Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

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Shockingly, the UK has a food shortage. It seems more will follow. Continental friends confirm they have no such shortages. Have our local MPs done anything to press our government and their party to address this urgently?  As usual, Nigel Adams, Julian Smith and Andrew Jones have been silent on this matter (confirmed via Hansard records). They could have pressed their government ages ago to prepare for such challenges but just as with the pandemic, it has come as a needless surprise.

EU countries are supporting farmers to ensure the continuity of production (€500 million will be allocated to those most affected by higher input costs). Minette Batters (NFU) raised the alarm about the need for food security to be a major priority in the UK months ago - yet we have food shortages.

Using environmental arguments now to encourage the public to eat seasonally for entirely the wrong reasons, namely as a fig leaf to disguise the dereliction of duty of the government, is outrageous. The effects of climate change on food production have been warned about for years. Far more should have been done a long time ago.

War, covid, weather events and climate change have been affecting all of Europe and elsewhere yet only the UK is suffering food restrictions. It seems to me that the underlying reason for this is that the continent is benefiting from having a plan - and not having Conservative Party MPs in charge.

Friedy Luther, Spofforth

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Concern over electric vehicle charging points

I welcome the provision of new electric vehicle charge points in the district but have a couple of concerns.

Firstly instead of contactless payment, users have to sign up for yet another app. When signing up you have to give your credit card details, agree to an initial £10 payment and later adhoc payments. Most ev drivers want contactless in the same way that petrol can be paid for and with no apps. 

Secondly these 7 kW chargers are intended in part to benefit ev drivers with no home charging facility. They take eight or nine hours for a full charge so will residents have to pay for long stays? In Knaresborough it might have been better to have some chargers at the long stay car park where day trip visitors are more likely to park.

Ralph Armsby, Harrogate

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Read more:

• Stray Views: Rossett Nature Reserve ‘has been slashed back’


• Stray Views: Otley Road cycleway a “scandalous waste of public money”

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Why was the press not notified of Ukraine war anniversary?

A friend and I wondered why there were no press present on Friday, 24 February 2023, when an important ceremony at the Cenotaph in the centre of Harrogate took place. One year on to mark the sombre anniversary of the illegal invasion by President Putin.

The Mayor of Harrogate (Councillor Victoria Oldam) came to raise the Ukraine flag. The flying of the Ukraine flag had been agreed by the full council a year before.  

It was taken down before the Rememberance Day ceremonies for some reason. A few of us with the help of Councillor Chris Aldred initiated once again that the Ukraine flag flew.

The presence of the mayor and the local MP and a few staff clearly thought it was important that there was an official ceremony sanctioned by the council. All in all there were about 10 of us to witness this event.  

A young Ukrainian woman who had place two candles - one blue and one yellow on the steps of the Cenotaph stayed when we told her about the Ukraine flag being raised. This time it flew prominently from one of the two flag poles in front of the Cenotaph.  

The mayor and her small party went on to raise the Ukrainian flag outside the council offices.

We are sure that many more people would have come if it had been promoted and the press notified. So why wasn't it?

Lindis Percy, Harrogate

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Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.