Time to resign

FOR almost 50 years I have cast my vote for the Labour Party. Even when I served abroad my mother did so on my behalf. No one in my family would have dreamed of doing anything else. The exception was during the “Blairite Years”. I refused to vote in the general elections for what I thought then was a morally bankrupt group. I still think so.

So long as Mr Corbyn is head of Labour, I shall be declining to vote once again.

I have no doubt that he is a thoroughly moral and committed man. He shares that in common with Michael Foot. What he lacks is Mr Foot’s amazing intellect, practical pragmatism and overwhelming dedication to democracy and the British public’s right to determine their future. Unfortunately he also shares the fact that he will never lead the party to victory where it really matters.

Also and unfortunately he shares common ground with Rachael Maskell. The disparaging way that she has acted towards those who voted Brexit, and her constant campaign to ignore and overturn the democratic decision of the British people, means that I would not vote for her.

Mr Foot would have resigned. Neither Corbyn nor Maskell share his moral compass.

Malcolm J Glover, Lindsey Avenue, York

A good lifestyle

THE last census recorded a population of over 60 million living in Britain.

A high proportion according to the Labour Party is suffering a dire standard of living due to the austerity programme introduced following the collapse of the financial markets eight years ago.

Yet sales of mobile phones, hi-tech big screen TVs, cars, computer software, designer clothes and foreign holidays within this so-called downtrodden section of society are on an upward curve. Public sector salaries and pensions are not bettered anywhere. Employment is at record levels plus good benefits payments are available to those deserving them.

While all this is happening there are still some trade union leaders who in the name of democracy delight in disrupting the daily lives of fellow beings. Therefore is it not time Labour accept people in this country compared to the majority of countries in the world enjoy a very acceptable lifestyle?

Any government can only be expected to provide so much, people have a responsibility to provide for their own.

To argue that destitution exists, children are starving, millions live in poverty bears no comparison to the Britain the rest of us inhabit.

Peter Rickaby, West Park, Selby

Sign of the times

IF R Raimes (Letters, September 22) cares to visit the banks of the Ouse just below the former Terry’s chocolate works he will see a sign on a metal pole saying six knots on one side, five knots on the reverse.

York Press:

The river speed sign on a footpath near Terry's in York. Picture: Frank Dwyer

It is supposed to indicate the maximum speed for rivercraft. However, as it is now 5 metres from the river and totally obscured by willow 4 metres high, standing forlornly at the edge of the field it now seems to indicate the maximum speed for joggers and walkers.

By allowing silt to build up at the bottom of the river and trees such as willow to clog up the edges you have a recipe for increased flood risk.

Geoffrey Searstone, Moor Lane, York

Faith does wonders

HAVING experienced and benefited from all types of schooling in the 60s and 70s from prep school to primary education, grammar school to comprehensive to public school, I can say with all certainty all my schools started the day with hymns and a reading in a school assembly. This was the norm!

We have been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. Then we wonder why things start going wrong within our systems.

The school assembly has been taken out of the equation in a lot of schools but after a little research it comes as no surprise to find that faith schools are increasingly monopolising places at the top of the national league tables.

School by school results published by the Department of Education show two thirds of primaries achieving good results have a religious ethos. Putting God at the centre does work wonders!

The faith schools represent just a third of all schools nationally, so they must be doing something right.

Julie M Burton, Park Lane, Bishop Wilton, York