Sir, – When an open-air pop concert is staged on parkland it usually means that the grass is churned up by heavy vehicles carrying scaffolding, staging and equipment.
The infrastructure itself can do a lot of damage to the ground and revellers, too, do lawns no favours by walking all over them.
Damage to shrubbery, young trees, planters and park furniture is almost inevitable as people stand on them to gain a better view.
There is also the problem of litter.
Despite pleas from organisers to revellers to pick up bottles, cartons and takeaway containers, when the sun rises next morning, the area will almost certainly be a litter-strewn mess.
For those reasons I feel that holding pop concerts in Slessor Gardens at the Waterfront in Dundee is a very bad idea.
Ken Hart.
9 Meadowbank View, Wellbank,
Dundee.
Time to abolish House of Lords
Sir, – I am furious about the House Of Lords defeating the Government over Brexit by trying to yet again delay the triggering of Article 50 by putting concern for European Union citizens living here ahead of the will of the British people.
It just demonstrates to me how out of touch this archaic institution full of Europhiles claiming vast daily expenses actually is.
The reason many people voted Leave was because of uncontrolled immigration from Europe.
Article 50 should have been triggered straight away and the semantics dealt with later. The House of Lords needs to be abolished. It has no place in a modern democracy.
Prime Minister Theresa May needs to get on with triggering it as the uncertainty is not any good for business or the economy.
Gordon Kennedy.
117 Simpson Square,
Perth.
Peers wrong to thwart Brexit
Sir, – Will someone please explain to me the reason for the existence of the 825 members of the House of Lords, at £48,000 a year each, when the Government disregards the results of their debates?
Peers want protection for European immigrants who are already here when the main reason in the Brexit strategy was to get rid of immigrants.
Let’s face it, that was how the Brexiteers got a majority vote.
Alister Rankin.
93 Whyterose Terrace,
Methil.
Will poverty be redefined?
Sir, – After years of SNP government at Holyrood, the number of households in poverty continues to increase as does the number of children living in poverty.
Surely it is time for the Government to take decisive action and change the definition of poverty?
GM Lindsay.
Whinfield Gardens,
Kinross.
Where will extra tax money go?
Sir, – For the past 30 years I have been paying tax at 40%. I am one of thousands of Baby Boomer, council-house Scots who got and took their chance in the 1960s and 1970s and, while still voting Labour, had to admit Tory tax reforms of the 1980s set us up for life.
Paying higher taxes seemed very fair if it helped people less fortunate, people like our parents and neighbours who had given their all to bring us up to behave, study, work hard and be good citizens.
And now we have a devolved government that will charge 372,000 of us an extra £400 a year: 372,000 people who read the papers, watch the news, and will vote in the forthcoming council elections.
Many will be asking why, with all Scotland’s special geographic and social conditions already accounted for in the Barnett settlement, we need even more public funding, and is the money going to what we would regard as good causes?
Allan Sutherland.
1 Willow Row,
Stonehaven.
Put clergy on frontline
Sir, – Retired after 35 years in Broughty Ferry, I am saddened that a third of Dundee’s churches are vacant when so many trained ministers hold pretendy clerical positions.
I see many experienced pastors sitting around in the Kirk’s head office holding down positions which would better filled by elders who have retired from business.
Then there are RE teachers and college lecturers to say nothing of university chaplains in “expanded” roles which could be performed part-time by local ministers.
Such peripheral stuff wasn’t a problem in days gone by and it is understandable that some prefer a better-paid, less arduous post but parish work represents the frontline.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.
Social justice crosses borders
Sir, – Given the nature of the leader of the Scottish National Party’s leanings: social justice; redistribution of wealth; fairer welfare system; fit for purpose health service, why does she not just join the Labour Party?
Surely it is incongruous that any politician holding such ambitions should feel they apply to only 8% of the UK population and that south of the Tweed and Solway Firth, these ambitions should not be applicable?
If she believes so wholeheartedly in the “common weal” why does it only apply to Scotland and not to those in England left only to the mercy of the “Westminster elite” and Tory rule as Scotland moves on to pastures new?
Is this not the politics of meanness and cant? Is this not a slur on the Scottish people that we should be seen to be so wholeheartedly pursuing something while disregarding others?
The issues she so seemingly wishes to claim apply across the UK. Social justice does not stop at the border.
Gerry Marshall.
Thistle Cottage,
Kinnesswood.
Bluster from SNP supporters
Sir, – The letter from Ken Clark is a perfect example of bluster and disinformation from SNP supporters.
The problem with Nicola Sturgeon and her supporters is that they seem to feel the world is against them, which is not surprising given their attitude and their approach to the rest of the United Kingdom.
Mr Clark implies that the SNP puts forward positive policies, whereas the rest of the UK is negative about the SNP.
It would be helpful to know what positive policies the SNP has in fact generated.
Much of what Ms Sturgeon proposes in regard to Brexit is unworkable, this is why we should welcome Jenny Hjul’s weekly column. It is only blinkered SNP supporters who consider the gospel according to Ms Sturgeon is the only true word and complain about any discussion of the SNP, whereas they should welcome a wider discussion since we are talking about Scotland as a country and not just the SNP.
Mr Clark should try to be more objective about his favourite party rather than always blaming others for negative coverage of his party which is, perhaps unfortunately, largely justified.
DJ Hogarth.
12 Moyness Park Drive,
Blairgowrie.