YP Letters: UK won't end agreement on asylum seekers

BRITAIN will have no truck with any attempt by the EU to end the so-called Dublin Agreement on asylum seekers.

Although application of the agreement has effectively collapsed in parts of southern Europe during the current migrant crisis, it is customarily used by Britain to ensure the return of hundreds of refugees each year to their EU country of entry. The Commission is straying onto the dangerous ground if it thinks any change to this agreement is the way to tackle the migrant crisis.

Just because an arrangement is being circumvented in some EU states, that does not mean it can or should be dismantled altogether. Jean Claude Juncker, the Commission President, will find that the UK is not going to take such a suggestion lightly.

You have to wonder at the timing of this. By March, Britain could be on the run-in to an in-out EU referendum. Does Mr Juncker intend to be a recruiting sergeant for the “leave” campaign?

From Richard Thomas, North Lane. Cayton, Scarborough.

ONCE before we, the people, were asked in a referendum to consider whether to leave or stay. All the old lies and half truths were bandied about whether we would survive or not. Well, today we can see that the wool was well and truly pulled over our eyes as the weight of silly rules and regulations has taken its toll on on our once proud industries; coal, steel, fishing, farming, not to mention energy – in fact our basic pride to be British, a world power, humbled to its knees by unelected eurocrats.

This time vote ‘nay’ to the Euro vultures, vote ‘aye’ to freedom.

From: Michael Dobson, York.

IF David Cameron is serious about immigrants learning English, maybe he should stop Government departments and local authorities printing leaflets, information booklets and application forms in various languages and also the provision of interpreters. This may save enough money to provide more English classes.

From: Martin Cruttwell, Scrayingham.

EVERYONE seems to be talking about what to do about the massive migration wave hitting Europe, which is clearly organised somewhere.

What is not being mentioned, except in the social media, is the part David Cameron’s government has played in the destabilisation of Syria, a state which offered no threat whatsoever to our security.

Mr Cameron’s idea of a four-year delay before migrants can claim benefits is no deterrent. As so many other migrants have already done, there will be multi-occupancy of houses. For someone educated at a big public school, he is incredibly stupid and clearly thinks the rest of us are as as well.

From: John Watson, Leyburn.

WHILE agreeing with most of your Editorial (The Yorkshire Post, January 19), there are several things you have omitted about Islamic culture in this country.

You mention the power of the imams in the mosques. Why don’t they condemn the religious intolerance of the jihadists and fundamentalists who are causing such mayhem in Syria?

Why don’t they condemn the barbarism and cruelty of IS when anyone who is not a true Muslim is despatched by some method not seen since the Stone Age?

When David Cameron issued his statement that all Muslim women should learn English or be sent home, the first people to complain were prominent Muslims.

From: Martin Heathcote, Halifax.

A QUESTION for David Cameron. Instead of spending £20m on English lessons for Muslims, why don’t you use this money to help keep open Huddersfield A&E unit?

Ingham stuck in a time warp

From: Colin Challen, Former Labour MP, Scarborough.

IT is clear Bernard Ingham is stuck in a time warp (The Yorkshire Post, January 20). He credits Gordon Brown with leaving ‘old folk’ with derisory returns on their investments over the last 10 years.

Never mind that David Cameron has been in power for nearly six of those 10 years. Never mind that the pound is plummeting; that personal debt is at record levels, that wage inequality has risen; that the UK North-South divide has widened; and that George Osborne’s so-called ‘long term plan’ is exposed as mere smoke and mirrors.

But perhaps on reflection Sir Bernard is right to blame Gordon Brown – he did, after all, credit Labour’s last PM with saving the capitalist system!

Seeing sense over uniform

From: John Springer, Ingbirchworth, Barnsley.

AS Enid Blyton’s ‘George’ might well have said when she discovered she could attend school whilst wearing what were previously called boys’ clothes, ‘Hurrah for Brighton College!’

The sad thing is the perceived need to justify the making of such a sensible announcement led to the authorities’ straining after gnats whilst swallowing camels. Surely all they needed to say was that from henceforth any pupil may wear either the exactly prescribed form of skirted or trousered uniform. This would not have involved any of those choosing either option at any given time as having labelled themselves.