YEP Letters: January 11

Public being duped on fuel price

Mel Smart, Farsley

I wonder how many of the British public realise they are being duped.

Diesel is far cheaper to produce than petrol and yet it is two pence per litre dearer to buy. Methinks it is the money grabbing Government who are to blame otherwise there would be uproar.

And here is another thought: when we leave the EU, will we revert back to pints and gallons, in which case petrol will be £6 per gallon. A bit pricy eh?

Let’s march forward with ambition

Lionel Pyrah, by email

With regard to the Yorkshire devolution debate, whilst I wholeheartedly agree with Vernon Wood’s comments (YEP Letters, January 7) regarding the county and its city regions being an area ‘of squabbling self-centered peasantry’, we part company on the issue of which policy to adopt in order to resolve the chaos now before us.

Whether we like it or not, city regions are the political and economic way forward - with London being an excellent example of this.

Our capital city doubled in size in the sixties as it ‘consumed’ 32 boroughs at a stroke.

As cities and towns expand through increasing populations and, hopefully, further economic development, it is vital that UK city regions in general - and Leeds City Region in particular - are at the inception of any change.

Other cities are keen to take advantage of the pots of gold on offer. A mayor is therefore a small price to pay surely.

Finally, I am certain our beloved county will hardly be inconvenienced in the end.

Let us grab the opportunity the government is presenting and march forward with ambition and purpose.

Laughing stock of the world

Terry Watson, Adel

Perhaps now that the Daily Mail has exposed the disgusting foreign aid scams being conducted by the fat cats helping themselves to millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, the Government might be forced to take action.

Why has it taken so long? Why did it need a newspaper to expose the frauds that have obviously been going on for years?

The 0.7 per cent of GDP which Lord Bountiful Cameron enshrined in law was just irresponsible and stupid and should be repealed immediately.

It might have made him feel warm inside, in fact he said it was the proudest moment in his career! That’s not saying a lot though. When thousands of his own people are dependant on food banks for survival, and pensioners who have worked all their lives paying taxes and insurance are surviving on the third lowest pension in the world it is unforgivable.

Now care for the elderly is going to be financed by a six per cent increase in council tax. No wonder we are the laughing stock of the world. We should sack the Department for International Development and replace it with a more reliable system with every pound of taxpayers money accounted for.

Honours system outdated?

S Kavanagh, Morley

Well said F & A Ward (YEP Letters, January 6).

I agree wholeheartedly, Alistair and Jonny Brownlee should most certainly have received honours for what they have achieved, and done for their own sport by putting it on the world stage.

Yes, triathlon was a recognised sport previously but never more so than it is now, with people of all ages taking to the sport and rising to the leisurely and friendly challenges introduced by the brothers.

Not only have the brothers put Yorkshire well and truly on the map but England also. Two fine young upstanding ambassadors for Leeds, Yorkshire and their country and yet nothing by way of a thank you?