YEP Letters: July 23

Householders’ efforts wasted

A Ward, Leeds 8

In respect of the proposed fine on residents for not correctly disposing of their household rubbish, as the YEP editorial said, readers have made their feelings felt about this in the past.

Indeed I wrote a few weeks ago about the fact that the men emptying bins in our little cul-de-sac had emptied all three bins at one go from an empty house. If the men employed to do this job ignore the instructions why should householders make an effort?

To add insult to injury, I have had no response to my email to the council about this subject.

I do believe in recycling and make every effort to sort everything, but feel all our efforts are wasted when the council’s employees “do their own thing” so to speak.

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Increasing concern over care facilities

Councillor Neil Buckley, Shadow Spokesman for Adult Social Care, Leeds City Council

It was disappointing to see that three more care facilities in Leeds have been inspected and found wanting (YEP, July 19).

They are the latest in a worrying number from Leeds considered to be below par, rated as either ‘requires improvement’, or worse, ‘inadequate’.

I cannot be the only one to have become increasingly concerned about these results, for what they say about the quality of care received by some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

At the end of March this year your newspaper found that of the 190 care facilities inspected in Leeds and Wakefield, 90 of them were rated in the bottom two categories, and with each round of inspections since then there have been more facilities judged as not making the grade.

If the inspection regime operated by the Care Quality Commission is robust and fair – and we have no reason to suspect it is not – then these ratings suggest a pattern of poor care that simply must be addressed.

I do not want to castigate the people or institutions providing care services in our city – there are many doing excellent work.

There are also a great many reasons explaining why a facility might be rated poorly, unique to the particular circumstances and challenges involved.

There is also a limit to what the Council itself can do, as these are independent care facilities and the CQC is responsible for maintaining care standards.

Nevertheless, acknowledging those limitations, I am encouraged by the fact that the council’s scrutiny board for adult social services receives regular updates on inspection outcomes, as part of its remit to maintain an overview of health and care services in the city, and I hope it will continue to work closely with the CQC to ensure everyone is doing everything they can to support under-performing facilities to improve.

Support radical, socialist ideas

Dr Glyn Powell, Kellington

Conservative prime minister Theresa May professes to be a one-nation Tory.

However, her cabinet is stacked with right-wing ministers, who doubtless will pursue policies that benefit only the wealthiest in society.

Despite this, Owen Smith - a Blairite nobody - chooses to fight the democratically elected Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership, instead of urging MPs to unite behind Corbyn in challenging disastrous Tory policies.

What is needed in the opposition, is support for Corbyn’s radical, socialist ideas, as it is such ideas that, when enacted, will benefit the majority of people in society rather than an over privileged minority.

Policies that are needed are the regeneration of Britain’s manufacturing base, to create skills and good pay for the working classes. Utilities such as electricity, gas, water and railways need to be renationalised. Health care provision requires further funding to cover those in social care.

Most importantly the billions May’s government intends wasting on replacing the useless Trident nuclear missile system would be better channelled into education and health services, where it would better serve the public. Also, some of the money could be used to build much needed council houses, to make inroads into housing the forgotten homeless and those on waiting lists.

Finally, unnecessary projects like HS2 need to be scrapoed and the billiions saved diverted into manufacturing, to take advantage of the post-Brexit trading era.

Opposition is disjointed

C Sharp, Leeds 25

With reference to Mr Hooson’s reply (July 19) to my letter regarding Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party.

The Labour Party membership quoted was boosted by £1 a vote left wingers, the victories in by elections are to be expected mid term of a government. Please remove your blinkers and see what is there!

Corbyn is, I’m afraid a hindrance rather than an asset.

Your traditional Labour values are all very nice but in the real world a nation has to pay its way in the world.

Time and time again ‘true Labour values’ have got this country in a mess.

Looking at everything through rose coloured glasses is no way to run a country.

Labour needs to sort itself out for the good of not just themselves but for the good of the country.

Good opposition makes good government and I’m afraid the opposition is weak and disjointed.

Another referendum?

Martin J Phillips, Leeds 16

Nicola Sturgeon has hinted that she would push for another referendum over Scottish independence. I would support this but only if the Scottish pay for it themselves!

At least if Scotland was independent, the rest of the UK would not have to subsidise their free prescriptions or their free university tuition. Scotland would also have to foot the bill for its own membership of the E.U.

However, the main benefit of an independent Scotland would be that we could finally ban bagpipes south of the border.

Hospital staffing levels

Judy Goodwin, Altofts

MP Yvette Cooper is right to point out the low staffing levels in local hospitals and the effect it is having on patient care, it’s just a pity she was not as vocal when in government by pointing out to her old boss Tony Blair the disaster of his implementation of the disastrous PFI which has saddled hospitals with debts of millions for years to come.

Unable to balance their books, the trusts do what all large government organisations do, be it local or national, they cut front line staff and blame whatever government is in power for the savage cuts.

Time for Britain to blossom

Terry Watson, Adel

I am sure the new government will look closely at the way our taxes have been squandered by David Cameron.

He was quick to beg Theresa May not to drop his overseas aid commitment of £12 billion a year, 40 percent of which goes straight to Brussels with no audit trail whatsoever!

That should be one of the first things to be changed, it was only an ego trip for Dave trying to impress the world with his generosity. Every pound we the taxpayers give should be properly accounted for and the 0.7 per cent of GDP should be scrapped.

The green taxes should also go to bring down energy bills to industry and households. The man made global warming nonsense has lost all credibility after years of lying by governments worldwide.

HS2 is another of Dave’s stupid ideas. Why do we want to spend £63 billion on a high speed train, which we cannot afford, and do not need, when billions need spending on our existing third world railways?

We need longer trains with stations with longer platforms. Passengers who pay fortunes for their tickets might then have the luxury of a seat instead of strap hanging for miles in overcrowded carriages. Theresa May said she was “the heir to Thatcher”, well let’s hope she is, unlike “the heir to Blair” we have just got rid of, then when we are finally rid of the EU we will see Britain blossom.