YEP Letters: September 21

Blueprint for United States of Europe

M K O’Sullivan, Allerton Bywater

LAST week we saw and heard the Juncker blueprint for the post-Brexit EU – an EU president, finance minister, prime minister and so on.

By any measure, this means a United States of Europe.

I wonder how many of the Remain voters also want to see Britain enmeshed in a politically united union?

City gave in without a fight on trams

ME Wright, Harrogate.

Regarding the historic and ongoing state of Leeds City Council’s public transport oversight, recent contributors have commented on the effectiveness of Sheffield’s trams, one asking why a similar system in Leeds is such a problem.

It isn’t; Leeds once had one of the best systems in the country, with much of it running on segregations which remain.

The problem lies with the council’s craven acceptance of funding denials by both Tory and Labour governments. Similar Westminster denials for extensions to Manchester’s system were met with a resounding ‘get lost’; Leeds Council simply rolled over and launched itself into the dead-in-the-water trolleybus fiasco.

In a saga reminiscent of the navel-gazing 1950s, they continue to promote an all-bus system as the answer to a major European city’s congestion and pollution problems.

The original estimated £500m cost of tram reintroduction has probably doubled.

Given the ease with which the funding for London’s Crossrail 1 (£16bn) and Crossrail 2 (£30bn) emerged, is the odd billion or two for Leeds really too much to ask?

Sunshine on a rainy day

Irene Dunwell, Leeds

I should like to send my heartfelt thanks to the very kind and honest person who handed in my blue Harrods bag on the number 40 bus on Saturday afternoon, September 9.

Just before boarding the bus I had purchased some special tickets for a trip for my daughter and grandchildren. It also had papers in I wouldn’t wish to lose.

The First Bus lost property didn’t open until Monday, so it was a worrying weekend. Bramley bus depot answered promptly, explaining how to get there.

The driver got off the bus to point me in the right direction (number 16 bus). The gentleman dealing with lost property explained how to get back using the quickest route into Leeds centre.

It rained on the journeys there and back but to me it was a very sunny day.

So thank you all in the recovery of my bag, you have reinforced my idea that there are lots of good people around willing to help others.

Rigid policy is not the answer

Christopher H Tyne, Leeds

Whilst K Palmer (YEP Letters, September 13) may be right generally in comments about discipline or lack thereof in many present day schools, there is a counter argument to be made on several grounds.

It is wrong to imply that there is a disciplinary problem in all schools. Before retirement, I was governor of a primary school in a residential area.

The head encouraged me to spend time in the school and I thoroughly enjoyed the expreience, working at the side of boys and girls with their teachers.

Whilst there might have been some mischievous behaviour, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Unlike K Palmer, who is ‘glad I’m out of it’, I regret that I am now too old to be a school governor.

Might it not also be said that some head teachers give the impression of chucking their weight around – granted not a new problem judging by my own days at grammar school.

It was precisely because of that problem that I left school almost as soon as I could. Fortunately it did not in the long term do me any harm.

Most people who hold any sort of authority over others get best results from working with them, rather than slapping down on them.

Might part of the disciplinary problem in schools be a question of faulty approach?

As to the specific question of school uniform, any historian is aware that as soon as you emphasise a uniform unduly, the uniform starts to take over.

Does not emphasis on the uniform give the impression that the school is more important than the scholars?

Whilst I agree that there may well be disciplinary problems in many schools, imposing a rigid uniform policy and antagonising many parents into the bargain, does not seem the answer.

What about facilities for residents?

David Speight, Tingley

I am pleased our MP Andrea Jenkyns is against building on the green belt, however she and others miss another massive issue which of course is facilities for local people and new people moving into the area.

Take for example the large estate of new private homes in East Ardsley, no play area for children this estate is mainly family homes.

No increase in the number of GPs, teachers, no access for public transport and no shops. The government want more people to leave their cars at home yet provide no public transport.

Developers force new home owners to use their cars. I am not even sure if access to these estates is possible for public transport and goodness knows how a fire engine would get to the bottom end of that estate if there was a fire or major emergency incident.

We need to see changes, developers should have to put play areas into these developments and roads that have good access for public transport and emergency services.

In addition, some money into the pot to help GPs and schools it is all take from most developers or so it seems.

I was amazed a short time ago when I visited an area where the likes of David Cameron live, I saw no massive new developments in that area.

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