YEP Letters: December 30

Check out today's YEP letters

Turn up to award ceremonies

A Shipman, Leeds 13

Personalities, sporting or otherwise, who cannot be bothered to attend award ceremonies should be stripped of the honour and the first prize be instead given to the runner-up.

Andy Murray was, once again, conspicuous by his absence at Sports Personality of the Year. Tax exile Lewis Hamilton, living in Monaco. and winner of SPOTY 2015, failed to attend. This country appears good enough to represent in sport but not good enough to live in.

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And to sum it all up, Bob Dylan could have made an effort to attend the Nobel prizegiving ceremony as it may be for him a once in a lifetime event.

MPs should use their judgement over Brexit

John Cole, Baildon

Before the June 23 referendum over 400 of our MPs were of the view that it is in the best interests of the UK for our country to remain within the European Union.

Developments since then have served only to confirm that the beauties of Brexit are illusory and that exiting the EU will prove both technically very difficult and an act of extreme self-harm.

What should our MPs do under these circumstances? The country has voted (albeit only by 52:48 in an obviously flawed referendum) to exit the EU.

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Some “Remain” MPs will clearly be worried about their chances of holding on to their seats in the next general election if they resist “the will of the people”.

However, Edmund Burke’s fundamental point remains: MPs are representatives and not delegates.

They are in parliament to exercise their judgement - objectively. MPs to do the best thing for our country and vote down the manifest lunacy of exiting the EU.

Truly moved by TV drama

Coun M Dobson, Garforth and Swillington

I’ve seen one of the most compelling, thought provoking, frightening and ground breaking pieces of TV in some time.

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It wasn’t a big budget drama, it was a long standing British soap-Emmerdale (screened December 21)

The attempt to cover the episode from the perspective of a man and his carers living with dementia was truly thought provoking.

The confusion Ashley felt was conveyed brilliantly.

It was frightening, disturbing and moving for the viewer in equal measure. You felt his anxiety and confusion.

As we live in an increasingly ageing community this issue will impact on many of us.

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So, thank you all at ITV raising awareness in a sensitive, compelling way.

Support for working girls

Ernest Lundy, by email

Due to the number of recent attacks on street women in Leeds 11, a report says that these ladies are to be given increased protection.

How they are supposed to obtain that is not explained.

But rather than continue casting a blind eye as it were upon their activities in the particular district, wouldn’t it be a better idea to ban their trade and open a legal establishment elsewhere, where they would be safer from attack and their clients and, due to health checks, would be less likely to contract STDs?

It works well in other countries so why not here?

From another standpoint the people of Holbeck and Beeston would be eternally grateful. Genuine working girls and women in particular.

There’s hope for the future

Jaimes Lewis Moran, member of Leeds Green Party

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It has been a interesting year for both transport, homelessness and air quality in Leeds. True many cities and their traffic congestion did get much worse, but on the plus side councils are finally starting to admit there’s a problem (with diesel fuel emissions) the same goes for the rising homeless and poverty.

However, it is my hope they’ll now offer truly effective assistance and solutions (for instance the Poverty Truth - Leeds commission approach).

Speaking of which, the CityConnect cycle highway is once more past its overdue timescale.

That being said though, it’s very similar to what the Royal Armouries experienced during its planning and implementation; it was called a ‘waste of time and money’ and that no one would ‘truly appreciate’ it - thankfully, these comments and opinions were proved wrong!

Right to name and shame

Barry Leonard, Bramley

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So at last named and shamed and so they should be, the councillors who forgot to pay their council tax.

But what makes it worse, the rest of the council try to keep the names secret.

Bad move for people who run the city and can up the taxes for us, the ratepayers, when they feel fit.

Well you can bet they don’t forget to fill in their expense sheets as badly, they will be correct down to the last penny.

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Maybe if they forget next time we should deduct the tax out of their wages or expense sheets, but don’t hold your breath.

Readjust your headlights

A Hague, Harehills

I notice that about a third of motorists have their headlights tilted upwards which can dazzle cyclists and pedestrians as well as other motorists.

it is a car owner’s duty to see this is not so, and to readjust them.

I would have thought someone in highways control would be empowered to stop cars having tilted lights and telling them to rectify it, as our overworked and disappearing police force don’t have time to even prevent crime on our streets,