YP Letters: Reduction in fuel tax could help economy

MOTORISTS may have to pay more tax to help fund increased NHS spending (The Yorkshire Post, September 12), and this means that the Chancellor could end the freeze on fuel duty to fund this. This is a preposterous and immoral suggestion. If the vast revenue from motoring taxation was ploughed back into the transport infrastructure – as it should be – this country would have the finest road system in the world. Once again, the motorist is an easy target for raising revenue to spend elsewhere, like it always has been.

These remote politicians clearly do not care about the effect on people who, for example, live in rural areas where public transport has been withdrawn and wages are low and the need to run a car just to survive; people who are already paying an outrageous sum of about £60 for 10 gallons of fuel.

It has been shown that a reduction of a tax level can often result in increased revenue, and the Chancellor might find that a reduction of fuel tax would stimulate the economy, and let him find the monies for the NHS by other and more morally honest means.

From: David Gray, Liversedge.

IN your report (The Yorkshire Post, September 11) on taxpayers bearing extra costs to make new trains work properly, you quote Lord Adonis stating that he ordered these trains years ago when he was the Transport Secretary and then quote his criticism of Chris Grayling, the present Transport Secretary. The comment is a bit rich. Lord Adonis should have ensured that any trains he ordered would run on our railways. To place an order for expensive trains on the basis that whether they will work or not can be sorted out later, and then blame someone else for taking time to resolve the situation, is irresponsible.

Don’t blame EU for weather

From: John Turley, Dronfield Woodhouse.

BOB Swallow (The Yorkshire Post, September 7), clearly hasn’t been paying sufficient attention to the weather forecasters on the BBC.

They have always made it clear that although autumn does not begin officially until the Autumnal Equinox, it is convenient for meteorologists to lump June, July and August together as the summer months, and September, October and November as the autumn months. This makes sense as the weather on September 22 is likely to be more autumnal than summery, and on 20 December (the day before the Winter Solstice) more wintery than autumnal, and nothing whatsoever to do with Brussels and the EU. Bob Swallow, no doubt as a Brexiteer, can’t resist the temptation to take a swipe at the EU, and no doubt if with have another blast of cold continental air this winter, it will also be blamed on the EU.

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

A RIGHTFULLY proud grandad, Sir Bernard Ingham, asked his granddaughter’s views on the state of the world – especially Britain (The Yorkshire Post, September 12). Did he ask her how her understated sigh of “it’s not good” might be resolved, at least so far as Britain is concerned? If my own grandchildren’s and their generation’s views are any guide, Sir Bernard might not have liked the answer. His desperation in comparing Brussels to former East Germany is both palpable and pathetic. In the same issue, James Bovington’s letter highlights the prevailing “nasty, inward-looking philosophy” which threatens a break, not only with Scotland, but with all our fellow Europeans. Nastiness has always been around, but largely capable of being ignored; now it enjoys spurious respectability as we prepare to betray them.

If the rest of Europe is set to fall apart, are we expected to sit on this side of the Channel sniggering “we told you so”? I’m starting to share James’s shame.

School run road blocked

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

TRAVELLING on the number 7 bus route at 3.10pm the other day, we were unable to get along Lingfield Drive because of the large number of cars waiting to pick up their children from Allerton Primary School. The bus even had to reverse into the forecourt of the school playground. This is a regular occurrence. The King Lane Park and Ride is 100 metres away and had many free spaces. Is it really too far for the little darlings to walk, thereby enabling the bus to continue to run to time?

Oh for days of old Amos

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

I REGULARLY watch Emmerdale with mum, and I’m struck as to how many eposodes begin with a warning that the programme contains images that some will find disturbing. In that case, why is it being shown before the 9pm watershed? Oh for the days of Amos and Mr Wilkes.

From: Edward Grainger, Botany Way, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough.

THE death of Peter Benson, who played the Aidensfield funeral director, Bernie Scripps, in Heartbeat (The Yorkshire Post, September 10) is yet another reminder of the programme’s depiction of those wonderful days of innocence now regrettably gone forever.

Writing style

From: Violet Laws, Yafforth, Northallerton.

I WISH to endorse Dianne Fielding’s and Mrs EH Bell’s recent contributions regarding letter writing and I write regularly to my many friends in this country and abroad. I can be classed as ancient too!