Are the council mad?

Are the council mad to think of chopping them down?

I am not a tree campaigner, but can see why they do it and they are not getting a fair say.

Brenda Wilkinson

S10

4am start is necessary

I read with interest about the new mayor for South Yorkshire intending to keep his job as member of parliament for Barnsley.

I foresee certain difficulties in trying to do both jobs at the same time. To represent in Parliament is predominately a job in the late afternoon and evening.

To get to Parliament by 2pm requires leaving South Yorkshire before noon and it seems improper for a Mayor of South Yorkshire living in London. So he wouldn’t be able to stay there overnight and two hours at least to return to South Yorkshire would be needed.

Assuming the Mayoral job is full time and roughly eight hours per day it seems a 4am start is necessary to fit both jobs in and I can’t think of many people wanting to attend meetings at that time.

If coverage of the representation in Parliament is envisaged, while it seems fine for the odd week to cover sickness, any prolonged use of this facility would mean constituents being represented by someone they didn’t vote for and shows Parliamentary duties can be covered on a part-time basis.

This has ramifications for the other MPs who could be reduced by half with the subsequent cost savings.

Additionally, is it really Labour policy for one person to hold down two full-time jobs rather than passing employment to another person?

DT Arnold

Dronfield, S18

Reality check is needed

I could not believe what I was reading when I read the letter from H Midgeley. To compare the Royals to people on benefits is like comparing a piece of chewing gum to a mountain of caviar. The Queen is one of the richest people in the world and Royal babies are pampered and privileged from the second they take their first breath.

These people have absolutely everything they could desire, their every whim is catered for. The Royal Family have land, property, jewellery, paintings and oodles of money but do not put a hand into their immensely deep pockets to pay for anything because we, the taxpayers, cater for them from our taxes.

They don’t have to wash their own socks, scrub toilets, drive a bus or lorry, etc. They just have to wave and smile and life is perfect. If they can’t grow to adulthood and be “nice” people, who can? Some people do, of course, abuse the benefits system, but they are in the minority. When you think that a lot of people who are working are on such low wages that they have to visit food banks to survive and this is one of the world’s richest countries, it makes you wonder what’s going on.

The gap between the haves and have-nots is growing rapidly and it seems as if nobody cares. I’m sorry but I think H Midgeley needs a reality check.

D Lowe

S20

Uncollected grass cuttings

Last year when SCC/Amey mowed the grass verges they did not clear the litter prior to cutting.

The result was litter scattered like confetti along with piles of uncollected grass cuttings.

The mess was disgusting and the grass verges looked worse than before they were cut.

If the grass verges are likely to be cut this year please could the litter be cleared first?

If not, then I would say to SCC/Amey please leave them uncut.

They actually look quite pleasant at the moment overgrown and covered in dandelions.

Susan A

Handsworth

A delight to read

It is a delight to read the intelligently-crafted and well-researched letters of Susan Richardson, especially in comparison to her critics who seem to cook up theirs around the kitchen table.

Bravo Susan and thank you for taking the time to express what many of us are thinking.

Louise W

Sheffield, S10

Time to say au revoir

How time flies! Time to say au revoir again, that’s a bit of EU French.

It’s now time to get aboard and spend the next six months or so on my round-the-world sabbatical.

When, or if, I return, Brexit will be in the long grass courtesy of the unelected undemocratic parasitic old f**ts in the Lords who say sod the serfs majority and democracy, we want to hold onto our pensions.

‘Vlad’ Corbyn will be in No.10 as Premier with ‘white van man and English flag hater’ Emily Thornbury as Foreign Secretary and ‘Jezza’s’ ex-squeeze Diane Abbott as Home Secretary.

Abbott’s the one that accused Amber Rudd of lying re illegal immigrants.

Is she the same Abbott who said she would never ever send her children to private school, yet promptly did so?

It’s true then, politicians do lie?

The Russian language will have become compulsory and the Royal Family will all be sent to the Tower.

I can’t wait to wake up from this nightmare.

The moral of this story is that we get rid of one ‘nasty’ party and replace it with an even ‘nastier’ one.

Have a good summer!

Terry Palmer

South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley, S74

Take a ride on big wheel

The big wheel is in town and has taken up residence in Barker’s Pool.

A massive construction just for you and me, so take a ride and see the roof tops and more of the city of Sheffield.

I think that it’s fantabulous.

EB Warris

Sheffield, S14