YEP Letters: January 11

Check out today's YEP letters

Public being duped on fuel price

Mel Smart, Farsley

I wonder how many of the British public realise they are being duped.

Diesel is far cheaper to produce than petrol and yet it is two pence per litre dearer to buy. Methinks it is the money grabbing Government who are to blame otherwise there would be uproar.

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And here is another thought: when we leave the EU, will we revert back to pints and gallons, in which case petrol will be £6 per gallon. A bit pricy eh?

Let’s march forward with ambition

Lionel Pyrah, by email

With regard to the Yorkshire devolution debate, whilst I wholeheartedly agree with Vernon Wood’s comments (YEP Letters, January 7) regarding the county and its city regions being an area ‘of squabbling self-centered peasantry’, we part company on the issue of which policy to adopt in order to resolve the chaos now before us.

Whether we like it or not, city regions are the political and economic way forward - with London being an excellent example of this.

Our capital city doubled in size in the sixties as it ‘consumed’ 32 boroughs at a stroke.

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As cities and towns expand through increasing populations and, hopefully, further economic development, it is vital that UK city regions in general - and Leeds City Region in particular - are at the inception of any change.

Other cities are keen to take advantage of the pots of gold on offer. A mayor is therefore a small price to pay surely.

Finally, I am certain our beloved county will hardly be inconvenienced in the end.

Let us grab the opportunity the government is presenting and march forward with ambition and purpose.

Laughing stock of the world

Terry Watson, Adel

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Perhaps now that the Daily Mail has exposed the disgusting foreign aid scams being conducted by the fat cats helping themselves to millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, the Government might be forced to take action.

Why has it taken so long? Why did it need a newspaper to expose the frauds that have obviously been going on for years?

The 0.7 per cent of GDP which Lord Bountiful Cameron enshrined in law was just irresponsible and stupid and should be repealed immediately.

It might have made him feel warm inside, in fact he said it was the proudest moment in his career! That’s not saying a lot though. When thousands of his own people are dependant on food banks for survival, and pensioners who have worked all their lives paying taxes and insurance are surviving on the third lowest pension in the world it is unforgivable.

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Now care for the elderly is going to be financed by a six per cent increase in council tax. No wonder we are the laughing stock of the world. We should sack the Department for International Development and replace it with a more reliable system with every pound of taxpayers money accounted for.

Honours system outdated?

S Kavanagh, Morley

Well said F & A Ward (YEP Letters, January 6).

I agree wholeheartedly, Alistair and Jonny Brownlee should most certainly have received honours for what they have achieved, and done for their own sport by putting it on the world stage.

Yes, triathlon was a recognised sport previously but never more so than it is now, with people of all ages taking to the sport and rising to the leisurely and friendly challenges introduced by the brothers.

Not only have the brothers put Yorkshire well and truly on the map but England also. Two fine young upstanding ambassadors for Leeds, Yorkshire and their country and yet nothing by way of a thank you?

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When you see a 15 -year-old, never really heard of until Rio, receiving an MBE for swimming (congratulations to her for her success and achievements) and Andy Murray receiving a knighthood (very deserved), but by someone who, apparently, is not a lover of the country who awarded it, but gladly accepted it anyway, (like a well known fellow countryman and 007 actor did many years ago) it does create disbelief that the Brownlee brothers received nothing.

I take nothing away from either of the current recipients but awards have to be sensible.

The honours system appears, in many respects, a case of who you know not what you do and might be considered as out dated.

Honours should be earned over time and not be awarded with simplicity. The Brownlee brothers have been top of the triathlon tree for years, both having been World Champions in their sport and are likely to continue to do so in the years ahead. What more can the brothers do to receive their rightful recognition from the country they represent?

Take action to protect NHS

John Appleyard, Liversedge

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The NHS is in crisis, the Red Cross has announced it is providing humanitarian assistance to the NHS Trusts that simply do not have the resources to cope.

People are lying on trolleys in hospitals waiting to be seen, the NHS and social care are at breaking point.

This is a national scandal made in Downing Street by this Government who failed to spend a single extra penny for the NHS in their autumn statement

The NHS needs our help and support and am pleased that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for a day of action on January 21 to take action to protect our NHS.

NHS shouldn’t waste money

M Boyes, by email

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I have just read a letter about returning NHS equipment after use. I had all the same equipment lent to me following my discharge from the LGI.

When I no longer needed them I rang the Occupational Therapy Department who supplied them and was given a telephone number to ring to arrange for them to be collected.

At each stage I asked if the equipment would be reused and was told yes. Everything was collected as arranged.

I hope it was used again as the NHS cannot afford to waste money discarding all the equipment when there is nothing wrong with it.

How much will fire station cost?

Edna Levi, by email

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Can anyone explain or justify what benefit is going to be achieved by closing Moortown and Cookridge fire stations and building a new one perhaps a mile each way from their present locations?

How would this save lives - one of the reasons being given. In their present sites they are only mile each way from the areas they already serve.

Finally how much is this proposed new building going to cost Leeds rate payers?

Association’s annual reunion

David Griggs, Membership Secretary British Element Trieste Force Association

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Thanks to newspaper editors up and down the country the British Element Trieste Force Association has recruited 29 new members and 10 associate members over the past 20 months.

This Association was formed in 2002 for those ex-servicemen who served in the Free Territory of Trieste from 1945 and 1954. In addition to the veterans, average age 85, we welcome family members as associates, some of whom spent time in Trieste as children.

Photographs and memories are published in a quarterly magazine and further information is available on the association website. Regional meetings are held in various parts of the country. The 2017 annual reunion will be in Cardiff over the weekend of Friday/Saturday/Sunday 17/18/19 March. If you are interested in joining please get in touch with me by phone on 01665 589289,by email [email protected] or write to Suilven, Ellingham. Chathill. Northumberland NE67 5HA.

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