YP Letters: I'm proud to accept knighthood and become a Cameron crony

IF Tom Richmond considers I lack self-worth (The Yorkshire Post, August 6), perhaps he could take a few moments to review the evidence to the contrary.

For more than 30 years I have kept many hundreds of well-paid engineering jobs alive in my factories in Sheffield and Leeds. I have invested tens of millions of pounds of my own money in modernising them.

As the UK’s industrial decline evaporated my domestic customer base, I developed new products and markets, most notably in continental Europe. I fought off a hostile bid to protect my employees and my life’s work. The bidder subsequently went bust.

Had I not done these things, and with tenacity and determination, not only would my factories be wastelands, but also vital manufacturing skills would have been permanently lost.

Even as I write, having just completed a £5m investment programme at my Leeds plant, I am pouring further millions into my Sheffield factory to enable it to cope with the oil, China and now ‘Brexit’ downturns. On a wider front, I have donated substantial sums to various charities, including the South Yorkshire Community Foundation.

I am proud to have supported David Cameron’s efforts to persuade the electorate to remain in the EU. I did this because I believed it was in the best interests of the UK, and that the former Prime Minister was the best person to present the case.

I do not consider the narrow ‘defeat’ to be a failure, even though it has created new challenges for me. My European customers are perplexed by the self-harm which they see the ‘Leave’ vote to be and I must re-assure them that Britain in general and my company in particular are still open for business.

Let me assure Mr Richmond of one thing. While I have health and vigour, I will continue to fight for my company, for my employees and for British engineering. Lack of self-worth? I don’t think so.

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

I HAVE been a staunch supporter of David Cameron until his recent childish behaviour over his departing honours list. Does Sam Cam’s hairdresser deserve an honour more than the lady who does my hair and in her spare time, does the hair of residents in an old people’s home and a hospice? I think not.