Sir, On November 12 Lindsay Roy MP voted in the House of Commons for a Labour Party motion to scrap the “bedroom tax”. He was quoted at length in the papers making caring remarks including: “The hallmark for a civilised society is how we treat the poor, disadvantaged and disabled.”
He finished by saying: “This unfair and unjust act must be repealed now and that’s why I am proud to say I voted with other caring MPs to do just that.”
I liked what he said and even more that he voted for his party’s motion. However Lindsay Roy is not my MP. He is the Central Fife MP. His constituency covers a tiny bit of Kirkcaldy but not where I live.
My MP is Gordon Brown. He, like Lindsay Roy, is a member of the Labour Party, which finally has come out against this vile “tax” which affects 6,500 unemployed, low waged and disabled tenants in Fife.
I have still to see a report by Gordon Brown as to why he did not find it important enough to vote in Westminster on November 12.
I understand that government and opposition party MPs can be “paired off” which means that one of each party agrees not to turn up at a vote. This is common practice for unimportant votes in Westminster.
I hope Gordon Brown is not going to tell us it was important for him to attend the football celebrations at the Hall of Fame in Kirkcaldy the night before the vote to repeal the “bedroom tax” but not that he join Lindsay Roy at Westminster the next day to vote for his poorer constituents?
Rudi Vogels. Member of the Fife Anti-Bedroom Tax Campaign, 1 Barassie Drive, Kirkcaldy.
Customer care has been lost
Sir, Having banked with RBS for more than 43 years I took the decision to leave them two years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. This bank has lost its client relationships and this will be its downfall.
I deposited two cheques at the Carnoustie branch and they vanished without trace. I had to do my own groundwork and discovered someone had cashed them.
The bank told me they have no recollection of my being in to deposit them. I mentioned the branch’s CCTV, but they said it wasn’t working.
The money was eventually refunded but I was warned that any fraud committed by myself would mean having to face the consequences.
I transferred my accounts and have never looked back. But if you want to measure the extent of client relationships with this bank, consider this: after 43 years and removing my accounts from my local branch I did not receive even a phone call asking why I had left.
I see that RBS have been fined 1.4 million Euros for breaching banking standards. This bank will end up being abandoned by its members. I’m glad I departed.
Brian McSweeney. 29 Arbroath Road, Carnoustie.
Two reasons to celebrate…
Sir. Kieran Andrews (political diary, November 30) tells us that Murdo Fraser MSP was so delighted by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s intervention in the debate about Scotland’s future that he went home to celebrate with a Spanish omelette.
This debate has as its historical basis the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland of 1707.
A few years later, in 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht was signed, by which Gibraltar became a British possession.
Spain was not a party to and not involved in the Treaty of Union of 1707. It was a party to the Treaty of Utrecht and this treaty and its implications for the 21st century, being of great concern to Spain, are studied there diligently.
Given Mr Fraser’s delight in Sr Rajoy’s expertise regarding matters based on a treaty outwith Spain’s concern, it is entirely reasonable to assume that his enjoyment of his Spanish omelette was heightened by the happy thought that Sr Rajoy’s first hand expertise will hasten the day when Gibraltar will rightly be Spanish again.
Gordon Dilworth. 20 Baledmund Road, Moulin, Pitlochry.
Deterioration is concerning
Sir, I can understand Sheriff Davidson’s frustration (Courier ,Wednesday), but it appears that “incompetence” is prevalent in almost every walk of life with no onehaving any respect for loyalty or discipline and no one in a position to take command and ensure that relevant tasks are completed.
The deterioration in our legal system is quite concerning and appears to have originated from political interference.
John McDonald. 14 Rosebery Court, Kirkcaldy.
Why all the furore?
Sir, Why all this furore over courts being closed?
According to Kenny MacAskill, crime is at its lowest for nearly 40 years, although the prisons are at bursting point and that’s without locking up people on short sentences.
Surely the courts should be quiet if Mr MacAskill’s assertions are correct? If not, someone is not telling us the truth. But who?
Bob Duncan. 110 Caesar Avenue, Carnoustie.