20's plenty

Surely drivers realise this should be the case at least around schools?

Dorothy Wragg

Sheffield, S35

Don’t deserve my vote

I’m a lifelong Labour supporter who will be voting Green at the local elections.

I don’t feel I can be represented in a democratic way with the current strong leader model.

Sheffield City Council is run by a leader and nine cabinet members and all the other Labour councillors have to toe the party line or else.

This model needs leaders of the right calibre, humility and ability to listen or things can go horribly wrong.

Also long-term absolute power is not good for any city. I want to see more debate and different views instead of all Labour councillors having to obey the leadership. I don’t want egos and not being able to admit to mistakes to get in the way of good decisions, accountability and local interests.

As an active tree campaigner I’ve had my citizens’ rights disrespected, been lied to, discredited, subject to violence and unfair enforcement by the supposedly impartial police brought in by SCC to support the multinational that is making a profit out of damaging our environment, against the advice of multiple experts.

At 70 years old I’ve never been involved in having to defend my own community, on my own streets, but I’ve learned a lot in a short time about how Sheffield is really run. A lot of money and effort has been taken up with lies and spin.

I support the national Labour view that PFI contracts are a bad thing for us taxpayers and yet the Labour council refuses to find ways out.

Of course it’s not just about the trees and as a Labour supporter, I believe in equality and fairness in all aspects of Sheffield life.

However, I have resigned my LP membership so time and effort are not wasted in automatically excluding me.

I will continue to vote Labour nationally.

But for now I don’t think local Labour deserves my vote.

Judy Stewart

Sheffield, S8

Is his visit welcomed?

US President, ‘the Donald’, is due to visit the UK around July.

1.8 million of our citizens signed a petition saying they don’t want him here.

Does that mean around 50 million that didn’t sign would welcome his visit?

Or should we just ignore the majority – again? Which happens to be the norm in our ‘democratic’ country these days.

Maybe we should ask Tony ‘Bliar’ for his recommendation.

Terry Palmer

South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley , S74

A rare night on the town

Having a night on the town is rare these days, I’m usually tucked up by 9pm but off we all mooched round the hot spots of town, apparently there still are some.

As we walked back up Devonshire Green at 2am I was shocked at how many people were begging in doorways and on the pavement.

If I say I saw 15 on that small stretch I think that’s possibly way less.

Most seem to be keeping warm with quilts and sleeping bags.

We were asked many times for money but I never give it. We kept on walking seeing more desperate people.

I don’t like to think of anyone sleeping out no matter what the circumstances for them sleeping rough are.

Jayne Grayson

Sheffield, S35

Street trees

It appears that both the Greens and Lib-Dems are basing their campaigns for the local elections on the felling of a relatively small number of trees in a small area of the city.

If I understand correctly, this makes up part of the contract negotiated by the Lib-Dems when they were in control of the city. And which their leader at the time was proud to boast about on social media.

What I would like to know is how they propose to deal with the issues that effect the whole of the city such as cuts to education and social services which are bringing the city to it’s knees.

It is not just the current Tory government who are to blame for the massive reductions to council budgets, they started during the days of the Tory/Lib-Dem coalition.

I live in Shiregreen and the only election communication I have received is from the Labour party.

It appears that the other parties are concentrating on certain areas of the city and do not really care about the rest.

Roger Bird

Shiregreen Sheffield 5.

How many is up to them

I’d just like to respond to Jayne Grayson’s letter regarding the Royal baby.

Jayne may well think that three is enough, but that is none of her business.

How many children a couple decide to have is up to them, as a taxpayer.

I am more concerned about my taxes ‘keeping’ children on the benefit system, whose parents aren’t bothered about how many they have, and end up ‘earning’ more money than me, for sitting at home all day.

The Royal children are from a lovely married couple, and although very privileged, will hopefully become very nice people with empathy for fellow human beings.

As for Jayne believing that ‘we’ can’t afford any more Royal children, perhaps she should look more closely at Society in general, and take into account the many children within the benefit system, who are in ‘non-working class’ families.

H Midgley

S12

Misleading or telling lies?

How come Amber Rudd misleads Parliament ,when the man in the street would be telling lies?

T Walker

Handsworth