April 16 Letters: Credit Clegg for stabilising government

AS a long-standing member of the Labour Party, I read with dismay the report (The Yorkshire Post, April 11) regarding Nick Clegg’s struggle to retain his constituency of Sheffield 
Hallam.

In 2010, the Liberal Democrats joined a coalition with the Conservatives for the good of the country, ensuring that Britain had a stable government and they should get the credit for that. Instead, they will be punished at the polls for the worst excesses of Tory-dominated coalition, which is wrong.

Voters should know that parties who enter a coalition cannot have both manifestos implemented as they would obviously conflict. The Liberal Democrats may have conceded tuition fees but have won something far more important to all working people – the year on year increase in the income tax allowance on earnings.

In 2010, I could only earn £5,950 before paying income tax. For 2016, this will increase to £10,600 giving me substantial additional tax free income.

It was criminal that successive Tory and Labour governments drove working people into poverty by taxing them on a meagre income as low as £125 per week. In only five years, the Liberal Democrats have rectified this to the benefit of all working people.

Despite being a member of the Labour Party, I would vote for Nick Clegg if I lived in Sheffield Hallam to thank the Liberal Democrats for implementing this policy. I suggest the local electorate do the same.

From: M Dobson, Feversham Crescent, York.

ED Miliband has accused the Conservatives of funding their proposed increased NHS spending with IOUs, supposedly redeemable against hoped for future economic growth.

In contrast he said that Labour would fund their increased NHS spending with a mansion tax on the rich. When it was pointed out that many ordinary people would be liable to the tax due to inflated property values rather than being rich, he quickly added the rider that payment of the tax could be deferred until the property was sold, possibly many years down the line. If that isn’t an IOU, I don’t know what is (The Yorkshire Post, April 13).

From: Roger M Dobson, Ash Street, Crosshills, Keighley.

AFTER listening to Ed Miliband lay out the Labour Party’s manifesto regarding the economy of this country, it is clear that he is still in cloud cuckoo land. He obviously does not understand the phrase “A leopard cannot change his spots”.

From: Allan Davies, Heathfield Court, Grimsby.

PHYLISS Capstick (The Yorkshire Post, April 13) raises the question of a referendum on the EU.

The cornerstone of our Parliamentary system is the MP as an elected representative, not a mandated delegate. But, one of the founding fathers of modern Conservatism argued that, as such, an MP owes his constituents his judgement, no more, no less. If, as is likely, a referendum found the majority in favour of leaving the EU but a majority of MPs favour continued membership, how are MPs expected to vote? Can they be expected to accept responsibility for an outcome of which they disapprove?

From: Nigel Boddy, Fife Road, Darlington.

NOT so long ago, certainly in my lifetime, we had two categories of nurse: SRN and an SEN.

The SEN category has been abolished. The people who perform the functions formerly carried out by SENs on our hospital wards are no longer regulated by the Royal College of Nursing. They are now called ward orderly staff.

Would our hospital problems be solved if we brought back the SEN category to perform those functions like feeding vulnerable patients, which seem to be so lacking now? Is this the answer to our immediate shortage of nurses in the NHS?

I knew one SEN who was very proud of her State Enrolled Nurse status. She performed great service for patients in hospital and some very rich patients in their own homes, too.

Warming theory threat

From: David F Chambers, Sladeburn Drive, Northallerton.

Last Friday (April 10) a gentle wind brought us a “danger cloud” of bad air pollution from the Continent, dust from the Sahara.

Experts rightly warned about health risks, but could not resist hints that climate change played a part.

In North Yorkshire the day was exceptionally warm and the haze of carbon-laden pollution visible to all. And at sunset the temperature plummeted to uncomfortably low levels.

So what of the greenhouse effect, Friday’s extra thick blanket of greenhouse gases that should have prevented most if not all of the day’s heat from escaping into outer space?

A myth? If so, the foundation of the entire global warming theory is under threat, the ruinous expenditure on “combating” it should cease, and international big business will not be at all pleased.

Answers now on Orgreave

From: Brian Ormondroyd, Ilkley.

WE need answers now on Orgreave (The Yorkshire Post, April 13), not another attempted cover up as with the Hillsborough investigation.