Sir, – Bob Anderson (February 17) suggested that my view of Mrs Thatcher’s legacy was lame and misinformed.
For his information, my subjects are properly researched before committing pen to paper, unlike some who base their findings on the views expressed bycertain media outlets which espouse political beliefs similar to their own.
In his rush to blame the ills of the Thatcher years on the unions, he omits to acknowledge that the lights went out on Ted Heath’s watch.
Chrysler shut the doors at Linwood when their entitlement to Government subsidy ran out, and Ravenscraig failed because Mrs Thatcher was the only European leader who refused to protect her country’s industrial interests from unfair competition.
As for job creation, one of her first commitments on coming to power was to reduce the number of civil service posts by 64,000.
At the same time as young people were being offered posts in a cheap labour youth training scheme, university graduates were on the dole; although one, who was personally known to me, did manage to find employment wrapping sausages at Lawson’s of Dyce.
When the Poll Tax was introduced, some family members who were employed had to rely on parents to give them financial assistance because of their low pay levels. Again, I speak from first-handexperience.
David Cameron recently claimed that the UK has the fifth-largest economy in the world, yet he presides over a regime which is content to condemn some ofthe least fortunate of its citizens to depend on foodbanks.
Without knowing me, Mr Anderson has labelled me a hard-left nationalist.
If that description fits someone who is proud to be Scottish and who stands up for those less fortunate than himself, then I am guilty as charged.
Fortunately, thosewho do know me think otherwise.
Allan MacDougall. 37 Forth Park, Bridge of Allan.
Renewables a costly failure
Sir, – Though a number of arguments can be assembled in defence of wind turbines as electricity generators, as writes Neil Mackay, Stirling, (February 18) theirintermittency ofgeneration is theinevitable deal-breaker, which is a main reason why the first scientific adviser to the Scottish Government warned against their installation, pending massive improvements inelectricity storage.
His advice was, very misguidedly, ignored to the immense damage of our land, possibly extending to our seascapes and seabeds, to our wildlife and finances, with even moreexpensive and unreliable turbines.
No useful benefits to our greenhouse gasoutput, employment or politicians’ honesty have resulted and our tourist industry can onlyhave suffered fromthe assaults on ourcountryside.
The only beneficiaries have been foreignmanufacturers, developers and, perhaps, politicians who have fooled some of the public.
The lesson is that these renewables are a costly failure, which would be ended forthwith, if our politicians had any sense and honesty.
(Dr) Charles Wardrop. 111 Viewlands Road West, Perth.
Repetitive argument
Sir, – In his letter of February 11 on climate change, Clark Crosscomplained that the director of WWF Scotland “has been firing off press releases and newspaper articles on a monotonous basis”.
Reading on February 15 yet another letter from Mr Cross on this same subject, I feel that the charge of being monotonous can also be directed at Mr Cross.
Gordon Dilworth. 20 Baledmund Road, Moulin, Pitlochry.
Can drones help in rescues?
Sir,- During the recent events on the Scottish mountains I have noticed that searches cannot be conducted because of the danger to rescuers of avalanches.
Being a person with no mountain experience I wonder if the rescue teams could not employ drones fitted withcameras which wouldbe able to searchlarge areas of country, providing good visibility is present.
Further to that,should it not becompulsory formountaineers to carry coloured smoke flares which might assist the rescuers, again, providing the conditions are favourable?
As I say, with no mountain experience I would be interested to hear the views from seasoned mountaineers.
James Brooks. 35 Sutherland Crescent, Dundee.
Cash wasted by public sector
Sir,- So Dundee University has called in the bean counters.
No doubt manycouncils and maybeall publicly-fundedbodies should be doing the same thing.
This clampdown on cost comes as no shock to the general public who have witnessed waste in the public sector over many decades.
There have been gold-plated pensions, above-inflation wage increases, early retirements and huge pay-offs.
In decades past when public cash seemed to be a bottomless pit, thepublic sector waswallowing in it and throwing it around like confetti.
You do not have to have a university degree to know that could not go on and should never have been allowed to happen. But the people in charge of these public-sector bodies were not going to cut their own throats.
This largesse has now caught up with the country but it is far toolate. The damage has been done.
Roy McIntosh. 16 Wellesley Road, Methil.
True meaning of secularism
Sir, – There is not, as W.G Watson (February 18) assumes, any quarrel between secularists and Christians.
The true meaning of secularism is separation of government andreligion. Neither may interfere in the other.
India, Turkey andthe USA have secular constitutions.
Their people have a legal right to believe in any religion they wish and most choose tofollow one.
Indonesia, with the largest Muslim population in the world, is similar, except that it only allows five religions. They have equal status in law. Atheism has not, Every one is required by the constitution to believe in God.
What the word means is left to individuals to decide.
Most secularists are religious believers and vice versa.
I don’t know anyatheists or theists here who wish to restrictothers’ freedom to believe or disbelieve what they wish to.
However, in the USA, the Christian Right wants to subvert the constitution by having laws which require others to abide by its own religious beliefs, for example, by making Christian prayer compulsory in state schools. It wouldinteresting to know if any of your correspondents agree.
John Munro. 68 Buccleuch Street, Glasgow.
EU has become money pit
Sir, – I am astonished that the UK sends £350 million to the battalions of Brussels bureaucrats every week.
Are we getting value for money by staying in Europe? I think not.
Peter Stuart. Westwood, Kenmore Road, Aberfeldy.