Yep Letters: October 26

I AGREE wholeheartedly with your correspondents Judith Goodwin, Terry Watson and Terry Palmer re the refugees. The News Quiz on Radio 4 allowed Jeremy Hardy an unnecessary amount of time to give his opinion on this and your own journalist, Blaise Tapp apparently thinks Gary Lineker is the best thing since sliced bread even though he has insulted many ordinary people by calling us “hideously racist”. Some pop-star called Lily Allen has even had the cheek to apologise on our behalf!

Most of the people making these types of comments are the rich middle class, living in their ivory towers. How many of them will open their doors to some of these refugees I wonder. Perhaps there needs to be an “evacuee” system like there was during the war. Let’s see how many of these people living in multi-roomed mansions will find excuses not to be involved.

These rich members of our society never have to wait two weeks for a doctor’s appointment or hang about for hours in a hospital waiting room or are put on a list for three months waiting for a vital operation.

We “ordinary” people have no choice. Many parents have to fight to get their child into the school of their choice. There isn’t enough social housing as it is and people are on a list for a decent home for many months in some areas. How long will it be before the Education and Health systems collapse under the strain of trying to accommodate all these extra people.

This is not being racist but sensible. We are a small country and can only take so much and I fear that all this “talking-down to” will drive even the most equable person to the arms of the extremist organisations.

Ed’s a disaster on Strictly

Terry Watson, Adel

How bad does Ed Balls have to get before being kicked off Strictly Come Dancing?

He is an absolute disaster receiving only two points from Craig this week. It is so unfair that he is still in the competition when other couples who are much better are sacked.

It can only be the Labour supporters who are voting to keep him in, let’s face it, they have so little to laugh to laugh at these days.

Tories backed Blair over Iraq

L Schofield, Cananda Road, Leeds

jB Duffy seems to have forgotten that Conservative MPs in the House of Commons voted to support Tony Blair sending British Troops to Iraq! The Tory leader at the time was Iain Duncan Smith. Perhaps he should be in the dock at the Hague too? Tony Blair resigned in 2007 - well before the banking crisis and Labour only borrowed money to save the banks, not to spend!

Responsibility and choice

R Kimble, Hawksworth

I am at a loss as to how Tony Gardner (YEP October 22) sees the sentence of 7.5 years given to McKeekin. who caused the deaths of two boys and caused serious injuries to two more, as “lengthy”, despite also “being left severely disabled”. He brought those injuries onto himself and I found it bewildering - in spite of numerous campaigns - that people who kill others by dangerous or drunk driving get such light sentences. I feel no empathy whatsoever for people like him.

If you get into a car drunk or on drugs or drive dangerously then, ethically, you are knowingly causing danger and potential death to others. It is a choice you’ve made, irrespective of your state of mind if, say, on cannabis, because you do actually know what you’re doing. You are saying to yourself “I know I’m stoned but I’m going to drive anyway and I don’t care”.

Questioning morality of past

T Maunder, Kirkstall

I find it unbelievable that a Tory MP called S Gyimah talked out, or filibusted, the proposed Turing’s Law discussions presented by SNP MP J Nicolson. This Law would give pardons to people who suffered at the hands of the Law when homosexuality was considered a legal offence (hence it’s name).

That such “pardons” are being considered says a good deal about the morality of our past.

That many committed suicide because of the legal status of their sexuality is deplorable. I nursed people in a mental hospital, in the days when I was undertaking my Registered Mental Nurse Training in the early 1970s, who had been admitted donkeys years before because homosexuality was considered a mental illness. They were on strong medications meant for illnesses like schizophrenia.

Presumably this MP would like to return to those days ?

Look again at Lib Dems

Nigel Bywater, Oak Grove, Morley

Back in August a Your Say contributor Chris Sharp wrote saying he thought Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg were monumental failures; yet Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn are the new alternatives..

When Nick Clegg was leading the Liberal Democrats, the country was in a very bad place, the Liberal Democrats stopped some of the Tories’ right wing policies. Since their majority in 2015 the Conservatives have announced right wing policies, like reducing working tax credits for working families and a return to Grammar schools.

In 2016, under Tim Farrons leadership the Liberal Democrats have gained 18 council seats, compared to Jeremy Corbyn’s 1 sole gain. The Liberal Democrats came second in David Camerons old parliamentary seat, where the Labour vote collapsed to a 30 year low. The Liberal Democrats are now the only sane alternative to the Conservatives. Greg Mulholland and Nick Clegg are both very good MPs, and Chris Sharp should be grateful.

We cannot keep on building

J Hardman, by email

Neil Rogers head of planning states that according to government guidelines we need 1800 new homes a year. How long as a Labour council been taking notice of a Conservative government? Or is it only if it suits their purpose?

Nobody in their right mind would consider adding to the congestion and chaos overcrowded roads, overcrowded schools, and hospitals that really aren’t hospitals.

Wakefield Council like many others councils is running on empty, and can’t properly service the highways, dustbins and other services that it provides. So they just keep building on any green spaces available, so as to create a new additional revenue stream.

Revenue revenue revenue, at any cost. Never mind what local residents want, or don’t want. Build build build, like an endless man made cancer.

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