Sir, – I write in a personal capacity as a member of Howe of Fife RFC for more than 50 years.
Like all Howe supporters, I am dismayed by what has happened to the club’s reputation with its good name and those of some key members being denigrated all over local and national media.
Obscene initiations seem to have found their way into rugby all over the UK, with the RFU announcing a crackdown on the practice, which seems to have its origins at university clubs in England.
It looks as if the Howe incident happened at time when the SRU had decided to bring the hammer down.
There is absolutely nothing which can be said to defend what happened. It was appalling but I won’t be the only person who is a bit uncomfortable with aspects of the media exposure given to officials who operate on a totally voluntary, unpaid basis for the benefit of others in amateur sport.
Gary Horne played a key role in making Howe the most prolific hatchery of rugby talent in Scotland.
Murdo Fraser drove a project which has seen the Howe facilities at Duffus Park in Cupar become some of the best in Scotland.
I understand that the club has to express shame and contrition but it is a club with a big heart and great resolve. The game has to go on.
Andrew Duncan.Upper Largo.
Dundee repairs lagging behind
Sir, – Having been brought up in Edinburgh and lived and worked in Glasgow and Aberdeen, the issue of unadopted pavements never seemed to be a problem and it was taken for granted that urban areas would have properly surfaced pavements.
It would appear to be something of a phenomenon peculiar to Dundee, whereby pavements in pleasant suburban streets are not finished to expected standards.
It is astonishing that the fourth-largest city in Scotland has such an archaic policy and even more so that the Maryfield councillor has such a cavalier attitude towards the people of that area.
Her response was not only crass but extremely insensitive.
Bruce Mireylees.
6 Balgillo Road,
Broughty Ferry.
Religious threat to remembrance
Sir, – This week’s remembrance brings to mind my great-great uncle Hugh O’Brien who died in action.
I am frustrated that I cannot meditate on his memory along with my fellow citizens as so much of the public ceremony is run by the church.
Religious people must frame remembrance as they choose but why should one sect of one minority religion be the default steward for all?
If remembrance continues to be synonymous with Christian worship and its ever-diminishing popularity, there is a real risk that both may be forgotten together.
Neil Barber.
Edinbugh Secular Society,
Saughtonhall Drive,
Edinburgh.
Does seaweed diet lie ahead?
Sir, – Researchers in Australia have found that replacing just 2% of their feed with seaweed could help cut methane pollution from cows.
Environmentalists have said that cows and sheep are responsible for 44 % of all human-related greenhouse gas emissions.
The Scottish Government is being urged by John Scott MSP to trial the system since it would “allow Scottish farming to play a still more significant role in achieving Scotland’s carbon reduction targets”.
Reminder: Scotland has only 0.13% of global emissions.
Scotland has 1.8 million cattle and 6.6 million sheep.
There are 1.4 billion cattle, one billion sheep, two billion pigs and 6.7 billion people in the world.
Will it soon become mandatory to feed humans and animals seaweed to save the planet?
Clark Cross.
138 Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.
Tax challenge for Ms Sturgeon
Sir, – Scotland spends £1,500 more per head on public services than the UK average so it was alarming to hear the First Minister claim an income tax hike was needed to finance ever greater public spending.
Gordon Brown’s unwise Vow in 2014 led to Holyrood being given the power to vary income tax rates and bands, thus undermining the basis of the welfare state: the principle of territorial equality. We have Europe’s most left-wing administration so taxing business and our working population until the pips squeak must be expected but the limit we can spend on our failing health service is in sight.
It is an economic axiom, paraphrased from Adam Smith and restated by Abraham Lincoln that no nation has ever taxed its way to prosperity. I trust Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t view that as a challenge.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.
Learn lessons from history
Sir, – I read with interest the contribution by your correspondent Keith Howell. Once again he seems to be scraping the bottom of his political barrel with a particularly myopic analysis of the situation in Catalonia.
Perhaps if he spent less time attempting to count the Spanish flags being flown at the recent counter demonstration and concentrated on the true relevance of the moment, it would have been more apposite.
The shocking display of thuggish behaviour by the baton-wielding Madrid-controlled police has brought justified condemnation.
This coupled with the imprisonment of Catalan politicians is reminiscent of the days of Franco and a sad reflection on the state of Spanish democracy.
The small coterie of anti-nationalists who frequent the pages of our press really do need to take a few history lessons and attempt to appreciate why so many of us feel as we do regarding a very imbalanced system in these isles.
Colin Mayall.
1 Almond Place,
Comrie.
Disaster ahead for Tory Party
Sir, – It would be reasonable to expect that the defence secretary had some military background but the new holder of that vital post has none.
Neither does Gavin Williamson even have ministerial experience. It is said that he engineered his own elevation and, remarkably, is tipped as a future replacement for Mrs May.
This would be a disaster for the Conservative Party if it ever came to pass.
William Loneskie.
9 Justice Park,
Oxton.
