YP Letters: Trump's special French relationship

It was interesting to observe that as far as we could ascertain from the coverage we saw and read of President Trump’s visit to Paris there appeared to be no protests at his presence in the French capital.

In fact his visit appeared to be a monumental success, with the French appreciating his presence in their country.

What I think we all know will happen when he visits London later this year, or more likely early next, is that Corbyn’s loony left supporters will be out in force, shouting their abuse at him.

And all this will be taking place just when this country is crying out for a big trade deal with America as we leave the EU.

We like to think that we have a ‘special relationship’ with that country, but it is no more special than the one that France has, and I suspect not as good.

Knowing the abusive reception that he is going to get when he sets foot in our capital city, specially assembled for the purpose, one wonders why he would bother coming at all.

Universities’ wealth poser

From: Phil Hanson, Baildon

The subject of who pays university student fees continues to be discussed.

What is not being considered is the question of how the universities are managing their new found wealth, a veritable bonanza.

None of the political parties has to my knowledge challenged the universities to reduce their fees to give students the benefits of a free market.

Instead, what we are seeing is universities offering courses, often delivered by low grade staff and even students themselves, whilst the staff reward themselves with very lucrative salaries, pensions and double digit increases. The Taxpayers’ alliance recently published data on who pays what and where possible to who, it makes a shocking read.

Now it has been widely recognised that our learning institutions are staffed by largely left wing card carrying members of Labour, so what makes these pay rates and salary increases amazing is that there are hundreds of tutors and staff on salaries around and above what the nation pays to the heads of government.

Salaries in excess of 100k are commonplace and there are many on 200k, 300k and 400k, and some in excess of 600k! This is living the high life on the state and really demonstrates the hypocrisy of these educational institutions who want the ordinary working man and woman to pay for student fees to stop student pressure threatening their lifestyle.

Come on universities, start by looking at the lavish salaries and operate like business have to do in the real world.

The students may be angry about their fees but the should direct their energy at those who are exploiting them directly rather than asking those who could and would never go to university to pay for them.

Is it time to have a regulator in place to bring university fees into the real world because it does not look like these ivory towers are even on this planet?

From: Nigel Bywater, Oak Grove, Morley

Philip Hammond, the Conservative MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer said on The Andrew Marr programme that public sector receive a 10 per cent “premium” over the private sector. What utter nonsense.

In November 2014 the Office for National Statistics did a study into public sector pay levels “After accounting for the different organisation sizes between the public and private sector, it is estimated that on average the pay of the public sector was between 3.3 per cent and 4.3 per cent lower than the private sector in April 2014.”

Since that study in 2014 public sector pay has been falling behind the private sector still further, for the last three years. Public sector pay is currently rising at 1.4 per cent a year, behind inflation at 2.3 per cent and private sector workers at 2.5 per cent.

Most public sector workers pay is capped at one per cent, fire fighters and MPs are an exception to that cap. Education Committee chair Neil Carmichael, warns recruitment of teachers is ‘crisis point’ the Conservative MP for Stroud said.

The Royal College of Nursing has said England is currently short of at least 20,000 nursing staff. The Royal College of Midwives says the country needs 3,500 more midwives.

GP leaders and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine say the UK urgently needs greater numbers of general practitioners and emergency doctors.

There is no shortage of MPs, some say there are too many.

What about bus funding?

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby,

HS2 may well bring “great benefits” (The Yorkshire Post, July 17), and in principle I’m in favour of spending more on public transport.

But buses never seem to get a look in when it comes to investment, being seen as the transport of last resort, and you could improve their performance by bringing back conductors, thus avoiding lengthy delays at stops when people are purchasing tickets. What’s more, passengers would feel safer at night with an extra person on board.