Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir,- Politicians have decided on a single police force for Scotland and boast that recorded crime has dropped to its lowest level in 35 years.
Does this not prove beyond doubt that the existing system is working very efficiently?
Even so, one must not get confused by “recorded” and “actual” crime figures, the former being so easily manipulated to suit the purpose.
John McDonald.14 Rosebery Court,Kirkcaldy.
More compassion would be better
Sir,-The front page headline (September 6) “Mother’s anguish as man avoids jail” related a tragic story. But, not uncommonly, it seems unreasonably harsh on the driver who was prosecuted.
The man has already been through a year most of us have never experienced, and has handled it with honesty and remorse.
Let’s face it, as drivers we have all made mistakes some have driven deliberately dangerously, some have knowingly exceeded the speed limit, some have driven with excess alcohol, and some have driven without a licence.
This man was in the first category and I feel it would have been fairer on him if the tone of the article had been more compassionate, and perhaps not headlined on the front page.
Stuart Wishart.12 Walnut Grove,Blairgowrie.
Not out of touch after all
Sir,-So it seems Murdo Fraser wants to abolish the Conservative Party in Scotland.
Who said the Tories were out of touch with popular public opinion?
Ian Angus.9 Steading Place,Arbroath.
Minimum age for candidates
Sir,-All right-thinking people should be saddened by the implosion of the Scottish Conservative party, but no-one can be surprised.
Over the past 30 years we have seen a succession of dandies, dodderers and downright buffoons eroding standards in this once-proud party to its current state.
A leadership candidate is now so bereft of commitment and principle that he apparently sees nothing wrong in denying their identity. And this from a party that, in living memory, actually had a majority of Scottish MPs at Westminster.
However, grown-up voters shouldn’t be too upset. They still do have an alternative to the left-wing, nationalist taradiddle that has now become standard fare from all four so-called main parties in Scotland.
The Pensioners’ Party is steadfastly committed to mature policies, such as a free enterprise economy; sound defence; education without gimmickry; stricter measures to maintain law and order; and, of course, the extermination of nationalism (let’s have a referendum to abolish devolution).
And perhaps even more important, the majority in our party have actually spent their working lives doing things such as running businesses and bringing up families.
It is not unreasonable to suggest that Britain’s main problems are rooted in the fact that successive governments comprised too many untrained and inexperience people, who entered politics at an early age and never lived in the real world.
So let’s have a minimum age for all candidates in all elections. (I suggest 40, but that’s a personal opinion).
Jim Parker.Pensioners Party,9 Banchory Green,Collydean.
Shooters get a raw deal
Sir,-I read with some amusement the report by Norman Watson from the Athletics World Championships in South Korea, especially the comments of Lord Coe.
He has made, and continues to make, grand statements about leaving a legacy for sport in the UK after the conclusion of the games.
Yet to me, as a shooter, it seems that it depends on what sport you refer to. Athletics, cycling and swimming will indeed leave fantastic venues for future generations.
But for shooting, Locog, headed by Lord Coe, has decided to spend close to £50 million building temporary venues at Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, only to tear them down after the games.
The plan is so flawed that public roads have to be closed during the clay pigeon events for health and safety reasons.
Yet 30 miles away at Bisley there is a world-class shooting establishment with plenty of space to accommodate all the needs of shooters.
Investment there would have left a huge legacy for future generations but yet again common sense doesn’t prevail.
Locog have only just reversed a decision not to allow school children who receive free tickets to watch shooting events. This was because of the hysteria that seems to exist.
I would have thought that, with all the knife crime in the UK, they should have banned them from the fencing.
Mike Hibberd.33 Oak Loan,Ballumbie.
One way to shake up university
Sir,-The spat in St Andrews over the location for a new Madras College is unbelievable.
The selfish actions of the university in refusing the school to be built on ground within the town, and disagreements with Fife Council on the price of that land, is indicative of how a spoilt child would act.
Perhaps the issue would be solved in an instant if the council were to make use of a compulsory purchase order.
Bob Harper.63a Pittenweem Road,Anstruther.
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.