YEP Letters: January 12

Check out today's YEP letters
Jayne DawsonJayne Dawson
Jayne Dawson

‘I have really enjoyed Jayne’s column’

Coun Peter Gruen, Cross Gates & Whinmoor Ward.

I was so pleased to read the editor’s tribute to Jayne Dawson. I have really enjoyed the weekly column from Jayne, in fact I have looked forward to it.

Why? Because Jayne has that rare gift of being a great observer of life and daily real situations and then turning her insights into a quirky, individualist and often self deprecating commentary.

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She had the ability to laugh at life and herself and we laughed with her.

Can I wish Jayne well in all she does in the future.

Were police right to restrict taxi protest?

Private hire drivers in Leeds are seeking legal advice after police issued an order to restrict a ‘go-slow’ protest in the city. Members of the Leeds Private Hire Drivers Organisation (LPHDO) were planning the third in a series of protests on Monday as they seek action from the police and council over safety concerns and licensing regulation and enforcement against drivers. But West Yorkshire Police served them with a notice which restricted the protest to two hours from 10am limited the number of vehicles to 100 and required driving in single file. A previous protest involving more than 200 cars brought city centre roads to a standstill last month. We asked YEP readers whether the police were right to block the protest and here’s what some of them said on social media..

Sue Harkin

Glad the police finally stepped in and showed them they cannot do as they please.

David Wyn Jones

It’s a protest. They’re not doing as they please. Would you want to stop the strikes on trains as well because they are doing as they please?

Moira Sexton

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Trains are striking for real reasons, these guys want to be above the law without the privilege of paying for that.

Michael Hewitt

Organised, union-backed industrial action is not the same as some angry cabbies holding up the city because have made up some spurious arguments about being allowed to park in bus lanes.

Sharon Broadbent

It is dropping off at certain points in bus lanes not to use them, and to remove stickers as it does make the car a target. A friend of mine was a taxi driver he got stones thrown at him, car scratched, everything. I agree with them protesting, you have to do things like this to get what you want, hence why people strike. If everyone just sat and put up with this then it would get worse, trust me. Don’t think the council have your best interests at heart.

Ross Bailey

West Yorkshire Police have my full support and I can’t blame Leeds City Council for standing their ground on this one.

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The taxi drivers need to start and be reasonable and understand they currently don’t have the public’s backing for theses strikes as they are asking for too much.

Show some grace and maybe people might change their minds, but as things stand they should not be allowed to cause total chaos to other public transport, eg bus users at peak traffic times in Leeds.

Katie McCann

the go slow wasn’t just an inconvenience to those trying to get to work etc, but effectively blocking or slowing access to a busy city centre hospital – that just can’t happen, what a disgrace these drivers are.

Ottis Bent

Good, the majority of people are against the taxis protest slowing down traffic which on the other hand is making people late for work or for any emergencies. Don’t think it’s the way to protest, most of us are against these particular protests.

Tom Dawson

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Taxi drivers have got the hump because they aren’t earning anymore, that’s the bottom line of it.

Everytime I get in a taxi drivers always say it’s rubbish these days and hard to earn a living. In my opinion the reason for that is that there’s way too many of them on the road.

There’s not a need for so many of them and by doing what they’re doing protesting is only going not make things worse for them.

Rachel Price

Holding a whole city to ransom because a type of worker isn’t getting their own way is just wrong.

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They want a change then go through normal channels. How would they feel if office commuters all refused to let them do their job? Why is their need to be heard greater than everyone else’s need on the road?

And all so they can evade proof of licence, having visible signs they are a licensed cab and they want to stop where they like? Sounds like the perfect recipe for running unlicensed cab firms to me.

Annette Downes

It seems the only people supporting the protest are the private hire drivers.

No public support whatsoever! I don’t agree with any of the reasons behind this protest and all they are doing is causing massive disruption to people trying to get to work.

Mick Rotherham.

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People are not against private hire drivers, they are against unnecessary and dangerous disruption to traffic that could cost jobs and more importantly lives. Maybe try rethinking what you ask for and how you deal with issues you already have.

Campaign for more drop off points rather than the right to drop off in bus stops, boycott known trouble spots rather than increase the risk of serial assault by demanding unmarked cabs, that sort of thing. I have total respect for private hire drivers -– you do an important job and deal with a lot of rubbish, but the go slows are never going to solve anything and will just continue to turn the public, the people who pay your wages, against you.

TV company wants Great War memories

Emily Sivyer, Testimony Films

Testimony Films, an award-winning TV documentary company are keen to speak to men and women in Britain who have memories of the First World War for a new BBC4 documentary series, ‘Britain’s Great War: The People’s Story’.

The series will feature the childhood stories of centenarians and supercentenarians who still vividly remember family life at the time, alongside archive footage and testimonies from those who fought.

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We are especially interested in talking to those who may have lost a loved one at the front or who remember the air raids, the food shortages and the patriotic spirit of the time.

If you -or someone you know- have childhood stories of the Great War, we’d love to hear from you.

Please email, call or write to Emily Sivyer, [email protected], 0117 925 8589, Testimony Films, 12 Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RH

Labour party not to blame

Tony Winstanley, Castleford.

Your reader Bob Watson (Letters, January 9) accuses the Labour party for being responsible for what he describes as, “lack of discipline and respect” within society.

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I agree totally that respect within society is far worse now than for decades, however, to try to shift the blame for that on to Labour is to try to rewrite history.

I don’t know how old Bob Watson is but I would assume he is aware of a certain politician by the name of Margaret Thatcher.

To use the term “society” surely gives him the clue as to where the disregard for ones neighbour comes from.

The “I’m alright Jack and weakest to the wall, as well as I’ll do and say whatever I want brigade”, are all Thatcher’s children and grandchildren.

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The only spark of decency within politics today comes from Jeremy Corbyn.

Whether you agree with his politics or not the fact is he never reverts to being disrespectful to others in society.

Crisis in our health service

Tarquin Holman, Farsley

For over a year our health care NHS bosses have being warning of the ‘pressures’ and ‘conditions’ being the worst in 30 years in our hospital.

How can our politicians be allowed to let it happen and be in a job?

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In no other profession would they get away with this crisis with an insincere apology for their total lack of any commitment to this major problem in our welfare state, no bed or care anymore. Yes, it’s a question of priorities, life saving operations or time spent on debating coffee cups with snow forecast.

A little gem

M Whitehead, Leeds 7

I see from the YEP (January 5) that Home Farm are looking to name a new bull calf. His mother is named ‘Lettuce’, so how about ‘Little Gem’ as I am sure he is.

Let us know what you think

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