YEP Letters: April 9

War hero’s statue must be seen

Elisabeth Baker, Royal British Legion, Leeds.

THERE is a proposal that the statue of the Leeds Victoria Cross recipient Arthur Aaron be moved from its current location at the bottom of Eastgate, where it is noticed only fleetingly, if at all, to a site in Roundhay, where it again would be seen only briefly by a few.

Flight Sergeant Aaron gave his life so that others could live.

His is a story that the whole country should be proud of and his statue should not be tucked away in either Eastgate or in Roundhay, where only those in the immediate area would be able to see it.

When are Tories going to ditch this PM?

R Hemingway, Leeds 6

FOR the past 12 months, Theresa May has presided over a disastrous election, an inept party conference and disastrous Brexit negotiations culminating in a transition period which maintains our status quo in the EU.

Allowing the EU to continue fishing in our waters is unacceptable and a crushing blow to our fishing communities.

As a weak and ineffective PM, she has not only allowed the EU to dominate the Brexit negotiations but she does not seem to have any control over her cabinet.

Boris Johnson continues to talk a load of codswallop. No doubt Russia were involved in the ‘Salisbury poisonings’ but comparing Putin/Russia to the Nazis was stupid - Russia lost 20,000,000 people and without the Red Army the outcome of the Second World War could have been different.

As for Amber Rudd, she should be sacked immediately. Giving a foreign company the passport contract is an absolute disgrace. This is a massive kick in the teeth for British companies.

EU rules state that governments should not favour domestic companies but the French, German, Spanish and Italians produce their own passports citing national security. Are the rules different for us?

The EU’s support relating to the ‘Salisbury poisonings’ is merely a soupcon looking ahead to the continuing Brexit negotiations in which they will undoubtedly favour a deal to suit themselves and certainly not us.

By the way, I don’t think Putin will be losing any sleep over Theresa May or the EU. When are the Tories going to ditch this PM before she causes any more damage?

Ignoring trade realities

Les Parkes, Harrogate

I TOOK part in the recent “Stop Brexit Great Northern March” in Leeds.

I have been involved in exporting materials around the world for the whole of my working life.

I do not understand why the supporters of Brexit do not consider the costs of shipping materials around the world and the very low labour costs, particularly in the Asian countries.

It is ridiculous to assume we will have no problem arranging trade deals. London will not remain the financial centre of Europe.

Brexit already harming economy

John Cole, Shipley

THE Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply has recently carried out a survey of manufacturing firms in the UK. Its findings include over 20 per cent of responding firms plan to lay off workers to cope with the costs of Brexit

Day by day, week by week and month by month, the evidence accumulates that Brexit is a bad idea that is already harming the UK economy, and is set to do even more harm.

Increasingly the British general public is becoming aware of the reality. That is why current public opinion is now very much against the hard Brexit that is being negotiated in their name. And that is why we need one of two things: either our MPs assert their independence and vote to put an end to this self-harm or the electorate is given the chance to vote again in a second referendum.

A needless traffic jam

Hilary Andrews, Leeds

RETURNING from Bridlington on Easter Monday, I was held up in four miles of traffic waiting to cross Stamford Bridge.

When we finally got over the bridge, there were three cars waiting to go the opposite way. Surely, in this day and age, a computer could work out traffic volume and adjust the lights accordingly?

Standing up for rights of disabled

David Mitchell, National Chairman, The British Polio Fellowship

Another week and yet another story about transport failing people with disabilities. This time, Paralympian, Nikki Emerson, was told on an Emirates flight she would ‘upset other passengers’ by crawling on the floor and must wait an hour for the toilet.

How many of these incidents must we see before we see a change?

At The British Polio Fellowship we know these are not isolated incidents because we have been speaking out for years. Nikki argued using the bathroom is a basic right, only to be told her ‘behaviour’ was unacceptable.

The main unacceptable thing in this sorry tale is the attitude of staff. If high profile people like Nikki have such experiences, imagine what it is like for those of us living with Post Polio Syndrome (PPS), when waiting hours for the bathroom is not possible.

Those asking what the fuss is about, should reflect that by 2040, one in seven will be over 75 and living with a disability. You will have little grounds for complaint when it’s you or one of your nearest and dearest stripped of dignity by ignorance.

Who will stand up for your rights on the day you no longer can?

If you’re one of the 120,000 people in the UK who’ve had Polio and now have PPS, join our fight at www.britishpolio.org.uk or call 0800 043 1935.

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