutely nothing, and certainly not for being an ambassador for his country.

From: Coun Tim Mickleburgh (Lab), Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

I DO think the crticism of Nick Clegg getting a knighthood is justified on two grounds. Firstly, ordinary people such as Grimsby’s Channel swimmer Brenda Fisher and Hull’s bee lady (Jean Bishop) have to do something special to even qualify for a British Empire Medal, the lowest class of honour.

Yet well-paid politicians seem to get gongs as if they were going out of fashion. Secondly all Clegg did was to largely destroy his party that had become a third force in British politics. I, for one, won’t call him Sir Nick Clegg.

From: Susan P Tindall, Boardman Lane, Brandesburton.

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I REFER to your article regarding the Parliamentary performance of MPs (The Yorkshire Post, January 3). The article spoke volumes and compounded my belief that we in the East Riding have a very quiet voice in Parliament and seem to be often unheard. The loudest was Sir Greg Knight who spoke in 29 debates and tabled 77 written questions. I wonder what Graham Stuart was doing having only spoken once and had no written questions. David Davis was too busy with Brexit to ask questions but entered into 23 debates.

Whilst I do not align with the politics of Diana Johnson whose constituency in Hull borders the East Riding, I do congratulate her on her commitment to her constituents with her speaking in 114 debates and having 408 questions answered.

Other side of hunting row

From: Brian Holmes, Yew Tree Road, Elkesley.

IN reply to letters condemning hunting, they should have been witness to my father-in-law’s hen run after a visit by a fox. Of his 40 hens, 18 had their heads torn off. None had been eaten or taken away. The other 22 never laid another egg, they were so traumatised. They had to be humanely dispatched. The fox was responsible for all 40 deaths. The fox is a clever, cunning killer, not just to survive, but for fun.

In praise of hospital staff

From: Arthur Strickson, Wrelton.

My partner and I had to visit Scarborough Hospital A&E on three separate occasions in a week. We spent hours waiting, but this was not the fault of the staff. I can honestly say that the attention, understanding and treatment by all the staff we came into contact with was exceptional. They were very busy, but still had time to keep us informed and to answer our concerns.