YEP Letters: February 24

Check out today's YEP letters

Councillor’s work is outstanding

Pam Dolan, by email

I AM a firm long-time supporter of Coun Dobson and since last year, Coun Field.

Coun Dobson’s commitment to Garforth & Swillington is outstanding. He is not just focused, he is dedicated to doing what’s right for the community and Coun Field is the same.

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For the Leeds Labour Group to say Coun Dobson was suffering with the role of councillor is complete fabrication and frankly using a health condition which was managed and not affecting his work or personal life is extremely poor judgement. Is it not a breach of non relevant health information from a council and party that claims to put these types of health concerns of its citizens as an important priority? Our local Labour group didn’t speak out in support of Coun Dobson and all the hard work he has done, not just for the community but also for the local party, instead they chose to toe the party line. For that reason I have cancelled my membership of the Labour party and pledge my ongoing support to the Garforth & Swillington Independents. Many comments on social media have already stated that regardless which party Coun Dobson stands for they would vote for him because he gets results on the things that are important for them and our community.

‘Follow me out of poisonous environment’

Coun Janette Walker, Independent, Cross Gates and Whinmoor Ward

Following comments in the YEP (February 23) regarding my departure from Leeds Labour Group I feel I must make certain clarifications.

Firstly the assertion by Leeds Labour that I was under a ‘disciplinary investigation’. This follows my stance on not condoning Labour councillors who were summonsed to court for non-payment of council tax. I said so publicly and the whip asked to see me following a complaint about my stance.

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I refused until the whip could demonstrate to me that the people who had brought the Leeds Labour Group into yet more disrepute had been punished or faced any actual sanction. I never received a reply.

So, if for re-enforcing what the public already knew, namely Labour members not paying their dues to the citizens of Leeds on time is a matter for discipline then I’m guilty as charged. But happy I did the right thing.

As per the issue of my attendance. When I accepted the invitation to stand in Cross Gates and Whinmoor I explained I was both a career woman and a single parent. This was accepted and I received the nomination. Are we now saying single parents who work hard to support their families are excluded from Labour in Leeds? Hardly as ‘inclusive’ as the way Coun Blake constantly claims it to be?

I ask any decent Labour councillor, and there are many, to follow me and others out of this poisonous environment of half truth and innuendo and, Coun Blake, I ask you to resign now before you bring any more discredit on yourself or the city I love.

Harebrained scheme

Shaun Kavanagh, Morley

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Here we go again with the latest harebrained scheme from Leeds City Council (LCC). Now they look to waste more millions in handing out free computers, inclusive of free broadband packages to those without.

It matters not who the recipients might be, the project will be just another to add to LCC failures.

If people really want a computer they will find the finance as they do for owning cars, flat screen TVs and Sky, mobile phones, pets, smoking and going to the pub, all of which are expensive, though not necessarily everyday essentials, yet LCC are looking to provide another, some might call, luxury but at whose expense?

Those in our society who don’t work but get all they want paid for by those who do work, making LCC ideas even more pathetic.

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LCC talk of their latest scheme filling the coffers by £45m over the next 10 years but no mention of the following questions:

1: What will the cost be to provide the equipment, broadband connection and presumably ongoing maintenance via a costly contract? A colossal amount I envisage.

2: Where is the supposed income figure of £45m from and what is it based on? It appears guess work and without hard facts at best.

3: How many users do LCC expect to actually use their new toy before it is sold on to acquire the above mentioned items, or those more unsavoury?

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The Labour governing council has already squandered millions on idiotic projects that favour a few i.e. cycle tracks, trolley bus schemes and now we have tram and free computer schemes on the table of failure.

LCC should be ashamed at their waste of millions, millions which could easily have been used more effectively but do the council actually listen to residents? No.

True cause of NHS crisis

B Duffy, by email

After being bombarded all winter by the biased BBC on the ‘meltdown’ of the NHS being blamed on the ageing population, who have mostly paid for 50 years to be looked after, it is time to look to the main causes of this funding crisis.

According to the Independent newspaper there are approximately 100 hospitals which have been built using PFI, costing £11.5 billion pounds.

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When these have been paid for in 2049, they will have cost over £80 billion in total.

This is all thanks to the ‘prudent’ Chancellor Gordon Brown, who tried to sneak these in without them being shown on the official figures.

He was happy to receive the plaudits for providing these facilities, knowing that succeeding governments would be left to pick up the bills.

So before you start baying for the blood of the present government, you might stop and question where the true blame lies for the NHS’s current crisis lays and ask what percentage of your Trust’s budget goes in interest payments for ‘Brown’s follies.’

Mission to find D-Day veterans

Nichola Rowlands, Head of Travel, Remembrance Travel

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I am head of travel for the travel arm of the Royal British Legion, Remembrance Travel, and I’m currently on a mission to find every single surviving D Day veteran.

The Treasury is enabling a series of free-of-charge tours for D-Day veterans to return to Normandy and pay their respects to their fallen comrades.

The tours are being funded by the Treasury from LIBOR fines, and will enable a D-Day veteran to return with a family member and carer on a six-night tour.

The 2017 tours will take place in March, April, May and September and will give Normandy veterans - now mostly in their 90s - the chance to revisit the Normandy beaches, cemeteries and memorials. The tours will be accompanied by a medic and a guide from the Royal British Legion. The tours will depart from London and will include Eurotunnel from Dover to Calais, accommodation, visits to Pegasus Bridge, Juno, Sword, Gold beaches, Arromanches, and war memorials, plus visits to personally specified cemeteries too.

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Sadly, there is no database of D-Day veterans so we’re calling on the goodwill of the media and general public to spread the word. So, if you do know a 
D-Day veteran, please do let them know about our free tours.

Normandy veterans 
wishing to benefit from this tour need to apply to our tour operator, Arena Travel on 01473 660800, or visit www.arenatravel.com/journeysofremembrance.

Great night for cancer charity

Coun Noel Bullock, Elmfield Ward, Morley Town Council

My wife and I had a great time last Saturday evening at Gildersome Sports Club where local band Big Mouth were performing with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Everybody who attended/made the event happen deserves a massive pat on the back in helping to raise an amazing £1,300.00 which is a tremendous effort especially because this condition has affected so many people I have had the privilege to know and they do an amazing job supporting cancer patients and their families.

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