Saturday' Letters: Cuts must be made – or we'll end up like Greece

Under Labour, we were the first country into the recent recession and the last country out of it; according to the OECD, we have the largest deficit in the developed world; manufacturing as a proportion of UK economic activity fell three times as fast as in the 1980s; and more companies went bust in New Labour's recession than in any other since records began.

If things had carried on like that, the Government would have been spending more in 2013-14 on servicing debts than on the NHS. Hardly a brilliant record or an excuse for turning Socialist neanderthals loose on the economy once more.

The usual suspects will resort to the usual fight-the-cuts rhetoric when George Osborne announces how the new Government will cut its coat according to its cloth – not something Gordon Brown was even capable of thinking of, as we saw during the debates.

We can either economise as a nation or end up like Greece – or like Labour Britain in the 1970s.

From: John Abbott, Newland Avenue, Hull.

From: William Snowden, Butterbowl Gardens, Farnley Ring Road, Leeds.

CONTRARY to Howard A Knight's contention, it is not Ruth Lea but he who seeks to "re-write economic history" (Yorkshire Post, May 24).

Dr Ruth Lea is a highly regarded and internationally respected expert in the field of economic affairs.

Her astute and incisive analysis of Britain's current economic woes is based on deep knowledge and personal experience gained at the Treasury, the Bank of England and the Instituteof Directors.

She is a professional. She is not influenced by party political bigotry.

On his first day as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown was told by a senior civil servant in the Treasury that he had inherited a "solid, gold bullion economy" – an inheritance he subsequently squandered.

This was, of course, before Labour began systematically to undermine the independence of the Civil Service, and replaced them with Labour Party apparatchiks: personal advisers, spin doctors and propagandists who served only to indoctrinate the ignorant and the gullible.

Taxpayers will lose say on education

From: Duncan Anderson, Mill Lane, East Halton, Immingham.

APPARENTLY, the Con Dems want to stop interfering authoritarianism, so they're removing schools from LEAs (Yorkshire Post, May 27). So local taxpayers will no longer have a say about how their taxes are spent on education. Headteachers will now have to spend even more time as managers, trying to find replacement staff and equipment, such as vans and buses, which local authorities once provided.

In our small village, we only needed one bus for school children. Now we have six going to all the different schools.

The Con Dems haven't made any mention about what will happen to school governors, who can make or break a school.

Finally, the Con Dems haven't done anything about central government interference. A comment was made that education professionals have complained about interference in education. Their main complaint has been about the National Curriculum and Ofsted inspections, central government interfering authoritarianism.

Isn't this just another example of yet more local services being pulled under central government interfering authoritarianism?

Teacher dealt fairly

From: John Darby, Hope Street, Staincross, Barnsley.

HAVING seen the result of the case against Peter Harvey, the teacher spared jail after beating a 14-year-old pupil with a dumbbell, I think it is a just one.

He was badly let down by the education authorities and left to deal with his own problems. The pupils he was teaching took every advantage of his poor state of mind and although one cannot condone his actions, what about the pupils who wound him up, one in particular who is certainly no saint?

Are we going to see the education committee, the parents or the police take any action? I am sure someone should be brought to book and punished for their actions.

Had it not been for the yobbish element in his class, I am sure all this would not have happened. Children are at school to be taught and they should respect the teachers, but respect starts at home. Enough said.

Fergie's deficiencies

From: Vincent Hale, Upperthorpe, Sheffield.

EVERYONE knows that the Duchess of York has certain defects of

character, including her husband who has treated her as kindly and gently as possible in the interests of their children (Yorkshire Post, May 24).

What these journalists have done is not news at all, just a repetition of frauds which we see every day for the benefit of the fraudsters and no-one else.

It is merely a standard ploy to make a great deal of money at the expense of someone who is not in the least equipped to see through their real intentions of self-interest no matter who else is hurt. In this case, it includes the innocent children of a mother suffering from certain deficiencies which are, in any event, common among those who govern us and some journalists.

The dangers of lanterns

From: Dorothy Cope, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

WHILE the media has been full of election news, past and present, farming has had to go on as usual 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A farming friend called to see me recently, bringing with him the horrendous remains of one of those so-called "Chinese lanterns".

He had, thankfully, picked it up in the pasture where his cows were grazing.

