The continuing saga of HS2 - not a sleeper laid

YEP letters, March 22
An artist's impression of how HS2 could lookAn artist's impression of how HS2 could look
An artist's impression of how HS2 could look

JEF Waring, Coniston Way, Woodlesford, Leeds

The continuing saga of HS2.

I refer to the article entitled “HS2 will be railway of the next generation”, which appeared in the business section of the YEP, February 19. This is yet another attempt to perpetrate the myth that HS2 is coming to Leeds which it is not, and was never intended to.

HS2 Ltd has dug itself into a deep hole on which it has wasted vast sums of taxpayers money. The government is now, and has been for some considerable time, attempting to find someone else to “pull-the-plug” on this out-of-control behemoth.

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If it was to go ahead, the statement by the Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd that “we are building a railway for over 100 years” would be correct, as it would take this long. Judging by the progress made so far, HS2 Ltd has been “at it” since 2011 and not yet a single sleeper has been laid.

One other statement that HS2 would have a transformative impact on the Yorkshire economy. This would be transformed downwards from the present thriving economy.

The other statement that “we have got to maintain momentum” is what we are doing, but it is spelt with a capital ‘M’.

Please don’t take us for fools. We don’t all wear flat caps and keep whippets, nor were we all born yesterday.

Politicians are keeping us tied to EU at all costs

Judy Goodwin, Altofts

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Politicians from all sides are determined to keep us tied to the EU one way or another.

For 45 years they have nodded through every law and diktat thrown our way, even when it was detrimental to our country.

Who can forget Blair, Cameron and Clegg giving government contracts to other countries even when it meant a loss of jobs in the UK? All the while spouting it’s the EU rules. Funny how France and Germany managed to get around these rules.

For once when we leave they will have to answer to the electorate.

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They have grown lazy and unaccountable and are scared for their jobs. Welcome to the real world.

The downward spiral continues

DS Boyes, Upper Rodley Lane, Leeds

As knife crimes escalate to an unprecedented level - even for this country, does anyone really believe the politicians have any solution whatsoever?

As it is their inertia over past decades which is the root of the problem.

The Conservative’s return to office at the 2010 election after 13 long years in opposition, had in its manifesto a clear commitment to a mandatory five year prison terms just for carrying a knife! Was that ever implemented? No, quietly shelved as Theresa May knows, she being the Home Secretary.

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s election campaign had in it a commitment to reduce stop and search, that has to have made things worse, but don’t politicians say anything to get votes? Look at the Lib Dems big ‘lie’ over tuition fees.

With 285 knife murders last year, the old hangmen would have been working overtime. But, Labour campaigned to abolish capital punishment, the last two hanged in 1964 simultaneously at Manchester and Liverpool. The death penalty was finally abolished in 1965 even for treason or arson in Naval dockyards.

Membership of the EU specifically precluded capital punishment anyway.

All the above proves to me anyway, that our democracy is a sham, the position summed up so succinctly by US author Mark Twain (aka Samuel Clemens) who said “if voting meant anything, they, the politicians, would never let us do it”. The deplorable situation over Brexit proves this beyond any doubt.

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So, regardless of who is in power, the downward spiral of our once clean civilised country continues...more’s the pity.

Give up salaries to fund Brexit

Sandra Morris, Lady Park Court, Leeds

With regards to Brexit, would it be a good idea for all the MPs and members of the House of Lords to give up all the money from their expenses and half of their salaries for six months?

This would enable us to pay off our debt to the EU and then just walk away. This way many other countries would follow our lead.

End is nigh?

A Hague, Bellbrook Grove, Harehills, Leeds

Is the end of the Conservative Party nigh?

I ask this because if we stay in the EU democracy in our Parliament will be dead, and 17 million people will never vote Tory again. Theresa May has put pride and leadership first before the law of the referendum. This week an MP told us that it’s like the Titanic voting against an iceberg.

Sad state of affairs with EU

Aled Jones, via email

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The EU embodies an insidious tradition of propping up its less able members, while relying on the richer states like Britain to gracefully foot the bill.

It certainly is a sad affair when Spain and Italy both owe one Trillion each - everybody in May’s government knows that this is the reason why the bureaucrats won’t let us just walk away from the EU.

They will continue to stall our withdrawal and frustrate every attempt we make to regain control of our economic future.

It is simply a matter of cold-blooded necessity.

Without Britain, the French and German economies will be left with an unserviceable debt that may collapse them.

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