Sir, – At risk of sounding out of step with the nation, I wonder if the English media’s saturation coverage of old army Captain Sir Tom Moore and the Westminster politicians who have been at pains to outdo each other in their bombastic praise is little more than smokescreen jingoism?
There is no doubt that the centenarian did formidably well by raising the best part of £40 million for the NHS.
However, there are aspects of this media story which don’t sit well.
It seems odd that a nation which views old military titles as a reason for light hearted ridicule, as exemplified by Ballard Berkeley’s comic character The Major in Fawlty Towers, warmed to Captain Tom using his army rank long after it was relevant.
But the real story should be why necessary funding of the NHS comes down to a 100-year-old and his Zimmer.
The news focus should be the chronic underfunding of the NHS.
Jamie Buchan.
Grove Road,
Dundee.
Jenny Hjul views are a ‘flight of fancy’
Sir, – It is with great surprise to discover that Jenny Hjul is now a standard bearer for Joanna Cherry MP of the SNP!
Her article (February 3) is in defence of this politician and the way she has been treated by her party.
There is little doubt that Ms Cherry is a formidable politician but the glee with which Ms Hjul hopes that this politician will disrupt and create division in the SNP says it all.
The inclusion of the issues surrounding Alex Salmond further adds to the hope that the SNP will have proverbially “shot itself in both feet” to the extent that their independence aspirations will be badly dented.
I am also delighted that she finally agrees that the SNP will have a landslide victory in the Holyrood elections and therefore will be the forerunner of an independence referendum.
Much as the writer would like to see great cracks appearing in the SNP as a result of these occurrences, I am afraid that is a flight of fancy.
Dan Wood.
Charles Melvin Gardens,
Kirriemuir.
PM’s Livingston visit was ‘incompatible’
Sir, – I was horrified to read that Boris Johnson went ahead with his visit to the Valneva vaccine factory in Livingston last week despite having been advised beforehand that there had been a number of coronavirus cases at the site earlier in January.
Bearing in mind the fact that the prime minister was travelling from a part of the country where the infection rate was high and the extra infectious ‘ variant ‘ mutation was causing huge concern, his trip to Scotland appears totally incompatible with his own government’s ‘stay at home unless your journey is absolutely essential’ advice.
Alan Woodcock.
Osborne Place,
Dundee.
Grim taste of a ‘dark’ future for Scotland
Sir, – By far the most sensible suggestion to surface in recent weeks regarding Indyref2 is that Scotland be denied its excessive Westminster funding if Nicola Sturgeon proceeds with her wildcat referendum in the aftermath of the May election.
In the same way the vaccine roll-out has shown SNP incompetence in yet another sphere of government, so holding up the London subsidies for a year would give the Scots a glimpse of what life would be like if we take this grim leap-in-the-dark.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.
Questionable tendering strategy
Sir, – I have commented before on the Westminster government’s Covid spending strategy, but even I was shocked to read in the Whitehall Monitor that ‘only 1% of the £17.3 billion spent on Covid contracts has been awarded through competitive tendering, and 61% awarded with no competition at all’.
Can this be true of the party of prudence and family values?
Les Mackay.
Carmichael Gardens,
Dundee.
