IN 1997 at the end of the John Major’s Conservative government, there were 4.9m public sector employees. In 2010 at the end of Gordon Brown’s Labour government, he left 6.2m public sector employees, paid for via billions he borrowed, and part of Labour’s £157bn inherited deficit. The coalition and Conservative governments that followed have reduced the public sector employee total to 5.4m, data supplied by the ONS. Labour have launched their election manifesto, in which it is clearly demonstrable that if in power they will re-nationalise everything. This means they will double the size of the public sector. All those additional wages, National Insurance and pension contributions will fall, as always, on the taxpayers in the private sector and OAPs who continue to pay tax in retirement. Is it any wonder that Labour’s godfather Len McCluskey, the public sector trade union supremo, has changed his mind and is now delighted by Corbyn’s’ plan to double his union membership? Do you want to fund another five million public sector staff? From: Michael J Robinson, Berry Brow, Huddersfield. THE Conservative manifesto includes an intention to apply a ‘means test’ to the allocation of the winter fuel allowance. Couldn’t this be simply, fairly and efficiently be achieved by denying the allowance to any household in which any one of the occupants pays income tax at the higher rate? This information is already on the Government’s databases and could be easily applied on the assumption that a household where an occupant’s income is such that income tax is levied at the higher rate, there is unlikely to be a real need for Government assistance with that household’s fuel bills. From: John Dawson, Skipton. WE have now had published the main parties’ manifestos. Labour has moved to the extreme left in a frightening way. The Liberal Democrats are not much better, seeking to legalise dangerous drugs and adding to tax for all. However, worst of all, they are threatening a second referendum after negotiations with the EU. Thank goodness we have a common sense and moderate approach from the Conservatives. It is clear they provide the only reasonable way forward for all our people. It is vital they get a large mandate to ensure a successful outcome to leaving the EU and a great future for our country. From: Cecil Hallas, Cubley Rise Road, Penistone, Sheffield. AS I see it, the EU is doomed, its eventual future an alliance solely between France and Germany. Thank goodness the UK is looking into a different future. As for the “Remainers”, many of whom have sincerely held views, they must see that in no way have we been against Europe, but against its crony, self-appointed, power-grasping aristocracy of émigré failures, its deceit and self-seeking manipulation increasingly apparent. “Hard Brexit”, “Soft Brexit”, does anybody really know what they mean? For my part I would have preferred a “Businesslike Brexit”, but like it or not, this Brexit will certainly be political – and, more than likely, nasty. From: Nick Martinek, Briarlyn Road, Huddersfield. IT is transparently obvious that both the Remainers in the UK, such as Tony Blair and Tim Farron, and EU bureaucrats like Jean-Claude Juncker, are desperate to prolong the shameful Project Fear to make the process of leaving the EU as difficult as possible. Their propaganda is faltering because making the case that the UK should continue to be enslaved, as Nigel Farage puts it, to the EU “mafia” (or, “gangsters”?) in Brussels is deservedly unpopular. In the referendum we clearly voted to take back control from the EU. So the UK’s independence cannot be part of any negotiations. Given that, the only viable option is to walk away from the EU, and trade under the WTO option. Our trade with the rest of the world is already based on WTO rules, so that won’t be difficult. Then the EU and Remain threats become irrelevant. Our politicians, particularly the Conservatives, need to understand that a fake Leave is not an option. From: John Appleyard, Firthcliffe Parade, Liversedge. THE Labour Party election manifesto offers a break from Tory austerity. It stands for a fairer, more prosperous society, for the many not the few. Compare this to Theresa May who seems to be ashamed to admit that she’s a member of the Tory Party. Yesterday I received an election leaflet from her saying ‘vote Theresa May’. Not a mention of the Conservative Party – which is an insult to their members. She’s frightened to debate with Jeremy Corbyn, whose behaviour throughout the campaign has been impeccable. From: D Wood, Howden. FOR about the only time ever, I find myself in agreement with Don Burslam (The Yorkshire Post, May 17) regarding our monarchy and its vast superiority over republicanism. However does this gentleman perhaps not shoot himself in the foot with his argument? Here we have someone who is an EU fanatic and wants to bind us to an organisation that has five unelected presidents and whose 27 members are made up of 25 republics, all with presidents, which he says lead to divisions and extremism. Again he is correct, as the only time the EU is united is when they are ganging up against the UK. His case for monarchy is correct, so why do we need to be tied to the EU? From: D Webb, Rothwell. I AGREE completely with J Gilbert (The Yorkshire Post, May 17), people with mental health problems are being let down again by a system that treats them as second class citizens, with regard to PIP assessments and the NHS in general.
