Friday's Letters: We must embrace less confrontational politics

No one voted for the new agreed manifesto, as it was not on offer at the election. As the two parties are both getting to put through their main policies, what are the extremists beefing about? They are obviously only satisfied with total dominance.

This is the way things should be run and if we come anywhere close to managing the way countries such as Germany do under coalitions I, for one, will be highly satisfied. I hope no party gets an overall majority again. Now is the time for the Yorkshire Post to embrace less confrontational politics.

From: Martyn Gamble, Stonefield Garth, Easingwold, York.

From: RD Leakey, Giggleswick, near Settle, North Yorkshire.

"THE voters have demanded this new style of Government," says Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Yorkshire Post, May 17).

His article makes good sense. The time has come, especially in Yorkshire where the industrial revolution started, to do away with tribalism and political parties in their entirety.

Everyone should be exposed publicly to all essential knowledge and instead of voting for self-enhancing, tongue-wagging politicians, they should vote numerically for each stage of all government and other intended projects.

People should have a right to be involved with all governmental projects and vote for their values numerically. They should also have the right to print their own virtual currency as the salaries for those who provide their basic needs.

From: Sarah Menzies, Ilkley.

WASN'T it refreshing, when England won the Twenty 20 World

Championship, not to have Tony Blair or Gordon Brown fawning all over the team when they made their triumphant return to Gatwick Airport?

Prime Ministers should only be seen and heard when they have something useful to say. They should not be part of the showbiz industry. I hope David Cameron abides by this when his poll ratings fall, as they inevitably will.

Do others agree?

From: Ms Christine Shaw, Barnes Hall Road, Burncross, Sheffield.

AFTER reading Jon Trickett's column (Yorkshire Post, May 18), no wonder Gordon Brown got himself and the country into a mess – purely by having a private secretary like the Hemsworth MP.

From: John Wilson, Wilsons Solicitors, New Road Side, Horsforth, Leeds.

IF Nick Clegg is going to shake up our democracy (Yorkshire Post, May 19), will that include preventing anyone with less than a quarter of the vote shaking up our democracy?

From: Mrs J Harper, Chesterfield.

seeing David Cameron and Nick Clegg together reminded me of Ant and Dec (I can't stand them either). Is it going to be a case of going from one farce

to another?

What a way to run (ruin) our country.

From: Jenny Chamberlain, Otley Road, Leeds.

INSTEAD of fairer taxes, I'd be happier if Nick Clegg talked more about lower taxes?

Lazy Britons are blighting us with litter

From: Alison Waite, Warrels Mount, Bramley, Leeds.

WITH reference to the letter from G Burroughs, of Stape, Pickering (Yorkshire Post, May 18) concerning the problem of litter, it is disgusting that such a beautiful area's landscape should be blighted by rubbish.

Unfortunately, whether we reside in the suburbs or the more rural areas, litter is becoming more and more of a problem. To be fair, bins cannot always as easily be provided in the countryside as they are in the suburbs, however litter louts would not use a bin anyway and would not understand that they are expected to take their rubbish home with them.

Litter is not confined to open spaces. I went to the cinema recently and realised that people simply leave their empty drinks containers and assorted sweet and snack wrappers under their seats, presumably as they know that someone will be along to clear it up.

If anyone really wants to ascertain just how low our standards have become and how the phrase "Keep Britain Tidy" is meaningless to many of this country's inhabitants, I would ask them to use public transport.

I regularly catch a bus into Leeds and cannot believe how some passengers will actually use the bus as a massive, mobile litter bin. It is not unusual to have empty drinks containers rolling around on the floor, half-eaten pasties or sandwiches left on seats.

I fail to see why, when all buses are provided with a small container at the front of the bus for used tickets, these slips of paper are left on seats or on the floor. On one occasion, someone had left a carrier bag full of their assorted rubbish on the back seat. I have seen bus passengers over the age of 50 drop their tickets on the floor and have glared and glared at them, but they just don't seem to be aware of any wrongdoing.

Part of the problem is that people are getting lazy and expect someone else to do their dirty work for them and, sadly, it is adding to the "Great" leaving Britain for ever.

Unfair fares on railway

From: W Richards, Horsforth, Leeds.