Cows are curious creatures and might so easily have consumed these

lethal fine wires, camouflaged with pink paper, causing a throat

blockage or twisting round intestines. His nephew has already lost a cow which had done just that.

There is more than enough trouble for animals with another Chinese favourite – fireworks – without causing a death in this painful manner.

If people have to use these monstrosities, they should be kept to urban parks, and a notice in the Press to warn people to look out for the debris.

No more VAT on fuel

From: Richard Smyth, Copmanthorpe Lane, Bishopthorpe, York.

THE UK is barely out of recession, yet petrol prices threaten to rise to the record prices seen during the boom of 2008 – shortly before the collapse into recession. The president of the AA said recently: "If families, drivers on fixed incomes and those on low pay were unable

to cope with record prices then, they are even less likely to now."

The price of fuel is at an all- time high of about 120p per litre at the pump. Before VAT (now 17.5 per cent), the price would be 99p and before fuel duty of 70.3p, the price would be 28.7p. Which is not much up on 28.4p from 2007 when we saw the fuel protests when petrol and

diesel cost about 85p per litre.

So of the 1.20 per litre you pay at the pump, 91.3p (76 per cent) goes to Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (Con) and David Laws (Lib Dem) at the Treasury in this coalition Government. They are both together thinking about increasing our VAT and definitely on petrol and diesel.

The previous Labour government never increased VAT unlike the

Conservatives that created it and last year Labour decreased VAT to

15 per cent to stimulate spending during this worldwide recession brought on by the greed of City bankers and speculators.

We should inform Mr Osborne why we don't need anymore VAT, especially on petrol and diesel.

The Archbishop and the electoral process

From: D Harrop, Malton Street, Sheffield.

THE Archbishop of York does well to speak of "the priceless heritage of freedom we enjoy in Britain" (Yorkshire Post, May 6). He has availed himself of it in good measure.

The Archbishop sought to advise us on how we should not vote in the election recently held.

He spoke in particular on voting patterns, acceptable and unacceptable; he was concerned not merely that we vote, he wished also to ensure, by persuasion, that the electorate voted in a way of which he could approve, that the party subject to his disapprobation would not be favoured by the electorate.

Fortunately, it is not within the Archbishop's gift to guarantee a particular end result. It may be the case that "evil prospers when good men do nothing", as the Archbishop likes to quote, but good men doing something is no guarantee of unanimity. Adherence to correct administrative process, not end result, is the prerequisite of the electoral process in a civilised and advanced democracy.

From: Robin Small, Dept of Film and Television, York St John

University, York.

THROUGH your esteemed pages, may I offer the Archbishop of York (Business, Yorkshire Post, May 26) the excellent Robert Greenwald documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. Perfect bedtime viewing for enemies of Mammon.

Flying the flag for Doncaster

From: Barrie Crowther, Common Lane, Walton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

CAN anyone give me a reason why Doncaster Robin Hood Airport is not being used by major airlines, like Virgin, Emirates, Qantas and

British Airways, for long-haul flights?

Living in Yorkshire, I feel this county deserves a major terminal. With its long runway, Doncaster tops the list. Why have we to use a congested M62 and congested Manchester when the M18 and Doncaster is on our doorstep?

New chapter for library

From: John Morfin, Southcoates Lane, Hull.

AFTER about 12 months of closure for refurbishment, Bridlington Library re-opened recently.

I opted to visit the local history section and found that a spacious, convenient and readily accessible facility has been created.

The staff were promptly efficient and it was a pleasure to obtain the required information.

With a new photocopier to complement the tasteful decoration, this is a refurbished working environment that is a credit to those in the East Riding Council who devised it.

Playing a role in political history

From: Clive Wolstenholme, Era Street, Sale, Cheshire.

ON my visit to Scarborough and York, I enjoyed reading your paper, especially the article by Bernard Ingham (Yorkshire Post, May 19).

Is this the same gentlemen who was a very important part of Margaret Thatcher's government that ruined so many lives and wrecked hundred s

of communities up and down the UK?

The one positive is thank goodness I did not vote Liberal Democrat, whoops I mean Conservative.

Remember the alternative...

From: John R. Thompson, Denholm Street, Greenock, Scotland.

IT is most entertaining to read these letters from those who "would never have voted for... had they known they would be in a coalition with..."

Presumably they would have preferred it if Labour had won an outright majority and the party they voted for could adhere to all the lofty principles of its manifesto – in opposition.