They should be compelled to read the reasoned article by Councillor Carl Les on the crisis facing local government (The Yorkshire Post, June 10). All councils have suffered savage cuts to services and there is worse to come as costs of social care and children’s services rise.

Deteriorating services are obvious for anyone who drives or cycles along pothole-ridden roads or hopes for axed bus services to reappear. Library services are becoming a disgrace.

Other correspondents have pointed out Britain’s London-based media and political class. They are scarcely aware of the problems. I see no evidence that any leadership hopefuls understand what is happening in local services. I am not a member of the Conservative Party (or any party) but I’d be tempted to say “none of them” when choosing a new leader.

From: Margaret Cyster, Harrogate.

SOMETIMES I think the Government has gone completely mad.

With Universal Credit about to be inflicted on Harrogate residents who are unfortunate enough to have to apply for it, I read in the Harrogate Borough Council newsletter that the Government has launched a Help to Save scheme for anyone receiving working tax credit, child tax credit or universal credit. The offer is save £1 and the Government will top up with 50p.

I did not bother to read the terms and conditions because anyone with a bit of common sense will realise that it is not possible to save money when you need the help of benefits.

Little decency or respect

From: Mr PG Willetts, Darlington Road, Stockton-on-Tees.

POOR Bill Carmichael, unable or unwilling to recognise the plain truth (The Yorkshire Post, June 7). His column is an excellent example, where he ludicrously and blindly proclaims that the Tory leadership competition has been conducted “in an atmosphere of respect and decency”. This includes, I presume, Matt Hancock suggesting Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite.

Or perhaps his assertion lays bare what he considers to be respectful and decent? Judging by the majority of his columns, which are generally filled with bile, hectoring, unsupportable assertions and childish name-calling, I suspect the latter.

Beeline for teeline?

From: Sue Hanson, Halifax.

FOR the first time in years, I noticed a job advertised in The Yorkshire Post which stated that “shorthand is desirable”.

I would like nothing more than to see this amazing skill return to more roles where tact, diplomacy, discretion and confidentiality are essential.

In today’s world, shorthand would provide extreme confidentiality in business and be an asset to have in the modern office. I wonder how many people still learn shorthand?

Blame council for traffic

From: Mike Laughton, Harrogate.

REGARDING concerns about speeding traffic on Station Parade, Harrogate, it is now a problem due to the council’s routing of the A61 main road traffic through the town centre.

This was always going to cause problems in the future as traffic density increased. Harrogate has a perfectly straight main road in Leeds Road, West Park and Ripon Road. If parking had been banned on these roads, two-way traffic could have flowed directly through the town.

Bus brainwave

From: K Gambles, Calcutt, Knaresborough.

PERHAPS Rail Minister Andrew Jones’s scheme to recycle Pacer units could utilise the following idea. The units were said to be ‘a bus on rails’ so possibly we could put bus wheels back onto them and to supplement the woeful four buses per day residents of Calcutt and Forest Moor are left with thanks to the disastrous bus deregulation introduced by the Harrogate MP’s party.

Trump card

From: Janet Berry, Barfield, Hambleton.

PEOPLE keep remarking how awkward it must have been for the Queen to have to entertain Donald Trump, but I think she quite enjoyed it. She must find it so irritating to have everyone fawning round her whereas he says what he thinks. She seems to like his company, and her lovely smile suggested that she liked a bit of straight talking.

Tall orders

From: Jarvis Browning, Fadmoor, York,

REINTRODUCING the old-style police hats (The Yorkshire Post, June 10), is that to make officers all look taller? When I tried to enter the force 49 years ago, the minimum height was 5ft 6in for county areas and 6ft for city and metropolitan areas.

Too much talk

From: Peter Hyde, Driffield.

ONCE again Springwatch has been spoiled by the presenters talking with too little actual showing of wildlife. Who is really interested in the size of the testicles of starlings at different times of the year? Come on BBC, you can do better than this.