Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – I would like to express my complete and utter disappointment with Johann Lamont’s recent policy review regarding free university tuition.
Universities are and always have been at the heart of Scotland’s innovation, entrepreneurship and are supplying the expertise to get this country out of recession.
Accessibility is a vital factor in the universities’ ability to do this.
The Scottish Government’s policy on universal free education is the only way to fully guarantee maximum accessibility.
Without it there is either the disturbing loans culture which is emerging in England, where there was a 10% drop in applications last year, or an equally disturbing culture of means testing where endless form filling merely ends up in scaring the clever people from lower income backgrounds away from university or creating a sense of ”handouts” or ”charity” which will be equally off-putting to a prospective student.
Education is one area where everyone must feel a sense of entitlement we wouldn’t dream of charging higher income secondary school pupils.
It is a fundamental human right and must be free at the point of need.
Ms Lamont’s plans have a ring of Thatcherism which is wholly unexpected from Scottish Labour and really does disappoint me.
I feel completely disenchanted with this peculiar brand of socialism which runs rampage over the principles of equality which the Scottish Government are rightly upholding despite the current economic conditions.
John Thomson Jr.Dorward Road,Montrose.
A waste and duplication of resources
Sir, -If Labour leader Johann Lamont is serious about tackling Scotland’s ”something for nothing” culture then she should start with our taxpayer-funded Catholic schooling system.
Catholic education is grossly wasteful of resources with duplication of buildings, heating, lighting, equipment and staff costs.
Ms Lamont should instruct her Cuts Commission to look at reducing taxpayer funding for Catholic education from the current 100% to something around 80%.
The Catholic Church is very wealthy and can afford to contribute towards Catholic schools, thus releasing millions of pounds of taxpayers money to support public services for the poor and vulnerable.
I would remind Ms Lamont that making the Catholic Church pay its fair share would prove enormously popular in Scotland.
Ian Stewart.Convener,Atheist Scotland.33 Park Avenue,Dundee.
Flew in face of the majority
Sir, – I am sorry to disappoint Mrs Elizabeth Fordyce of Dundee (Letters, October 3) but the Scottish Nationalist Party is certainly not the party of the people, as we in Pitlochry found out to our cost on Wednesday, September 26.
That day the SNP councillors on Perth and Kinross Council’s development management committee voted to pass an outrageous planning application submitted by Uplands Developments for an ugly budget hotel/shopping complex which will disfigure the centre of our lovely town.
This decision flew in the face of the majority of the population here who have waged a four-year campaign against the proposed development. In effect the SNP councillors with their Liberal allies decided to support a rich developer against the wishes of the ordinary Pitlochry citizens.
Roger WH West.Croftinloan,Pitlochry.
Make savings internally
Sir, – The announcement by the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlan that, due to mistakes in the Transport Department, the bids for the West Coast Rail Franchise have to be re-evaluated and the cost to the taxpayer will be £40 million is absolutely disgraceful and totally unacceptable.
Mr McLoughlan should be told in no uncertain terms that the Transport Department must carry the cost and not the taxpayer.
He should be instructed to prepare new budgets by the end of this month showing how the £40 million will be saved on strictly internal costs.
It would be unrealistic to expect this to be achieved during the remainder of the current financial year but must be during the life of the current Parliament.
That is what in the private sector is called accountability and in the public sector does not appear to exist at all.
Gordon Kennedy.117 Simpson Square,Perth.
More lessons to be learned
Sir, – The fiasco over the West Coast Rail franchise has resulted in the suspension of three civil servants and revealing that ”unacceptable mistakes” have been made.
Another example of square pegs in round holes, with the usual political comment that ”lessons have been learned”!
John McDonald.14 Rosebery Court,Kirkcaldy.
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