August 25: Corbyn stance on university fees just doesn’t add up

I THINK the appeal of Jeremy Corbyn is he listens to what people want and offers them it. I worked for a Lib Dem MP and helped on his Scottish Parliamentary matters as he was also an MSP.

During 1999 and 2000, I repeatedly warned the 15 Lib Dem MSPs about a deal they did with Scottish Labour over university fees.

Free university education was introduced by the SNP in Scotland in 2007. I am probably the only person in the UK who ever lost his job over his opposition to fees. My contract was not renewed.

Jeremy Corbyn’s stance on fees is, of course, very attractive. But what may I ask is he proposing to do about the fees that have already been repaid by people? There is an inconsistency in his approach which simply doesn’t stand up to even a few moments scrutiny. The bill would be £90bn if current debts alone were written off. In anticipation of yet another policy flip flop by the Corbyn team, can I ask, how much bigger would that bill be if all repayments were refunded in the interest of fairness?

From: Peter Hyde, Kendale Drive, Driffield.

THE Labour Party seem to be set on a course of self-destruction in their determination to elect the left-winger Jeremy Corbyn as their leader. It is clear that the major unions want a man they can manipulate, like Ed Miliband, conveniently forgetting that he lost them the last election.

Good government requires a strong opposition to hold some sort of control over their more radical policies and that is lacking at this time.

Many Labour policies are praiseworthy but without 
power they cannot be implemented. Tony Blair was 
not my cup of tea, but he got Labour elected and now the in-fighting being conducted by Labour over their new leader 
will consign them to being a 
weak opposition for years to come, something the Conservatives will welcome.

From: Peter Asquith-Cowen, First Lane, Anlaby, Near Beverley,

IF successful, I don’t envy Jeremy Corbyn one bit. It will be like climbing Mount Everest, however I wish him the very best of luck. He seems to be an honest man with integrity trying to survive in a nest of thieves. If times were different they would try to do him what they did to Caesar! The daggers are drawn, but I’m sure they will back-fire on Blair and Brown et al in a remarkable way.