Madam, – Andrew Lawson’s letter (Walking a dangerous path, The Courier, 8 March) linking anti-Semitism in Germany before the war and in the Labour Party now is pushing things a wee bit too far.
The Holocaust was the murder of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazis.
Labour is dealing with anti-Semitism complaints from 673 members out of a half million membership over a nine-month period.
Please permit me to make a different link.
This is not to say there is not a problem with anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, there is.
But procedures were strengthened last year to try to deal with this and other forms of racism.
In his conference speech in Dundee last Friday, Jeremy Corbyn said racism, religious bigotry and misogyny had no place in the Labour Party and anti-Semitism within the party and society at large will be rooted out.
He also mentioned that every law on racism currently on the statute book had been put forward by Labour.
We must also remember that it was Labour, through Clement Attlee, who worked with Churchill to change the stance of the Conservative Party in 1938 to appease Hitler; we all remember Conservative prime minister Neville Chamberlain’s Peace in our Time.
Labour has a strong history in standing up for what is right.
Events now bear a striking resemblance to the 1930s.
French President Macron has just said Europe is “facing a resurgence of anti-Semitism unseen since World War II”.
Far right parties in Hungary, Austria and Germany are gaining in popularity.
We urgently need to take party politics out of this; people should be looking at anti-Semitism from a far wider perspective, or we risk repeating the mistakes of the past.
Phil Tate,
95 Craiglockhart Road,
Edinburgh.
What is sauce for the goose is…
Madam, – Mrs May and her ministers have been clear that if the Scottish Government request an independence referendum it will be refused.
Yet, on the Andrew Marr show, former Brexit minister David Davis said “ there is no other treaty in the world, that I’m aware of, where a Sovereign Nation undertakes to join up, and can only leave when the other side says so”.
He was speaking about Brexit, but surely “what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the premier”.
Les Mackay,
5 Carmichael Gardens,
Dundee.
New indy plan half baked
Madam, – It seems the SNP are determined not to learn the lessons of Brexit, but instead are obsessed with trying to exploit it as a route to pursue a second independence referendum, even if they are not at all clear what their new prospectus will be (SNP set to table amendment for Indyref2 power’ Courier, March 11).
The SNP’s leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, tells us he is going to include a demand for the powers to call Indyref2 as part of amendments tabled by the SNP to Brexit motions this week.
Yet as the recent exchanges on currency revealed, over four years since the idea of breaking up the UK was rejected by the people of Scotland, there is still no properly thought through basis for a new independence case that the Yes side of the argument can all agree on.
Just like so much of the Brexit proposition, the SNP seem to think it will be good enough to pitch a half baked plan to the people of Scotland in the hope that this time the chips fall in their favour.
Keith Howell,
White Moss,
West Linton.
End fireworks trauma for pets
Madam, – Do you have experience of your animals being traumatised by fireworks?
If so, the Scottish Government is coming to Perth on Tuesday March 19 to hear what you have to say.
It is a discussion with ordinary members of the public at Perth Leisure Pool.
Please grab this opportunity to stand up for the horses, dogs, farm animals, cats etc who year-on-year are forced to endure the terror of fireworks for human entertainment.
Until now vets and dog behaviourists, like myself, have had to manage the injuries and emotional wreckage caused by fireworks.
But now, at last, the government appears to want to hear how fireworks can continue to be enjoyed safely without negatively affecting the welfare of animals.
We may not get another opportunity like this, please join me.
Christine Fotheringham,
5 Lomondbank,
Glenfarg.
Royal fanfare not needed
Madam, – Why is the Princess Royal given the bowing, scraping and forelock tugging treatment at a rugby game between Wales and Scotland?
And how much does this visit cost the tax-payer in order to give publicity to an outdated monarchical system?
Alister Rankin,
93, Whyterose Terrace,
Methil.
Air safety back in the spotlight
Madam, – The second fatal crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 within a few months suggests that tombstone mentality has yet again played a role in aircraft safety – improvements are only driven by passenger deaths.
In the Lion Air crash off Indonesia on October 29 last year it was known that pilots fought and failed to regain control after a new stall-prevention system took over and pushed the aircraft’s nose down.
It beggars belief airlines would introduce such a controversial new plane to routes from Addis Ababa’s Bole International airport. The thin air at 7,600ft already makes it hard for laden aircraft to climb.
Dr John Cameron,
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.
Safety check is bear necessity
Madam, – I read with interest your item on Hercules the bear (Plans submitted for change of use of famous pub, Courier, March 7).
It makes for a good story of nostalgia and fond memories.
Amazingly, the downside for the patrons of the former Sheriffmuir Inn was the fact they had no protection from this massive grizzly bear, a species known for its unpredictable behaviour, if this animal had suddenly thrown a ferocious tantrum and ran amok in the bar.
Fortunately nowadays, this glaring naivety would be all too obvious under the current safety legislation.
Thomas Murray,
Bayview,
Westhaven,
Carnoustie.
Commercial reality will bite
Madam, – At the Labour conference in Dundee shadow chancellor John McDonnell joined the SNP and Greens in grasping at renewables as the saviour of Scottish industry and creator of 50,000 jobs (Labour pledge to bring jobs boom, Courier March 11).
Try telling that to the BiFab workers who predictably got none of the second phase of construction work on the giant Moray East windfarm.
That work went to subsidised yards in Spain and the United Arab Emirates.
Such are the brutal commercial realities of onshore and offshore renewables.
Allan Sutherland,
I Willow Row,
Stonehaven.
