Jan 31

Dear Sir,

I wonder if the people who love the Yorkshire Wolds, Hockney's paintings and a good glass of real ale actually know of the proposal for nine 400 foot high turbines within a few hundred yards of the Wolds Way National Trail.

The applicants for two of these monstrosities? Oh, er, Wold Top Brewery. Triples all round, as Private Eye would say.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom, 

 

 

Jan 30

Dear Sir,

An excellent example of how renewable energy damages the economy is the announcement by the Royal Bank of Scotland that they are loaning £300 million to UK energy projects.

Money for useless windmills and solar panels which should be going to real industries.

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom UKIP MEP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire

 

Jan 25

 

Dear Sir,

 

The solution to the United Kingdom’s defence problems is straightforward. Make all civil servants at the MOD compulsory Territorial Soldiers which would double the Army strength at a stroke. 

Involve ourselves in more unnecessary wars which would necessitate their mobilization they would then no doubt sack themselves on mass immediately. 

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom MEP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire
UKIP Defence Spokesman

 

P.S. Did anyone in government seriously expect civil servants at the MOD to sack themselves when they could sack soldiers, sailors and airmen? 

 

 

Jan 23

 

Dear Sir,

 

Heritage Lottery funding is only part of the RSPB problem. Twenty per cent of their funds now come from political institutions of one sort or the other. They are therefore vulnerable to political pressure, most of which is in favour of turbines. 

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom 

 

UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
Environment Committee 

 

Jan 23

 

Dear Sir,

 

I was delighted to learn that two of the top 25 UK hotels listed by the well-known website Trip Advisor are in Yorkshire.

One of them, the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate came third in the Travellers Choice 2012 awards and the Chambers Park Palace in Leeds was seventh.

These awards will not only help these particular venues but generally aid the local tourist industry, which is particularly welcome at a time when the troubled Euro makes many continental destinations seem attractive.

We must all do what we can to put the Great back into Great Britain and full marks to the proprietors of these establishments. From the grandest to the most modest, British hotels and B&Bs do us proud.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Godfrey Bloom MEP
UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire

 

Jan 23

 

Dear Sir,

 

A new exhibition in London by this country's greatest living artist, David Hockney, has just opened and previews reveal it is magnificent.

Proud Yorkshireman Hockney has filled walls in the Royal Academy with dazzling paintings and drawings showing his beloved Wolds in all their glory.

Welcome to Yorkshire is, of course, hoping that it will inspire tourists from all over the country to travel to see the area for themselves, particularly Woldgate Woods.

But a collection of photographs of the Woods taken earlier this month for the 'Unofficial Hockney Trail' make shocking and depressing viewing. They show tyres, furniture and general detritus spoiling the unique beauty.

Welcome to Yorkshire and East Riding Yorkshire Council do not appear to be looking after our heritage and this prehistoric Wolds landscape deserves better.

It seems to be me and others that it requires its own National Park Authority and I sincerely hope that there will be a groundswell of public opinion to bring this about - before it is too late.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Godfrey Bloom , UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire

 

 

Jan 16

 

Dear Sir,

 

Could I make a plea to all editors to stop repeating the wind turbine company press releases of the “four giga watts of renewable energy enough to power two million homes”. No! No! No!

Enough to power two million homes for about 25 days out of one hundred on average, and none at all in cold snaps. 

Yours faithfully

 

Godfrey Bloom MEP

 

Jan 13

 

Dear Editor,

 

There are now over one million signatures to persuade the European Union to restrict the transport of animals to no more than eight hours.

 

My monthly trip from Yorkshire to Strasbourg takes nine hours. Can I expect the same consideration?

 

Yours sincerely

Godfrey Bloom MEP

 

Jan 12, 2012

Dear Editor,

I am appalled to learn that soldiers risking life and limb in Afghanistan are being brought home for short breaks, not for their welfare, but to ensure they are liable to pay income tax.

Apparently if they serve a continuous period of six months abroad they are then classed as a 'nom dom' and do not have to pay income tax on their meagre income.

I know we are living in difficult financial times but the revenue so generated is minute in the overall scheme of things for the government but means a lot to the individual soldiers.

However the other important issue is the emotional drain on them and their families when they have to say their farewells all over again as they return overseas after just a few days home.

This sharp practice is unfair on our troops serving in war zones and should be stopped immediately.

 

Yours sincerely

Godfrey Bloom MEP
UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire

 

Jan 10, 2012

 

Dear Editor,

 

Open letter to David Cameron

 

I watched your performance on Countryfile on Sunday night very carefully. You gave a nearly 'cast iron' guarantee that you would respect the English landscape.

Most of the programme was devoted to the beauty of the Yorkshire Wolds, narrated by our greatest living artist David Hockney. This is indeed a truly beautiful part of England.

There are proposals to cover the Wolds with massive wind turbines and this horrifies local people, including David Hockney. Every level of local government is opposed to it. Parish councils, district councils, Westminster MPs and myself, the Euro MP.

On countless occasions we have seen our wishes turned over by anonymous  planning officers in Whitehall. You claimed on Countryfile that your new Bill for Localism would protect us. Well, Prime Minister, I do not believe you. But prove me wrong, let the local people decide. We are watching, this is a test case. 

 

Yours sincerely

Godfrey Bloom MEP

 

Jan 3, 2012

 

Dear Sir, 

 

Does anyone else find the Archbishop of Canterbury as irritating as I do? 

 

His New Year message about “giving up on young people” following the Bishop of London’s absurd interaction with St Paul’s ‘camping club’ was quite offensive. 

I have spent a considerable amount of time and money over the years working with young people in the field of sport. Particularly rugby football, as do thousands of others across the country. We do though help children who are prepared to help themselves. 

What has the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Bishop of London ever done? Where is their parish priest experience? What do they ever do except whinge and issue banalities from the comfort of their palaces?

What we need is some old fashioned leadership. Some muscular Christianity. Can I beg her Majesty next time around to insist on a new Archbishop with a track record of ‘hands on’ clerical work, rather than ‘hands wrung’. 

Yours faithfully,

 

Godfrey Bloom, 

 

Dear Sir,

 

We really must kill the absurd lie that three million jobs depend on the United Kingdom being at the ‘heart of Europe’, whatever that may mean. 

There has been a massive trade imbalance in Europe’s favour for nearly 30 years, our percentage of GDP related to EU trade is about 11% swamped by the cost of complying with EU regulations for the other 89% of the economy. 

The argument that political union is necessary to trade is economically illiterate. Such nonsense from Lord Brittain we expect, indeed he is paid to spout it under the terms of his EU pension arrangements (Still undeclared in the House of Lords as an interest) but the other signatories should know better. 

 

Yours faithfully

 

Godfrey Bloom MEP