Sir, – That the new Taoiseach of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, who has just taken office is the gay son of a Hindu immigrant father shows quite how much the Irish Republic has changed in recent decades. And yet I can’t help feeling strong misgivings.
Like the three most important politicians in Europe, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May and all bar one of the Scottish party leaders, Mr Varadkar is childless.
Politicians have a notorious tendency towards short-termism and looking no further than the next election.
Parenthood, on the other hand, encourages people to look to the long term.
How many of us have heard our parents say, or as parents ourselves said: “I worry about what sort of world we are leaving to our children”?
For example, would a German chancellor with children have thrown the country’s borders wide open, so that in a single generation Germany will be transformed from a European Judeo-Christian nation in to a bi-cultural multi-ethnic one in which European culture, laws and morals are all subject to permanent challenge by an ever-growing section of the populace who reject our Western values?
None of this is to say that a person can’t be childless and yet be a fine leader: counter examples are not difficult to find.
However, Europe’s increasingly childless governing elite is reckless, intellectually sterile and out of step with normal people, for the majority of whom parenthood is central to their life experience.
Otto Inglis.
6 Inveralmond Grove,
Edinburgh.
Take control of our borders
Sir, – Amid the clamour to find a door at which to quickly lay the blame for the Grenfell Tower fire, no one so far has had the guts to call out exactly why London, and almost all of the rest of the UK, continues to face unprecedented pressure on its social necessities such as the NHS, transport, education, security and, of course, housing.
The unfettered immigration which was allowed particularly by Tony Blair’s Labour government is the main reason why London probably has at least a million more residents than it can properly deal with.
It is why property prices and rents continue to soar.
John McDonnell and the left wing now apparently propose to requisition empty properties as a short-term fix which amounts to nothing more than institutional theft.
Theresa May has suddenly made £5 million of taxpayers’ money available to those affected. Will any of that be recouped in time from residents’ buildings and contents insurance policies? No chance.
Our politicians should seal our borders forthwith, stabilise the size of the population, and start rebuilding the UK from within. If that takes 50 years, so be it.
Jim Shaw.
Hill Street,
Dundee.
Climate change propaganda
Sir, – I have just read the Grenfell Tower regeneration project 2012 planning application, which gave reasons and options for the scheme.
It contains no fewer than 37 statements which could be construed as climate change propaganda, such as “low carbon energy sources”.
No doubt the promoters of the idea that we can and should stop the (alleged) catastrophic changing of the world’s climate will be desperate to distance themselves from this scandalous tragedy.
Mr G Moore.
23 Braeface Park,
Alness.
Folly of austerity demonstrated
Sir, – Why don’t those in power and in charge of money realise that austerity is not even wise capitalism ?
The only point of money is as means of exchange. Investment reduces unemployment so many people have more money, therefore, they can buy more and increase employment even more. Public services can be improved and made much safer.
The Grenfell Tower tragedy would not have happened if the council of one of the richest areas of London had paid more attention to the pleas of their poorer residents.
Apparently, there is a an active group representing the residents of tower blocks which has been warning of similar shocking events for some time.
Reducing the number of firefighters only saves money for a very short time. After effects of disasters cost a fortune as well as sadly disrupting communities for quite a while.
Never mind about the national debt. If the 1945 government had paid much attention to it, then we would never have had the NHS. I’m sure that being born in the post-war baby boom means I am a member of the luckiest generations that ever has been and sadly maybe that ever will be.
All I can do from this distance is offer great sympathy for people l iving in London, especially those directly affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster.
(Ms) Chris Lesurf.
20 Priestden Place,
St Andrews.
Waste of cash by Brussels
Sir, – The EU is living well beyond its means.
If it were a business it would have been bankrupted decades ago.
There are 751 MEPs plus their ever-expanding armies of staff.
The EU has 33,000 employees.
The European Parliament normally meets in Brussels but MEPs and staff travel to Strasbourg for a week each month at huge and unnecessary expense.
Now MEPs want the £880 million Brussels headquarters razed to the ground so a more spacious alternative can be constructed at tax- payers’ expense.
Why not use the existing building in Strasbourg?
Ukip MEP Jonathan Arnott spoke for us all when he said: “How about we tear the whole thing down and don’t bother rebuilding at all”.
Clark Cross.
138 Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.
SNP will always back separation
Sir, – If the SNP has any sense, it will put its demand for another separation referendum on the back burner or take it off the agenda altogether.
If it does either of these, no one should imagine that it has given up its existential ambition.
Separation from the rest of the United Kingdom will remain point one of the SNP constitution.
The party may hope to lull voters into a sense of security, but a vote for the SNP will always mean a vote for secession from the United Kingdom.
If voters are sufficiently naive to support a seemingly detoxified SNP, they will find their votes being regarded as an endorsement of the only policy that matters to the SNP.
Jill Stephenson.
Glenlockhart Valley,
Edinburgh.
