Tuesday’s scribes discuss the fallout over the Tartan Tax, the legacy of Baroness Carnegy of Lour, measures to reduce road accidents and the treatment of football referees in Scotland.
SNP hands tax-raising power back to London Sir,-What a ridiculous furore over the administration of the Tartan Tax (November 19).
A dispute between Westminster and Holyrood about the costs of an HMRC computer system seems to have ridden roughshod not just over the Scotland Act 1998 but it looks like it has taken precedence over the wishes of the Scottish people as expressed in the referendum the year before.
The Scottish Government is quite wrong on a key point.
They are suggesting that just because no major party plans to use the tax power, then it is not worth paying the increased cost needed to maintain the facility.
This is outrageous. This is a fiscal power available for any government to use if it wishes.
Its continuation should not depend on the whim of a particular party machine.
Equally, the coalition government and its predecessor should have shown more statesmanship over the issue.
Don’t we have some mechanism to sort out disputes of this kind?
If the people north of the border do not want this power, then they can elect a government that will repeal it.
The complex Calman proposals giving the Holyrood administration more powers over income tax may well be law next year.
This current dispute does not augur well for the way governments in London and Edinburgh will handle it.
Bob Taylor.24 Shiel Court,Glenrothes.
A case of fiscal irresponsibility?
Sir,-Apparently we have lost our tax-raising powers at Holyrood because the SNP decided not to pay the annual maintenance fee to HMRC.
Given that two thirds of us voted for tax-raising powers in the 1997 referendum, should John Swinney maybe not have mentioned his plans to let the HMRC agreement lapse?
Imagine the furore that would have arisen if any of the other parties had done this, by accident or design.
What a surreal country we live in. The Unionist parties looking to extend powers and greater tax responsibility to the Scottish Parliament and a Nationalist administration wanting to throw them all away.
Roll on election time so we can put a stop to all this nonsense.
Victor Clements.Mamie’s Cottage,Aberfeldy.
Battling baroness
Sir,-Many worthy tributes have been paid to Baroness Carnegy of Lour, recording particularly her work in education and in her nurturing of youth movements, especially the Girl Guides.
What might be less well known is the part she played in saving the Dundee Dental School from closure.
A friend of the baroness received official papers from a central examinations body which included a map of the Edinburgh University campus, which showed what was described as the site of the proposed new Edinburgh dental school.
This occasioned surprise in view of the impending closure at Dundee.
The baroness’ attention was drawn to this and she immediately said, “I sense skulduggery afoot.”
She considered it essential to find out the facts and did so by having a sympathetic colleague in the House of Commons put down a written question to the Prime Minister.
Mrs Thatcher was appalled, took immediate action and Dundee Dental School (undoubtedly on its magnificent track record) was saved.
Baroness Carnegy was indeed a bonnie fighter in a just cause and mostly did so behind the scenes and unsung.
She was a great lady and an astute politician.
(Dr) Andrew Gunn.Kirkden House,Letham (Angus).
Drivers must put safety first
Sir,-We hear many calls for more dual carriageways and motorways but, sadly, fatal and serious accidents continue to occur on such roads.
This makes me wonder if it is really the roads to blame. With the approach of winter and the probability of black ice, snow and freezing fog, perhaps it is time for some drivers to ease the pressure on the accelerator and drive according to the conditions.
More police patrols on the roads would also help to prevent and, if necessary, detect, speeding and inconsiderate driving.
John McDonald.14 Rosebery Court,Kirkcaldy.
An insult to referees
Sir,-Once again, an SNP MP opens his mouth and puts his foot in it.
Pete Wishart’s demand that football referees should disclose publicly the team they support is an insult to the integrity of referees who are subjected to enough pressure from the players, the sidelines and the terracing without his ill- thought-out comments.
Perhaps next he will want to know the religion of referees and the political party they support.
Is it not ironic that an MP from a party desperate to distance Scotland from England should want to copy that country’s Football Association rules regarding referees?
R. H. L. Mulheron.28 Cowgate,Tayport.
Stop attacks on football officials
Sir,-Scottish referees are so sick of the non-stop questioning of their integrity that they are going to strike. How surprising is that? To me, not at all.
The barrage of criticism heading the way of refs has, this season, been way out of hand and I cannot help laughing at how righteous chairmen, managers, television pundits and even politicians have tried to sound as they mouth off.
The fact of the matter is that no matter if new technology is introduced, we will still need a man or woman in the middle and so football relies on referees.
Ian Wheeler.Springfield,Cupar.
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