YEP Letters January 21

Check out today’s YEP letters
Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Who will step into political vacuum?

Harry Brooke, Meanwood

I’m horrified this country is heading into a crisis of Parliament’s making.

17.4 million people gave our politicians a clear directive by referendum mandate to remove us from the EU. We have been woefully deceived and now face a political shambles.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Who would vote again for this shower of self-serving, third-raters? The danger is we have no idea just who will step into the political vacuum.

Shocked at attempt to blame fires for pollution

Alec Denton, Guiseley

I WAS shocked to hear a spokesperson for Defra give an extremely biased justification for its proposed attack on wood burning stoves.

The lady claimed repeatedly that wood burning stoves were more dangerous than pollution from motor vehicles – outrageously untrue, but at least a refreshing change from all the pointless referendum speculation we have been subjected to recently.

Cars alone in this country are expected to top 40 million by 2020, i.e. over 50 per cent of the population will own or drive a car and many more will drive for work, including the delivery of internet purchases. In contrast, the number of homes heated by wood burning stoves will remain a tiny and seasonal minority.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I can only assume that what has stirred Defra from its normal inertia is the sad case of the little girl in London whose asthma death was allegedly contributed to by traffic pollution from the adjacent road and could well lead to the prosecution of the Highway Authority, hence this 
political attempt to blur the issue.

As anybody who has stood waiting to cross the A65 in Guiseley will agree, peak periods now last most of the working day and pollution from traffic can be both smelled and tasted, with the vehicles responsible only too obvious.

Thanks for PDSA support

Rebecca Ashman, PDSA Veterinary Campaigns Manager

On behalf of vet charity PDSA, which has busy pet hospitals in Leeds and Bradford, I would like to say a huge thank you to all local players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We have received fantastic support from players over the past 12 months, which coincided with our 100th birthday celebrations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was on 17 November 1917 that the charity’s founder, Maria Dickin, first set up a dispensary for sick animals in London’s East End. Over the following years our work spread in response to public demand and PDSA now operates 48 Pet Hospitals across the UK, supported by a national chain of around 120 charity shops, and a dedicated army of volunteers.

Over the past 12 months support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery has helped us deliver projects that prevent illness and disease, and educate pet owners and children on how to care for animals.

In 2018 we: · Educated over 64,000 school children through our PetWise Schools programme which promotes animal welfare

· Completed 331 school visits, equipping the next generation of pet owners with the skills they need to provide the 5 Welfare Needs for pets to be happy and healthy

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

· Launched our new £250,000 PetWise Mobile Unit which features two vet consulting rooms, oxygen facilities, moveable seating, a widescreen TV and built-in iPads and can be used to carry out minor operations, host vaccination clinics, school lessons and pet first aid 
classes

· Carried out over 5,000 free PetWise MOT’s on pets through our PetWise Tour across 151 locations, including Compton and Chapeltown in Leeds, Kippax and Shipley

· Microchipped 436 pets and clipped the nails of over 850 pets’ on board our three PetWise vehicles

· Equipped 838 pet owners and visitors with general pet health advice through our PetWise Tour

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So much has already been achieved, but there is still more to be done.

In 2019, thanks to continued player support, we will be building on the legacy of these projects to continue to reach communities beyond the reach of our Pet Hospitals, helping pets and equipping adults and children with the skills they need to be great pet owners.

In 2018 alone, £116 million was raised for good causes across Great Britain by players of People’s Postcode Lottery – an incredible achievement.

On behalf of us here at PDSA, and all the pets we help, a huge thank you.

Respect the democratic vote and hope for best

Geoff Holloran, Leeds 9

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I response to a recent letter from Richard Kimble who thinks that should be another referendum because the people (he believes) were not told the truth.

Well I am of an age where I have voted at both local and general elections over the years and can’t remember any of the main political parties telling the truth when they want your vote!

The slogan on the side of “that” bus does indeed indicate that money we save from making payments to the EU would be spent on the NHS, which I believe we will if we ever manage to leave the EU, but it was my understanding that the cash would also be spent on our depleted farming and 
fishing industries as well as the NHS.

It’s also worth mentioning when people are calling for a second vote, we have just had the second one, the first one being some 40 years ago.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So I say to Mr Kimble and the rest of the remainers, do what we did all those years ago when we voted not to join the common market and lost,bite the bullet and stop moaning and get behind the government and respect the democratic vote that took place and do what we had to do..and hope for the best.

Tonsil removal idea ‘useless’

A Hague, Leeds

I was shocked to read that children are having tonsils removed with no good reason.

My daughter and son have had problems for many years after removal and I nearly died after having mine out and later had a year off school because of rheumatic fever caused by it.

Our government is wasting money.

They are only making things worse by restarting this useless idea.