LETTER: MPs should put the country first

In the small hours of Thursday, European Council president Donald Tusk deigned to give the UK - supposedly a proud sovereign nation - a six-month extension, adding condescendingly: “Do not waste time.”

So how did our representatives (who, remember, had begged for a delay to avoid a no deal departure) respond?

Did they roll up their sleeves and set to work thrashing out a deal that could command support?

Of course not! Sitting in the Commons, these political pygmies awarded themselves an immediate 11-day holiday.

Like schoolchildren, they cheered and waved their order papers in the air gleeful at the prospect of skiing trips or sunbathing on tropical beaches.

Frankly, if it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable.

Outside the self-regarding Westminster elite, millions were acting in the national interest, grafting to keep the economy ticking along.

Those with jobs, families and mortgages must bang their heads in despair at these out-of-touch dilettantes.

Through wars, disasters and austerity, citizens have put the country first, working long hours and eschewing holidays.

Politicians must learn that lesson fast.

The public won’t tolerate MPs who are less interested in enacting our biggest democratic mandate than topping up their tans.

Colin Henson,

Ullswater,

Woodthorpe, York

Comprehensive plan needed for elections

I AM looking forward to reading the alternative plans for City of York Council action to improve our lives being presented by candidates in the coming local council elections.

We will be electing them for a set term and we need to know what each believes needs to be done and can realistically be achieved, given good will, during their time in office.

Clearly we cannot expect each candidate to have acquired expertise in every aspect of local government: housing, transport, policing, education, health, planning etc.

But we can expect each of the parties to provide us with a comprehensive plan.

National government politicians have recently made us painfully aware how useless it is for politicians simply to be personalities with opinions waiting to give an instant reaction to whatever events they are confronted with.

To produce a comprehensive local plan each party will have to negotiate a consensus taking into account their candidates’ inevitably slightly different positions on matters such as fracking, road widening, greenbelt housing, pollution etc.

That will give us an idea of how prepared they will be to negotiate consensus positions in council debates.

Maurice Vassie,

Deighton, York

Fracking issue is above party politics

Chris Clayton (Letters, April 5) draws attention to the link between the plastics polluting our oceans and beaches and the petro-chemicals giant INEOS, a company that holds licences to frack a large part of our beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

On Thursday, May 2, in York and elsewhere, electors have the opportunity to vote for candidates who are opposed to this highly controversial form of oil and gas extraction.

By visiting the Frack Free United website (www.frackfreeunited.co.uk) voters can download a template letter to candidates urging them to pledge to oppose fracking if they are elected.

The website also has the facility for candidates to make the following pledge: “If my council area constituency, division or ward is at risk of fracking, I will actively oppose it.”

Candidates from all the four national parties have already taken the pledge in anticipation of the May local elections.

This is an issue that is above party politics and I urge voters only to vote for candidates who commit themselves to oppose fracking; and candidates who care about the future of our planet and future generations to take the pledge.

Ginnie Shaw,

Derwent Mews,

Osbaldwick, York

Physiotherapists are taking over Labour

IT has probably gone largely unnoticed, but there has recently been been a disturbing development within the Labour Party.

Recently, the Newport West by-election was won by Labour candidate Ruth Jones. That in itself is no surprise, but few people realise she is a physiotherapist, just like York Central MP Rachael Maskell.

Is this a coincidence? We must ask ourselves whether physiotherapists are trying to gain control of the party. The implications are frightening. Think twice before going to a Labour MP’s surgery!

In the House of Commons, though, it could be far worse, and very bad for democracy. Imagine this profession taking over the Labour whips’ office. That oft-used phrase ‘arm twisting’ acquires a spine-chilling new significance.

Alan Robinson,

Lindley Street,

Holgate, York