Sir, – Our Westminster government has got its strategy completely wrong. Herd immunity which they are relying on is only effective after the majority of the population have been either vaccinated or infected and recovered.
There is little prospect of any vaccine, let alone a large scale immunisation process until next year.
HIV for example is a virus and despite it being around for many decades now, it has not generated any form of herd immunity.
Indeed even common flu requires annual vaccination to reduce the infection and death rate.
At this stage with Covid-19 nobody knows whether or not herd immunity will or can be acquired, nobody knows the likelihood of relapse or reinfection, and it is far too soon to know if there are any residual long term effects or even any potential rate of mutation.
We do know so far that if people are young, fit and healthy there is the prospect of minimal consequences, so we have to wonder what the government’s real motive is behind their strategy which is completely at odds with the rest of the international community.
On this note we need to remind ourselves that health in Scotland is a devolved matter.
Nick Cole.
Balmacron Farmhouse,
Meigle.
People before profit for once
Sir, – Too many of us are being told to self- isolate and stay indoors, it was a small comfort for many older people that the BBC will allow free licences for the over 75s meantime.
This is in marked contrast to the streaming giants who seem to be planning to monetise and profit from people staying at home by bringing more paid for services on stream, taking films out of cinemas where we are asked not to go to, and putting them behind paywalls.
If the UK Government is serious about supporting self-isolating people through this time why not threaten legislation or regulation to ensure services are freely available for the duration and put people before profit for once.
John Davidson.
98 Caesar Avenue,
Carnoustie.
Money is a tool to create growth
Sir, – I feel I simply cannot allow the comments made by Otto Inglis (Defer minimum wage rise to aid small firms, Courier, March 17) to pass by unchallenged.
Your correspondent suggests that the government considers postponing the increase in the Minimum Wage which is due to come into effect on April 1 2020.
A fair point but in return will the local authorities consider freezing their inflation busting council tax rises which are also due to come into effect around the same time? I think not!
And what about all the other day-to-day necessities, fees and services which find it necessary to put up their prices in order to survive?
Money was invented as a tool, an essential which has to circulate in order to sustain growth.
Block off a single artery and the economy will eventually collapse.
Strange too there is no mention of the salaries and bonuses paid out to chief executives, senior civil servants and others who fall into that lucky remit.
It never fails to amaze me how people cannot resist taking a swipe at the low paid private sector workers who invariably work just as hard, or perhaps even harder than their public sector colleagues.
For the record, still employed in my mid 60s, I have had the privilege and pleasure of working on both sides of the fence.
Troubled times surely lie ahead but if we adhere to the terms of the 11th Commandment “Do unto others as you would have them do unto thyself” and follow the example set by the Good Samaritan then we should all come through this crisis stronger, wiser and more resilient.
T W MacFarlane,
Carey Mill,
Dunsinnan Road,
Wolfhill.
Create aisle for the over-70s
Sir, – Why don’t large supermarkets reserve an aisle specifically for the over 70s.
It could be stocked with essential foods, toilet rolls and cleaning products, including hand sanitisers, and would go a long way to ensure that those who may be forced to limit their shopping visits could still have access to goods which fly off the shelves as soon as they are stocked.
I am sure it is something that supermarket management could organise quickly and could be policed by whichever staff member is responsible for keeping that aisle stocked.
Patricia Donald.
3 Scotscraig Mains,
Tayport.
What else has been kept secret
Sir, – Tony Perridge (‘Be prepared for fallacious UK arguments’, Courier, March 13) drew attention to the McCrone Report, commissioned by the UK Government in 1975, at the start of the North Sea Oil bonanza, to measure the potential impact on the Scottish economy, at a time when support for Scottish independence was on the rise.
Economist McCrone reported that Scotland would be extremely wealthy, and the cause of independence would be bolstered.
The UK Government promptly marked the report ‘Top Secret’ and locked it away for 30 years, only reluctantly revealing it through a freedom of information request in 2005.
But this is not the only example of official UK subterfuge.
If you were to stand on Carnoustie beach, and look out to sea, you would probably think that these would be Scottish waters.
But no: over the horizon, where much of the North Sea oil has been found, you would be in English waters. And again, deceit is involved.
In 1999, on the day before the Scottish Parliament came into being, the Labour Party First Minister for Scotland Donald Dewar agreed a deal with Prime Minister Tony Blair to redraw the existing English/Scottish maritime border giving England 6,000 square miles of Scottish waters, including the Argyll Field, and six other major oilfields.
This again was clearly a plot to weaken the financial case for Scottish independence and again, still, 20 years later, is little known.
So what other dirty tricks have been perpetrated that we don’t know about, and what plans are undoubtedly being made now to subvert the increasingly clear wish of the Scottish people to be in control of our own destiny in an independent nation?
Les Mackay.
5 Carmichael Gardens,
Dundee.
Free to user but not to taxpayer
Sir, – In his letter (Make good on free bus travel Courier, March 16), Councillor Bill Porteous urges the Scottish Government to “just get on with” providing what he calls “free bus public transport to under 19s”.
I assume he means get on with taxpayer funded bus public transport for under 19s?
How generous of Councillor Porteous!
G M Lindsay.
Whinfield Gardens,
Kinross.
Struggling on through
Sir, – Delicious Magazine has produced a list of 50 recommended store cupboard ingredients, including two grades of olive oil, anchovies, capers and harissa. Phew.
Now we know Edinburgh’s Stockbridge and Morningside residents should be able to struggle through the coming weeks.
Martin Redfern.
Woodcroft Road,
Edinburgh.
