Today’s letter writers tackle supermarkets’ effect on small towns, the economics of an independent Scotland, biomass and sectarianism.
Store threat to small-town Scotland
Sir, John R. Murdoch’s informative reply to my letter worrying about the impact of a large supermarket on the shops in Pitlochry rather discounts the potential for ruin to the existing businesses in the town centre.
If one considers the wide range of goods sold in big Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s stores, for example, clothes, electronics and housewares including white goods, the risk must be of pricing with which smaller shopkeepers could not compete.
Therefore, as in, say, Baltimore, Maryland, the town or city centre may become a desert, home to only a few cafes, municipal and insurance company offices and the like and, in Pitlochry’s case, tartan goods and souvenirs.
Such a sea-change in the town centre would not help the character of the town to attract tourists.
Perhaps a new Sainsbury’s could be be restricted to food sales, with benefit.
Whatever they may claim, the larger British supermarkets do not generally offer as good value as the discount stores, which might be a better target for Pitlochry’s bargain-hunters.
(Dr) Charles Wardrop.111 Viewlands Road West,Perth.
Folly of SNP tax-cut proposal
Sir, SNP Holyrood candidate Alex Orr claims (May 30) “there is little reason for Scotland to be denied the ability to set its own corporation tax”, and makes a good theoretical case.
However, the figures he cites regarding increased investment and jobs in Northern Ireland ignore the elephant in the room in relation to Scotland that being the business uncertainty surrounding the independence issue.
As an advocate of EU membership and the single currency, Mr Orr will be aware of the lack of clarity by the SNP on these issues.
Indeed, he will be aware that the success of the single currency depended on economic convergence but the lack of this is one reason for the euro’s difficulties.
And Mr Orr will also be aware that one aspect of the single European market is the need for uniformity of tax rates within the EU, which is why Brussels frowns upon the kind of thing he advocates regarding corporation tax rates.
It was the Republic of Ireland’s success in attracting inward investment due to a competitive tax rate that seems to provide the rationale for a lower rate in Northern Ireland but subsequent events in the Republic perhaps demonstrate the dangers of fiscal divergence rather than convergence.
Scottish Nationalists cite the lack of UK economic convergence as the reason for interest rates set by the Bank of England as being inappropriate for Scotland, bizarrely advocating euro membership and the European Central Bank instead.
But, as things stand, a lower corporation tax rate in Scotland would be detrimental to economic and fiscal uniformity in the UK.
Stuart Winton.Hilltown,Dundee.
Biomass not carbon neutral
Sir, With reference to Stuart Allan’s letter (May 30) World can meet biomass wood fuel demands the writer comments about the system being carbon neutral.
This is not true. It takes finite and significant energy resources to grow, harvest, cut down, transport to site and load the biomass for use as a fuel source.
Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant in any way, shape or form. Without carbon dioxide there would be no life on earth or trees to cut down. It is a benign trace element.
There is no such thing as man-made global warming. In fact there is no global warming at present, it stopped some 12 years ago. Changes in the climate are perfectly natural and well documented. Recent research indicates we are heading for a period of global cooling, hence, why global warming was modified to climate change.
Mike Brannan.Hardwick,Cambridge.
Kirk’s silence on sectarianism
Sir, I partially agree with the Rev David McLeod (May 31) that the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland should stop the fudge, procrastination and silence.
At a time when sectarian bombs bullets and knives are flying mostly in the direction of Roman Catholics the Church of Scotland has apparently embargoed discussion of this hot topic.
By washing their hands of their leading role in over 100 years of preaching the anti-Irish sentiment that usually attracts the misnomer of sectarianism, the church is ignoring a pressing problem that affects all Scots and not like gay ministers just their flock.
In fairness the church did, in 2002, admit its part in fomenting racism in the report, The Demon in our Society, but, since this brief mea culpa, the problem has got worse and the church has remained largely silent about its previous Orange agenda.
Tom Minogue.94 Victoria Terrace,Dunfermline.
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