Sir, – Listening to radio and television interviews recently, it is increasingly obvious that a significant proportion of the population are switched off to all Scottish Government Covid-19 messaging, and this is going to become a major issue in the months ahead.
We can all see that this has been the case for some time.
We know people are tired of the ongoing situation. We want it to be over, but the virus does not get tired, and it is not over and will not be over until we get a vaccine.
There is a particular problem in Glasgow, currently back in local lockdown, and a city in which people are notoriously unwilling to be told what to do, especially if it seems contradictory to advice for other areas.
The numbers of people there are huge compared to Aberdeen or Tayside in which we have had recent problems, with Aberdeen also recently returned to local lockdown and Tayside seeing a rise in infections.
The challenge is to influence and inform all people of the seriousness of Covid-19, not just the dedicated proportion who watch the news at lunchtime each day.
Against this backdrop it is difficult not to come to the conclusion that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s daily lecture may have run its course.
The lecturing and “I know best” tone does not suit the particular city of Glasgow.
Perhaps we need a new communications strategy, with new personnel. If people have switched off, then doing more of the same will not work.
We have also learned that the first minister spends most of the morning preparing for her lunchtime address, and then there are the necessary briefings afterwards. This is a job that can be delegated because we have other priorities as well.
If people have switched off, then she is not as important or effective as she thinks.
Victor Clements.
Mamie’s Cottage,
Aberfeldy, Perthshire.
Bursting the London bubble
Sir, –There was an interesting discussion on the news recently about the pros and cons of people continuing to work from home, or, as the UK Government desperately wants, returning to the office.
The UK Government’s main concern being the City of London, which has been a ghost town for months.
Working from home, for many, works perfectly well, but the government says people need to get back to work, mainly, it would seem, to support the London economy, cafés, restaurants, sandwich shops, taxi drivers, and so on, not to mention justifying massive rentals for fancy office blocks.
But why would people want to spend half their lives, and half their salaries, on the train, bus, tube, taxi, travelling from wherever they can afford to live, to an office in one of the most expensive cities in the world, when they could roll out of bed at a reasonable time, walk the kids to school, nip in to the spare room, and fit whatever work they need to do around their other commitments, bright and alert, with energy to spare for quality time with the family.
They are getting their lives back.
And the money they would have spent in the city will be spent supporting local businesses where they live, thus spreading the economic benefits, cooling the superheated London bubble, perhaps even lowering house prices to a level that makes them affordable for ordinary Londoners.
And if some wealthy landlords or property speculators lose money – too bad.
In the longer term there might even be a lowering of the financial chasm between the south-east and the rest of the UK, and a bit more governmental attention paid to the needs of the nation, rather than just the City of London.
Les Mackay.
5 Carmichael Gardens,
Dundee.
Covid’s caused economic shift
Sir, – The extraordinary over-reaction of so many governments which turned the Covid-19 pandemic into a viral panic may have produced a profound economic shift.
My generation, born during the war, saw Keynesianism replaced by Friedman’s monetarism in the 1980s and central banks given independence in the 1990s.
The post-war challenge was to prevent depressions but in the Sombre Seventies that was overtaken by the need to end stagflation.
Today we require a structural plan that allows the business cycle to be managed and financial crises to be fought without a politicised takeover of the economy.
Good luck with that!
Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.
EV vehicles are our clean future
Sir, – If you don’t believe the science of climate change, or that toxic air pollution harms people, then you can, like Clark Cross, believe our petrol/diesel vehicles continuing contribution to these issues is not your problem (‘EV drivers don’t pay their way’, Letters, September 4).
However, it is also the law here in Scotland that our greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to net zero in 25 years.
One key driver is that it is going to cost us far less doing this, than not doing it. Thus, it is completely the wrong way round to say that EV drivers don’t pay their way.
It is petrol/diesel vehicles costing us a fortune.
It is right that EV charging points be installed for our convenience, because sooner or later that is going to be for all of us.
Clark Cross and others like him have to get that there’s a real world out there.
Gordon Pay.
Eden Park,
Cupar.
Cupar retail park out of step
Sir, – I am concerned to read there is still momentum for the Cupar retail park.
Within the article in The Courier (‘Drive-through restaurant gets go-ahead as changes also approved’, August 27), Sustainable Cupar voices concerns about provision for pedestrians and cyclists. I would suggest the entire retail park is not sustainable in the environmental sense Sustainable Cupar means.
That such a retail park was approved shows true sustainability has not been considered at all.
There is, as usual, focus on income generation for firstly the global companies the park wishes to attract, followed by the relatively few who will actually gain an income from it.
The council will enjoy some rates income from the units and the land/park owner will get rental income.
Employees may come last in the consideration, as in reality these jobs are low paid, often zero hours contracts, not quality employment.
These parks exist to sell us stuff. Often stuff that is desirable rather than essential.
That is not sustainable in terms of global resources, and stuff this park may sell is already available in Cupar, often from locally-owned businesses.
The increase in traffic is not sustainable either.
We need to drastically cut emissions. Walking and cycling in Cupar is not that pleasant due to existing traffic.
Covid-19 has vastly changed the way we live and it will be with us for a long time. Offices are emptying, there is no need for new ones.
Covid-19 has also changed the way we shop and I doubt the physical shop will recover, as more people shop online.
It is too late to stop this application but I fear it will be a white elephant for Cupar.
Anne Lawson.
25 Tarvit Avenue,
Cupar.
