The issues exercising minds today are pensions, lightbulbs, parenting, human rights, and the nuclear industry.
Elderly easy target for Government neglect
Sir,-Allan Murray (March 15) is correct in his assumption that it will be impossible to survive on the state pension in the coming months.
However, our Coalition leaders, Nick Clegg and David Cameron, are merely following on the tradition started by Margaret Thatcher of ignoring Britain’s pensioners because they usually die off anyway.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were too busy being world statesmen to be bothered with this triviality, apart from Mr Brown plundering private pension funds.
How much has inflation gone up in the last four years? Twelve or 14% would be a conservative estimate.
To counteract this, pensions would have to rise by at least that amount, still nowhere near the levels of pensions in France or Germany.
The old arguments are dragged out every time about an ageing population. No-one questions why the tax paid in by the people being punished was squandered on illegal wars and foreign aid.
Now we are told we must work to 68 or longer. That is fine if you are not in a heavy manual employment. Ideal if you are an MP.
The pensioners of this country are looked upon as a liability and always will be whoever is in Westminster.
Bill Duthie.25 St Fillans Road,Dundee.
Looming fears over lightbulbs
Sir,-The European Union has forced us to buy low-energy lightbulbs but, as is usual with the EU, they did not think about potential problems but brushed them under their very large carpet.
Many UK councils are refusing to pick up these useless and inefficient bulbs from homes as are said to contain toxic mercury.
Research in Germany suggests that when a bulb breaks, it emits toxic vapour of 20 times the safe guidelines. How unfortunate this was not researched before mandates were issued from the EU.
This is yet another reason to leave this mega-expensive organisation.
So what do we do with these dangerous lightbulbs? Put them in the bin when no local authority snooper is around?
Me? I do not have a problem. I have stocked up with traditional lightbulbs, ranging from 40 watt to 150 watt, which will last until Britain leaves the EU or the EU is forced to drop this pitiful idea.
All this farce to halt the global warming myth and falsely claim to be saving the planet and the polar bears.
Clark Cross.138 Springfield Road,Linlithgow.
Test parents not children
Sir,-The majority of your readers will have been aghast to read your report (March 14) that Glasgow, under the Healthy Child Programme, are to test two-year-old children to determine if they are going to turn into the next generation of troublemakers.
As a father and a grandfather, I would suggest, once again, the so-called experts have got the wrong end of the problem.
Young children, from birth, learn and model themselves on their parents. Therefore, would it not be more appropriate to test potential parents to establish their suitability for parenthood?
R. H. L. Mulheron.28 Cowgate,Tayport.
Rights of majority ignored
Sir,-Two gay men were awarded £1800 each as compensation because an elderly couple, Peter and Hazelmary Bull, who run a small private hotel, refused to let them a room.
The men are now claiming that the old couple were let off too lightly and the compensation was not enough.
The sum of £3600 is a lot of money for nothing more than hurt feelings but, even more horrendous, is that the men’s financial venture was backed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission a taxpayer-funded quango. On the face of it, it would appear that the EHRC do not consider that Mr and Mrs Bull, or any of us who do not line up with their idealistic agenda, have any rights.
W. A. Findlay.18 Craig Street,Rosyth.
Lessons of nuclear folly
Sir,-The nuclear horror unfolding in Japan should make us grateful that Scotland has mostly only wind farms to worry about.
The United Kingdom Government should delay its nuclear expansion programme in England and Wales but will no doubt stick to its “it cannot happen here” line, although it certainly looks as if stresses and strains in the earth’s crust are increasing, perhaps due to melting ice at the poles.
The Japanese ignored warnings made almost 40 years ago about their reactors and test holes for burying nuclear waste in Cumbria had to be cancelled when an earth tremor in the area shook houses as far away as Edinburgh.
Angus Ramsay.34 Kings Road,Rosyth.
Safe method of generation
Sir,-Those who argue against nuclear energy on safety grounds should remember that the UK is substantially supplied from the French Graveline, just 46 miles from the British coast and without which the lights would have gone out this winter in the UK, as our wind turbines stood becalmed.
This magnificent plant has also avoided the one billion tonnes of CO2 that would have been created by generating from coal and, after 30 years of operation, its waste occupies no more space than a small car park.
Nuclear is the only sensible way forward.
Malcolm Parkin.15 Gamekeepers Road,Kinnesswood.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.