YEP Letters: February 27

Conservative MPs have ‘no moral compass’

Glyn Powell, Kellington

Having watched the House Of Commons debate on the Lords’ amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill, I am even more convinced that Conservative MPs have no moral compass.

The first amendment concerned ensuring that child poverty was monitored by reference to household income. However, a succession of Tory MPs argued that child poverty should not be monitored by reference to household income. The Lords amendment was thus duly overturned. This leads me to conclude that in five years time, the government will claim that child poverty has disappeared.

The second amendment was also overturned, meaning that, from April 2017, new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants in the work related group lose £30 per week. This according to the Tories will encourage claimants to work. However, this premise is totally flawed, as the claimants are clearly already declared unfit for work, due to serious sickness, physical and/or mental health issues or disabilities. Rather this measure is ideologically driven, to take much needed finance from over 400,000 of the most vulnerable people in society, in the vain belief that the economy will be regenerated.

Instead of overturning sensible House of Lords amendments that showed compassion to the most vulnerable and lowest income group in society, the government should use at least as much time and energy in taking money from wealthy tax avoidance companies and individuals.

Clearly, the aforementioned measures are all concerned purely with saving the Treasury money, rather than helping the sick and mentally or physically disabled/ill back to work and shows the governments total disregard to child poverty.

Had they been interested at all in assisting people back to work in this way they would have taken their own Tory MPs’ advice and at least deferred these measures until an impact assessment on the effects of these disgusting measures could be put before the House.

MPs’ views on EU debate

Brian Day, Pontefract

So the vast majority of our local MPs, perhaps with the exception of Morley and Outwood’s, Andrea Jenkyns, want to stay in the EU.

They all seem to say that local businesses will benefit from staying in etc. Very admirable. However, NOT ONE of them mentions the £350 million we pay the EU EACH WEEK for the privilege.

No one has mentioned that we will still NOT have our border controls, or that all of our laws will still come from Brussels, including the dreaded Human Rights Bill, not to mention the money we pay in child benefit to children NOT living here! Why? Could it be that our MPs have a vested interest in business, or are they hoping to join the gravy train by being an MEP in the future? Craig Whittaker has said our PM has secured a number of reforms.

This is refuted by many, including Mr Cameron’s best friend, Michael Gove. I am not a massive fan of Mr Gove, but I have always found him to be a man of integrity and a speaker of the truth and if I had to choose who to believe, him or

good old Dave, I would choose the former.

UK is ‘a laughing stock’

Judith S Goodwin, Altofts

It comes as no surprise that the majority of local MPs are in support of us remaining in the EU.

Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas, most will be looking for a safe birth on the EU gravy train once their political career comes to an end in this country.

We are second to Germany in contributions to the EU, some £17 billion and still not one of them complains that the EU’s books have not been signed off for 20 years because of corruption. If this had been a private firm the government would have closed it down and prosecuted the directors. As for jobs at risk, tell that to the fishing fleet in Hull which was sold down the river by Grocer Ted, and the miners whose jobs have gone because of the closure of coal fired power stations. I have family who live in Europe and they tell me we are a laughing stock as we kowtow to every dictate that the EU spouts.

We have a chance to end this once and for all.

Boris isn’t a buffoon

Dave MacFadyen, Cross Gates

It’s Thursday, it’s Woodward’s World, so what is he saying this week?

“Boris is not the messiah, he’s a self-serving buffoon.”

I read the article. Much of it I can agree with. Whether we leave or remain in the EU is a major decision. But, as Mr Woodward rightly suggests, we need information. Real information. But, surely this is the same whenever we are asked to vote.

I have to take issue with one assertion. Mr Woodward, like most commentators, concludes that “Boris” is a buffoon. I know what a buffoon is but decided to check out a few dictionary definitions. I was unable to find a definition to accurately describe “Boris.” I don’t see “Boris” as a buffoon. Far from it. Yes, he cultivated his eccentric English gentleman persona whilst a pupil at Eton College. Yes, he often says things, apparently off the cuff, which show him to harbour a deep loathing of people who are not like him.

The reason for those apparent lapses in judgement are not buffoonery. They are an indication of his high functioning sociopathy.Boris Johnson is a very intelligent, arrogant, ruthlessly ambitious, man with a massive superiority complex who should not be underestimated.Underestimate “Boris” at your peril.

Heading for early grave?

Terry Rafferty, Bramley

No wonder we have so many fat adults and fat kids when Jayne Dawson.(YEP February 24) is saying “country walking is boring” “who has time to walk” “go by motorised transport“.

You and your offspring are heading for an early grave Jayne, believe me.

Safe spaces for cycling

Jaimes Moran, Seacroft

In response to the comments by Vernon Wood (YEP February 23 ‘It’s already a white elephant’), is it really so wrong to want safe spaces for cycling, especially considering they weren’t properly included in the first place?

And please bear in mind this is the first of its scale in the UK. You speak of white elephant projects, so how about the trolleybus campaign instead? (est. 2009). After all it’s been wasting money since 1990s as the supertram. The money grant which has/is being spent on the cycle highway was ring-fenced to be strictly ‘only for cycling’ - in case you weren’t aware. Either way, I know which elephant I’d prefer.

Devastation led to migration

Malcolm Shedlow, Moortown

Is it any wonder that their are so many migrants leaving Syria and surrounding areas.

Because of continuous bombing, shelling and human cleansing of these areas causing buildings and housing to be raised to the ground, no one in their right mind would want to stay there. They are doing the only sensible thing to do and that is get as far away as possible. It has nothing to do with free handouts,it’s a matter of survivaland who can blame them? As for sending them back to their country of origin. to live where? Among the rubble that was once their homes? The countries that have devastated their area have caused this migration and are now reaping what they have sowed.