YEP Letters: January 6

Knighthoods for ‘outstanding’ citizens

Alec Denton, Guiseley.

I believe politicians should be treated the same as the many ‘ordinary’ people who thoroughly deserved their awards and that knighthoods should be reserved for a handful of truly outstanding citizens.

When Nick Clegg was an MP, he did much more for his constituency than his replacement and more for this country than Nigel Farage, whose substantial index-linked pension, to be paid for out of our future contributions to the EU, is a more than adequate reward for 20 years of disruptive behaviour.

Bring railways back to public ownership

Martin J Phillips, Leeds 16

I noticed that the train companies made sure they offered rail customers a ‘sweetener’ before they bumped up rail fares yet again at the start of the new year.

As with previous years Northern and Transpennine trains have made a big song and dance about new trains they will be introducing in the ensuing months and like previous years they will never materialise.

The Government and rail companies say that the increase in rail fares will allow more money to be spend improving the rail networks but the fact is that as much as 40 per cent (or maybe more) of the fares will go straight into the pockets of two sets of shareholders; some goes to the rail franchise companies the rest to the train leasing companies.

With such a high percentage of their income going to shareholders, Virgin Trains have already given notice to the government that they will be terminating their East Coast contract early as they are losing money.

This comes as no real surprise as previous private providers have all lost money. The only East Coast company not requiring a bail-out by the Government are the public company Network Rail who actually kept prices low and still made a profit - they do not have any shareholders!

The government subsidise the loss-making private companies as a ligitimate way of giving tax-payers (public) money to their friends - the shareholders of the companies.

Rail passengers in the UK are already paying five times as much in fares as our European counterparts yet our railways are put to shame by those on the continent. The sorry state of UK railways will continue until we have affordable network back under public ownership.

How to deal with speeding

Mel Smart, MCIT, Farsley

I read on the YEP front page the furore regarding excessive speeds by cars.

There is a simple solution and that is to govern all car engines to operate at a maximum of 70mph.

A better way of deterring any car driver from excessive speed is to fine him or her £200 per one mile per hour over the speed limit.

A third penalty would be to confiscate the car. That is the ultimate deterrent.

Just pass the necessary laws. Job done.

Urgent funding is needed

Kamran Hussain, Chair of Yorkshire and Humber Liberal Democrats

2018 has started with the news that NHS bosses have ordered more non-urgent operations to be cancelled.

This follows on from reports at the end of 2017 that almost 59,000 patients suffered ambulance waits for at least 30 minutes before being admitted to A&E in December, whilst nearly 11,200 waited more than an hour.

NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens had warned that the health service in England, needed at least £4 billion more in the budget, but the Chancellor allocated only £1.6 billion.

The lack of funding by the Conservative Government has resulted in the NHS being unable to deal with the pressures of an average winter.

The head of the NHS has been warning for months that there would be a crisis and this is a latest sign that he is absolutely right.

The response by the Conservative Government is wholly inadequate. They are so distracted by Brexit that they have failed the NHS.

NHS needs urgent funding. The most sensible and honest way of finding money for the NHS is putting a penny on the pound in income tax, which the Liberal Democrats have pledged.

Money will never be enough

Judy Goodwin, Altofts

No matter how much money is poured into the NHS it will never be enough.

Waste is rampant, incompetence, like most government organisations, is rewarded.

What is needed is a renegotiation of the disastrous PFI contracts brought in by Tony Blair, root and branch cuts from the top down, and everyone who enters the country not holding a British passport must have proof of medical insurance.

This would be the start,but I doubt any politician is interested, easier to just keep throwing money at the problem.

Why should NHS pay for drunks?

Nigel Bywater, Morley

In December 2016 the YEP reported about a 103 per cent rise in alcohol related crime in a 12 month period, in Leeds city centre.

So it is known that there is a problem of increased drunkenness, that the Conservative Government of David Cameron promised to address with the introduction of a minimum price for 
alcohol.

The NHS is considering rolling out supervised “drunk tanks” to major towns such as Leeds and Sheffield as part of a bid to relieve pressures on A&E departments.

Newcastle, Bristol and Cardiff, already run Alcohol Intoxication Management Services (AIMS) during the festive period, and health service chiefs are considering making them a routine NHS service.

Why should the NHS pay to look after drunks, who are not ill?

Surely drunks should be given a fixed penalty notice or sent to holding cells and the cost met by the offender or the West Yorkshire Police Force?

Let us know what you think

THE Yorkshire Evening Post wants you to share 
your views with other 
readers. To join the debate, email [email protected] Please keep letters under 300 words.