WHEN I travelled from Leeds to London recently, I specifically went to the ticket office at Leeds Station to buy the ticket to avoid any confusion over special offers, etc.

I asked for an open return because I was not sure of the time I would return to Yorkshire from the capital.

The assistant said that this was not a problem – and that I could travel on any train.

Imagine my surprise, therefore, to be asked to pay an extra 55 when I caught the 6.30am out of King's Cross. Evidently, an open return means that you can only travel after 9.30am – not as the ticket office clerk

stated.

This was despite the fact that the train was not even one quarter full.

"It's still the rush hour," said the guard.

I paid up, but it did leave me wondering whether East Coast actually want to attract new passengers on to the line – or do they simply want to fleece existing travellers for every last penny?

What has happened to common sense?

Perhaps, if these early morning trains had cheaper fares, more people would use them – and ease the overcrowding on peak-time services.

Drivers pay the penalty for confusing parking signs

From: Hilary Robinson, Cass Lane, Lumby, South Milford, North Yorkshire.

I HAVE received a ticket for parking "without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket or voucher". I parked on Edward Street next to the entrance to the NCP car park in Leeds. I bought a ticket for 4.50 which, I now discover, was from the "wrong" pay machine.

As far as I could see, there was no indication that the parking bays on this road are operated by LCC rather than NCP other than a sign depicting two arrows, pointing in opposite directions, towards pay machines.

It is quite understandable that, given the proximity, drivers would buy a ticket, in error, from an NCP machine when parking on the council-run Edward Street. Having researched the issue, I realise I am not alone.

My issue is not that I have made the error – even though my ticket was bought in all good faith and I was not trying to evade payment at all – but that this council continues to enforce what I regard as an unethical practice of enforcing penalties in an area which they must know is clearly confusing for motorists.

If only we had the power to issue a penalty charge to Leeds City

Council for failing to "clearly display a valid pay and display ticket machine or sign".

From: Mrs P Aldridge, Stradbroke Road, Sheffield.

I HAD the misfortune to drive to Leeds recently, and I concur, totally, with those previous correspondents who have been left muddled by the road signs.

I can only assume the council's negligence, in this regard, is because they assume every motorist has a sat nav.

Well, they don't. Once again, it is the elderly – who cannot afford such gadgets – who are being penalised by this inadequate signage.

I shall be very reluctant to visit Leeds in future.

Parish price for democracy

From: Miss A Unsworth, Clerk to the Council, Sprotbrough and Cusworth Parish Council.

I AM writing regarding Stephen Swift's letter (Yorkshire Post, April 29) which accused this parish council of agreeing to waste money on an election for three vacancies when it could have co-opted new

councillors on to the council without cost.

Unfortunately, Mr Swift's letter is misleading – it is the electors (voters) of the parish who decide and not the parish council.

The correct position is when a mid-election term vacancy occurs on the parish council, the requisite number of electors (voters) in the parish have the democratic right to request an election for any vacancy.

Once a valid request is made, and if more than one candidate's name is put forward, then legally an election must be held. A co-option to the parish council can only be made when electors (voters) in the parish do not request an election.

Elections are run on behalf of the parish council by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council. Elections are run as efficiently as possible and all costs are kept to a minimum, but there is a price to democracy.

Olympic promise

From: T Whitaker, Menston, Leeds.

SEBASTIAN Coe was pontificating on the radio the other day, saying the London 2012 mascots will be fun, aimed at children and formed from two drops of steel from the Olympic Stadium.

As well as appealing to children, he says the mascot will also help London in its task of raising 2bn to stage the Games. Yet, once again,

there was no mention from Lord Coe on how the Olympics will benefit areas like Yorkshire.

Hasn't he forgotten his solemn promise to the IOC five years ago when he said that these would be the British Olympics – and not the London Olympics?

I think everyone in Yorkshire interested in sport has every right to feel aggrieved at how they have been let down by Lord Coe and his team.

Tribute at last

From: Barbara Garden, Strickland Avenue, Shadwell, Leeds.

AT last there is to be a tribute to the crews of the Lancaster bombers. Now perhaps someone will produce the medals while there are still crew members left to collect them.