Farfield Inn nonsense

I now read the building, (built 1753/1754), was built for an officer stationed in the nearby Horse/Kelvin Barracks.

Not so as the Barracks was built in 1790/95.

Maybe occupied by a high ranking officer during the Barracks lifetime, must check.

Something else for me bucket list.

Ron Clayton

Selecting sources

J Robin Hughes says I should be more sceptical when selecting sources from which to draw information. However, I think this comment was prompted by his own interpretation of the transcript of David Keighley’s appearance in front of the European Scrutiny Committee at which he presented evidence of BBC bias based on years of research, (A duty to inform 2.3.18). An interpretation at odds with my own.

He claims that David Keighley, (ex-BBC PR for News and Current Affairs, Panorama, Newsnight), denies his own conclusions when he says ‘I do not think there is anywhere in the BBC where you can say there is overt, deliberate bias’. However, he clarifies this by explaining that, after trawling through 7000 hours of BBC transcripts, he found that, by careful selection of choice of participants in programmes, presentation and facts, the BBC was guilty of bias ‘by omission’.

J Robin Hughes questions David Keighley’s mention of Mamma Mia, wolf culling etc. Surely this was simply to illustrate the point that, since 2010, of 749 hours given for feature material, (the total on the Today programme for all feature material), 75 hours had been given to general EU affairs but only 1hr 36mins to EU general legislation.

In 2014, concern about BBC bias in favour of Remain was such that the European Select Committee summoned two ex-heads of the BBC, Lord Patten and Rona Fairhead, to give evidence. Though Rona Fairhead eventually relented, Lord Patten refused to attend. Since then, the Committee had been constantly requesting the attendance of their successors. In 2015, Lord Hall and James Harding finally gave evidence.

In a subsequent report, Sir William Cash said: ‘We still remain deeply concerned about the manner in which the BBC treats EU issues’.

In July 2017, 70 MPs wrote to the BBC complaining it was ‘heavily in favour of those who wish to water down or even reverse the referendum decision’.

Whether J Robin Hughes considers David Keighley’s evidence reliable or not, there are many influential people in tune with his findings.

Mary Steele

Deerlands Avenue, Parson Cross, Sheffield, S5

Sick to death

I and, no doubt, many others are getting sick to death of listening to our non-negotiating Brexit team who continue in allowing the EU ‘bully boys’ to do just that.

Anyone who has been involved in negotiating, as many experienced trade union representatives will tell you, is that when you are fobbed off, lied to and bullied with no agreement by greedy and lying ‘elitists’ even after your members have given you a democratic mandate, the final resort is to threaten to withdraw your expertise. Make no mistake that usually, more often than not, brought back a plea for a continuance of negotiations. That is what Premier May and her team should be doing instead of being a ‘snowflake’ in allowing Barnier,Tusk and the rest of the EU bully boys, including 20th policy decision maker on the issue and Corbyn and his mob who are betraying Labour core voters, to ride roughshod over a democratic decision by the people of the UK in voting to leave the EU by hoping to power grab.

We’ll get nothing from these EU bullies, ever, simply because they need us in with our cash which means whatever May offers she will get a negative answer. T

ime to get some fire in your belly like we had to do in industry in order to win even a crumb.

Terry Palmer

South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley

Brexit views

Veronica Hardstaff’s ‘Remainder’ correspondence to the Star, March 1, regarding Brexit views expressed by Mary Steele and Terry Palmer merits a constructive response from a fellow Brexiteer.

Veronica quotes the dangers of immediately dropping out of all existing agreements with the EU, yet fails to mention that the agreement that the people originally voted for in the 1972 Referendum was solely to become a trading partner in a Common Market – following false assurances given to them by Edward Heath and the Tory government that there would be no other conditions. This fact is supported by Terry Palmer’s response to her letter in which he rightly states that “the British people have never ever even had a vote to join this unelected-‘mafia’ run club in the first place.”

Since our initial trading partnership agreement, this country has been progressively taken over by rules and regulations of the EU resulting in loss of our National Sovereignty, our control of immigration and borders and the resulting economic and welfare negative impact that this will have if allowed to continue. Veronica’s crystal ball questions the actions of a future Tory government headed by Boris Johnson, mine is in favour of Mrs May continuing in office, or failing that Jacob Rees-Mogg taking over. He talks a lot of sense and commands respect in Parliament and throughout the country.

A morsel of food for thought for Veronica to consider. The other 27 EU member States do not wish us to leave their organisation, they are aided by fellow majority remainers in the UK Parliament placing every obstacle in the way of our withdrawal negotiations. Could the reason for the EU position be that they fear that Professor of Economics Patrick Munford, Chairman of the Eurosceptic Economists for Free Trade, is correct when he predicts that failure to reach a deal will lead to “short-term nuisance” for both sides, but Brussels would face a loss of £500 billion and the UK a net gain of £650 billion?

What 17.4 million people actually wanted when they voted by a democratic majority to leave the EU was just that – no hard or soft Brexit and no transition period – these options were not on the ballot paper. Parliament by a great majority vote passed the stay or leave issue to the people for them to decide, politicians of all parties should now accept and implement that decision.

Cyril Olsen

Busk Meadow, Sheffield, S5