What does ‘take back control’ even mean?

Brexit-supporting political leaders say they plan, in the course of the next Parliament, to take the UK out of the European Union in order to ‘take back control’.

They have not, however, described the long-overdue pledges and promises on improving social welfare made in their manifestos as only being possible because they will have taken us out of the EU.

In fact, as voters will have realised, there are no EU rules and regulations that would have prevented or impeded the increased expenditure or organisational changes now being promised. These proposals have been delayed not because of lack of control, but by lack of will.

We may lose the very real advantages of EU membership in order to fulfil the vague idea expressed in the slogan: ‘take back control’, which has never been explained in terms of political decisions sought by a UK government.

Maurice Vassie, Deighton, York

Boris is the best bet to get Brexit done

I don’t care if Boris is liked or disliked he is our best bet to honour the majority referendum to leave the EU.

The Lib Dems are excited due to all their protest votes in local elections but have little to offer. Corbyn would extend the agony waiting for a new deal and who wants the UK to become like Venezuela? Having voted Brexit last time out its Boris for me to end the agony and let us all move on.

John Zimnoch,

Osbaldwick, York

We need action to fix crisis in social care

What has been done to ‘fix the crisis in social care’ as our Prime Minister promised? Nothing: 1.5m people are still living without the care they need. That’s almost the equivalent of the population of Liverpool. We are failing our most vulnerable citizens.

I call upon our next government to understand the urgency of this situation and implement change. No more delayed discussions. No more broken promises. It isn’t too late. Make social care the number one domestic priority at this election and for the new government.

Mike Padgham,

Chair, Independent Care Group,

Priory Street, York

The Tories have helped 3.6 million into work

Just imagine what we’d face under a Labour-led Corbyn government supported by the Liberal Democrats and propped up by the SNP, who together over the last three years have all blocked Brexit and anything else getting done. Do you want them to be in charge? The Conservatives have had to take some really tough action and put our country back on track by bringing our public finances under control after being totally ruined by the previous Labour government. Labour left a note saying that there was no money left.

The Conservatives have helped over 3.6 million more people back into work, have cut taxes for hard working families and got our economy growing again.

Terry Smith, Fourth Avenue, Heworth, York

Where’s the debate about climate change?

In neither the BBC Leaders’ debate on Friday nor in the BBC’s Any Questions was there more than a cursory mention of Climate Change, and that from Labour.

The absence of this issue at the highest level of Tory policy exposes the vacuity and negativity of the Tories’ ‘Get Brexit done’ mantra.

This issue above all requires the closest collaboration and understanding across all divides. This is no time for insisting on severing strong links. Time on the contrary to point to the climate-warming effects of preferring overseas trade to trade with our closest allies, the policy risibly justified as a reclamation of sovereignty; time indeed to point to what amounts to climate change denial on the part of this administration.

Are we really about to return this single-issue party to government, preferring spin to integrity?

David Cragg-James,

Stonegrave, York

Labour should come clean on housing plans

The Local Plan inquiry which opens today will decide the shape of future development in York. In their submission, Labour have argued for more housing on York’s Green Belt rather than on brownfield sites. They haven’t, however, said where exactly those houses should be, apart from sites previously proposed.

Why won’t Labour come clean? Is it that they know their calls for widespread construction on our city’s precious green spaces will go down badly? Or that their plans could lead to the loss of tens of millions in funding, risking the development of York Central, thousands of houses and thousands of jobs? Or that it will remind residents how York Labour’s previous proposals threatened Askham Bog?

Anna Perret as deputy leader of the Labour group and York Outer candidate should say which sites she wants to concrete over.

Ann Reid, Grassholme, Acomb

The Lib Dems are a paper-wasting party

I have received about 20 pieces of literature from the Lib Dems - leaflets, letters, ‘newsletters’ etc. My friend in Leeds tells me the same is happening there. Why are they wasting so much paper? And why have the Green Party stood down in favour of this paper-wasting party? I guess neither party is as environmentally aware as they would have us believe.

Hattie Medd,

Buttermere Drive, Rawcliffe, York