Syria: a make or break day

With the USA, and possibly the French, potentially just days away from launching cruise missiles against Syria after evidence that Bashar-al-Assad’s regime used chemical weapons, today’s supposed statesmen have a moral duty to the world to remain in St Petersburg until they can agree a plan of action to protect the defenceless Syrian people.

Pope Francis suggested as much in his letter to President Putin when he implored global leaders to abandon the “futile pursuit” of a military solution and redouble their efforts to end this crisis by peaceful means.

His remarks will be welcomed by those who endorsed Parliament’s decision to exclude the UK from any military strikes – and also those senior Labour figures who believe that William Hague should open a dialogue with Iran in spite of the enmity following an attack on the British Embassy in Tehran.

Yet, as the G20 became a series of uncomfortable gatherings, the most perturbing aspect was the deepening of the chill in relations between the USA and Russia since this newspaper highlighted the consequences of “a dangerous period of retrenchment” on Thursday last week.

In warning that Russia would view US-led military action without United Nations as “an aggression” after Barack Obama said “a red line” had been crossed with the use of chemical weapons, President Putin was using provocative language not heard since the Cold War.

Such hostility will do little to solve the worst refugee and humanitarian crisis of this century as Syrians flee this country in unprecedented numbers. It offers further evidence that today’s leaders lack the guile and pragmatism of Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher who did succeed in ending the Cold War. They would probably have found a way to step back from the brink and this is now the challenge facing the G20 on a make or break day for the troubled Middle East, an oil-rich region whose future prospects are crucial to the stability of the wider global economy.

A missed chance

IS it any wonder that so many young people, and especially those who have the misfortune to be out of work, feel disenfranchised when there is a disconnect between the promises of politicians – and the actual experience of those seeking work in cities like Hull that are paying a heavy price for decades of neglect?

Today’s revelation about the allocation of EU funding for youth unemployment blackspots is a case in point. Hull still has the fifth highest rate of youth unemployment in the country, despite a recent revival in its fortunes and the tantalising prospect of energy giant Siemens building an offshore wind turbine hub at Alexandra Dock.

Yet, because of a convoluted funding mechanism which appears to defy logic, the city is set to miss out on this funding opportunity. As well as being regrettable, it is yet another example of how sound policy intentions can quickly become bogged down in a bureaucratic quagmire.

There has to be a way to streamline procedures so money does not have to pass through so many tiers of government before it reaches local training providers who can then begin the task of skilling young people.

One final point needs to be made. The complaint in Hull in recent years was that there were not enough incentives for the city’s brighter business talents to remain locally to inspire a generation – the Olympic motto. Now this trend is slowly reversing, today’s entrepreneurs need a skilled workforce to harness the region’s potential, hence why the EU and Government need to look again at this perverse decision.

True meanings

PERHAPS the heroism of 22-year-old lighthouse keeper’s daughter Grace Darling 175 years ago should be remembered when spurious health and safety concerns are cited for delay and dither.

Her daring deeds 175 years ago, immortalised by the poet William Wordsworth and commemorated with a poignant wreath-laying ceremony, epitomise the true definition of “courage”.

It is a word that has become devalued over time because of its improper use, whether in the context of a politician taking a decision or a multi-millionaire footballer overcoming a minor muscle twinge. Grace and her father set off in stormy seas in their small coble, an open rowing 
boat with no protection from the elements, to come to the aid of the stricken crew of a ship which had begun its fateful voyage from Hull.

One of the Victorian era’s most celebrated rescues, and one which inspires RNLI crews to this day, it is indicative of the strength of the human spirit and why words like “courage” and “heroism” need to be used more sparingly in future so the bravery of incredible people like Grace Darling is never diminished.