YEP feedback: December 27

Who will stand up for our troops?

Judy Goodwin, Altofts, Leeds

Is their not one person in the House of Commons prepared to stand up for our troops?

Not only are they being sued using tax-payers money by the families of terrorists from Afghanistan we now find that they are to be hounded for shooting IRA killers over 30 years ago. Tony Blair as part of the Good friday agreement gave hall passes to all IRA terrorists that they would not be prosecuted or pursued for any crimes no matter how abhorrent, not so our troops thrown to the wolves.

Is their no-one that will stand up and be counted, and defend the men whose boots they are not fit to polish?

What do you think? Do you think troops are being unjustly held to account over conflicts of the past and will the complexities of modern wars mean more of the same?

Hopes and fears for the coming new year!

R Kimble, Leeds

Things I don’t want to hear or see in 2017: the bloke who shops in the local Co - op on Sunday morning in his pyjamas with the jacket open; Jeremy Hunt; Americans; Tory MPs’ expenses claims after they try and cut disability benefits; the words and phrases “know what I mean”, ”lessons will be learned”, ”well . . . . “, ”erm”; a certain four letter word used constantly, especially by young children; young men sitting in the garden watching their wives or partners doing the gardening; loud car radios; modern chart music; those awful brown shoes with the pointy toes that stick up that some men insist on wearing; the ubiquitous hoodie ; letters by Nick Keer; news reports that cite psychopathic solicitors trying to use depression as a reason for killing someone - it isn’t; drink drivers not getting appropriate custodial sentences.

Apart from that I look forward to a year full of my usual good cheer and wish all readers a happy new one (I’m not mentioning Christmas because I don’t believe in it or God).

Live long - we’ve paid our dues

Martin Schweiger, by email

Ernest Lundy (Letters on 19th December) has questioned if older people should apologise for getting older and putting more strain on the welfare state.

Older people have spent more years contributing to the welfare state than the younger members of the population. Most of the NHS costs we incur are in the last year of our lives, so if that happens to be long delayed rejoice and enjoy life as fully as you can.

There are many unexplained features of how the national resources are used.

Nationally money was found to bail out the banks and it is not clear to me how the community as a whole has benefitted from quantitive easing. Spending money on overseas aid generally brings profitable returns to UK companies and organisations. We should encourage greater transparency in economic policy and push our politicians to work on reducing inequalities across society.

Tax arrears unacceptable

Shaun Kavanagh, by email

The secrecy regarding councillors tax debts (Evening Post, December 16) is the most damning article regarding Leeds City Council (LCC) with Labour councillors, and perhaps others, avoiding their financial commitments by “not” paying their rates in accordance with rules they themselves lay down.

It is hypocritical and inexcusable for councillors to be in arrears, but what makes it even worse is LCC spending rate payers money to finance a cover up of the very offenders within the Civic Hall.

Last straw for Labour party

R Kimble, Hawksworth

It is indeed contemptuous and cynical that certain Councillors are attempting to obfuscate their accountability to us over their Council Tax.

They talk transparency but are not showing it. I stopped voting Labour in general elections after Iraq and Blair - this confirms it forever, whatever the election, national or local.

Let charities gain from it

T Crawford, by email

Given the venal nature of many politicians, both national and local, we should not be surprised at the revelation that some Leeds councillors have failed to pay their Council Tax.

The YEP could use a method that would both ‘smoke out’ the guilty parties and at the same time benefit local charities; that is, publish the names of all councillors and the public could place a bet on the names of those who are finally exposed. These names will surely be revealed eventually because, among the blame-free councillors, there will be more than one who will expose the guilty in order to remove themselves from suspicion.

After paying out the winning bets the surplus could go to charity.

Time for a positive attitude

Marilyn Shaw, Dewsbury

How much longer are we going to suffer the whinging, negative attitude to Brexit?

I did not vote for this, but it was a democratic vote by the people of the UK, even if not in all areas. The outcome was a majority in favour.

Like it or not, we now have it and so put up and shut up, stop whinging and work towards success. Let there be an end to all this negativity.

Try positivity.

Blunkett did a great job

A Hague, Bellbrooke Grove, Harehills

I FULLY agree with YEP Columnist Blaise Tapps’ remarks that David Blunkett was one of the best members of parliament we have ever had. The fact he was blind made his job much harder but he brought many improvements under Tony Blair’s leadership.

He did have critics but I think he did a great job for us all.