YEP Letters: January 7

Film tribute to a gentler time

Jean Lorriman, Huddersfield

WHAT a wonderful treat at the end of a somewhat turbulent year was Ethel and Ernest, a tribute by the illustrator Raymond Briggs to his parents.

It was as enchanting as The Snowman. The last year had its triumphs – Andy Murray along with a host of others winning Olympic and Paralympic gold gave us some relief from the dreadful Middle East tragedies and unbelievable political shenanigans.

Ethel and Ernest gave us a glimpse of the 1940s and ‘50s when life was slower, gentler and there was great excitement when washing machines, vacuum cleaners and TV sets arrived.

Where will UKIP votes end up?

Don Burslam, Dewsbury

UKIP has sorted things out at the top with Paul Nuttall now elected as leader, but it is difficult to see a future for them.

They were always a one man band under Nigel Farage and their prospects for the long haul seem slender.

The truth is they lack a raft of credible policies which have widespread appeal to a solid cross section of the electorate. All the old parties have had their ups and downs over the years, but they have proved their durability. They each represent a coherent plan of how society and the economy should develop from their point of view. Ukip has skilfully tapped into the prejudices of a large group of people but their support at the last election was always doomed to melt away. It will be fascinating to see where their votes end up.

Common sense out of fashion

John Fisher, Harrogate.

AS the Brexit arguments rage, one fact remains and that is that Scotland and Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. There appears to be no positive way to satisfy those parts of the UK who voted to remain.

The thought of Nigel Farage seeking the role of international negotiator between the UK and the USA is a clear indication that common sense is rapidly going out of fashion.

Time for ‘all or nowt’ policy

Vernon Wood, by email

Ever since devolution was proposed for Yorkshire it seems the concept has been enveloped in a dense fog of obfuscation, contradiction, indecision and a disgraceful display of barefaced political manipulation and disagreement.

Conflicts of organisation from county-wide cohesion to city region disputations, with mayoral or management team leadership remain unresolved, presenting to the country and government a region of squabbling self-centred peasantry. It is time that the decision-makers buried their differences and come to the table with a proposal that recognises the history and heritage of Yorkshire’s ancient Ridings - a proposal that groups all the broad acres deserted by Sheffield’s disparate and disaffected “South Riding” constituents. To encourage a more coordinated approach may I suggest that future devolution progress is pursued under a “Yorkshire - all or nowt” policy.

Cycle lane cash ‘disgraceful’

Shaun Kavanagh, Morley

I write to congratulate Andrew Kilburn (YEP letters January 6) for his observations and superb comment in his last paragraph:“Never, in the field of personal transport, has so much been spent by so many on so few”, referring to Leeds City Council (LCC) wasting a staggering amount, circa £50+ million on not one, but two, cycle lanes in York Road and Stanningley Road with Coun Richard Lewis being at the fore of the ridiculous introductions.

His observation of gritting the cycle lane, instead of pavements, shows LCC for what it is namely, unfit for purpose. The sooner a change occurs within the Civic Hall the better Leeds will be.

If LCC was intent on doing something useful, which is doubtful, then perhaps they might consider a programme which would benefit the majority, as opposed to the minority, by finding cash from the demise of the trolley bus scheme (which would have been another project to benefit the minority) and bulldoze the cycle lanes in favour of better roads in general for those motorists who actually pay for the privilege of using the road network.

Over £50 million on little used, and dangerous cycle lanes (according to experts), is nothing short of a disgraceful insult to the good people of Leeds.

Give cycleway a chance

Peter Dixon, Pudsey

Whilst I understand some of the frustration with the cycle superhighway (A Kilburn, YEP Letters January 6), we cannot rely on a number of passing observations to define the success of it.

It needs to establish and then be measured using a mixture of statistical collections that take into account the many tangible benefits.

We have heard a number of comments about the unreliable transport system, air pollution and the struggles of the health care system in the UK in just the last few weeks from those writing in these letter pages.

One of the best methods for tackling all of these is to promote active and sustainable travel. We are going to need more of these measures if we want to ensure a better quality of life for those who live and work in Leeds.

If we don’t, we face a worse economy, poorer lives and a strained healthcare system. Let’s give it a chance, ensuring we get the best possible use out of this useful piece of transport infrastructure.

Waste of money

Hilary Andrews, Leeds

I agree that bidding for Leeds to be the City of Culture is a waste of our tax money.

Wouldn’t it be better for council leader Judith Blake to spend our money on paying for our bins to be emptied at least once a week rather than this crazy idea? We have enough in Leeds to ensure a large number of visitors; we don’t need expensive gimmicks like this one.

Reform needed

N Bywater, Morley

John Wainwright says that our MPs have been out of touch with the opinions and concerns of the voters, in regard to the EU.

Most of our MPs are intelligent people, they would not get elected otherwise; it is our voting system that is wrong.

We have a first past the post voting system, and the system has not allowed the smaller parties to break through.

Prior to the referendum we had all the major parties supporting the EU. Even now, UKIP only have one MP, Douglas Carswell. He won the Clacton by-election for UKIP, but only because he switched from Conservative to UKIP, and he was helped by tactical voting. The UK needs electoral reform in favour of proportional representation.

School name

Michael Dean, Leeds 9

I note in the article Central Higher School (January 3), it states that the school was renamed City of Leeds School in 1928. In my opinion this is not true. I went to this school in the 1950s and it was a grammar school named Central High School, it was much later that the name was changed to City of Leeds. Its sister school at that time (Thorseby High School) this was also a grammar school at this time.

Climate change growing threat

Jaimes Lewis Moran, member of Leeds Green Party

It’s about time both businesses, political leaders and their respective parties admit that not only is climate change a growing threat (or as I like to call it - weather extremes) but that there’s also great financial and social worth in growing renewable energy industries, development of electric vehicles, and building social housing that stops fuel poverty - instead of encouraging it! For instance poor heating, insulation and peoples extortionate energy bills, these genuinely great core values are, as you can imagine part of Green Party policy but this doesn’t mean we hold sole ownership of these subjects; in fact, all political parties should take an interest into these solutions.