Madam, – The coronation of Boris Johnson as Tory leader is an ignominious event (It’s Prime Minister Boris, Courier, July 24).
It will be remembered with infamy. The elevation of this clownish ignoramus to the office of Prime Minister shows the moribund state of the UK.
The “election” of Boris Johnson has a revolting stench to it.
No amount of fawning from a servile media and the false orchestration of consent can hide this.
Nor can the nostalgia for empire the hard Brexiteers have dispel the notion that with Johnson as Prime Minister the country is headed for a calamity of Biblical proportions.
Johnson’s Cabinet will be ruled by the rich, for the rich and of the rich.
The first order of business will be massive tax cuts for the super-rich facilitated by tax rises for everyone else.
The second will be swearing undying loyalty to Donald Trump.
This will be done by signing a massive one-sided trade deal allowing chlorinated chicken and growth hormone beef to be sold.
Fracking will also be allowed as well as a US style healthcare system.
The reaction to the election of Johnson is a nascent reflection of the mass opposition to the policies of the Tories among workers and young people, which will only deepen as the class character of Johnson’s reign becomes clear.
Johnsons’ plan for 19th Century dystopian corporate rule cannot be realised without the unleashing of a social conflict which is unparalleled in history.
Alan Hinnrichs.
2 Gillespie Terrace,
Dundee.
Britain heading on path to ruin
Madam, – I am not sufficiently well read to know why powerful ancient civilisations such as the Greek, Roman or Aztec collapsed.
However, the powerful nation that was Great Britain is heading in the same direction.
Our new most powerful politician was selected by the will of the majority of around 160,000 members of the Conservative party.
He is a product of the elitist Eton brigade hell bent on following the will of the people, that is the 17 million out of 65m, who voted for Brexit.
Despite three years of turmoil and confusion which demonstrate the UK is nowhere near ready to leave the EU he insists he will take us out on a date of his choice.
He ignores the fact the EU has set terms for departure, which are not really favourable to us.
The new leader of the EU has taken pity on us and offers more time to get our act together.
A A Bullions.
6 Glencairn Crescent,
Leven.
Belligerence over Boris
Madam, – I listened to the comments of our First Minister concerning the appointment of Boris Johnson to be Prime Minister of the UK.
Why does Ms Sturgeon always come across as a belligerent teenager, spouting venom and threats when things don’t go the way of her ideological ideas and ideals?
If she thinks this is the way to build trust and a relationship with a UK Government, she is sadly mistaken.
Yet another example of the lack of statesmanship in our bunch of SNP amateurs pretending to be heavyweight political beasts.
Derek Farmer.
Knightsward Farm,
Anstruther.
Give us all peace from Brexit
Madam, – On the lunchtime news Nicola Sturgeon was running out of words to describe how catastrophic a No Deal Brexit would be, or the lengths to which she and the SNP would go to stop it.
It sounded like a No Deal Brexit is miles worse than the May Deal.
If so, why not save herself the effort, lend her 36 MP votes to Boris Johnson, vote for the May Deal and give us all peace?
Allan Sutherland.
1 Willow Row,
Stonehaven.
Liberal without the Democrat
Madam, – The new Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson says she will do whatever it takes to stop Brexit.
How can she reconcile this position with the result of the UK-wide referendum on leaving the EU?
Perhaps a new party name is best called for – leaving the word “democrat” well out of it.
William Loneskie.
Amulree,
9 Justice Park,
Oxton, Lauder.
Letting cruise trade slip away
Madam, – I fully agree with Michael Beattie’s comments. My husband and I recently enjoyed a great trip on Magellan but were very interested as to how other tons welcomed their visitors.
On docking at our first port of call at Kirkwall, we were met dockside by a fleet of shuttle buses ready to take us into the town centre.
These were free and paid for by the town council. They ran all day and proved very popular.
As we arrived on a Sunday, we were surprised to see how many independent shops and cafes had opened and were doing a brisk trade with the visitors.
Likewise in Dublin, the same arrangement was laid on and in Guernsey they had a road train at a small cost to take visitors round the town.
They were all great ideas and brought a lot of business to the towns.
I must also comment on something which disappointed me.
On checking the itinerary for visitors from Newcastle to Dundee, I noticed the tours arranged took them to Glamis Castle, St Andrews and other places out of town.
There was not one word about our widely-acclaimed V&A or RRS Discovery, both of which are within walking distance of the ship.
Come on Dundee, get your thinking caps on and take advantage of the 1,000 tourists per ship coming into our city on a regular basis.
We are fortunate to have these on our doorstep, so don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and think up some ways to benefit .
These other towns showed us a thing or two.
June McNeill.
29 Noran Avenue,
Craigiebank,
Dundee.
Left waiting for op by the NHS
Madam, – The Scottish NHS 18 week from referral to treatment time is an absolute joke on Tayside.
After being told I would be seen within this period for a hernia op, I was then informed this had been changed to 20 weeks, then 30 weeks, and now 44 weeks.
Call me a sceptic, but I suspect this is a deliberate ploy by the present Holyrood administration to force people to get it done privately and then claim the figures are coming down.
Or are they really as incompetent in the administration of our NHS as these figures would suggest?
John Monaghan.
10 Tweed Crescent,
Dundee.
Royal Navy in decline
Madam, – Whatever it suited our judiciary and the Anglo-American governments to believe, it was almost certainly the shooting down of an Iranian passenger plane full of pilgrims by the US cruiser Vincennes which led to the tit-for-tat bombing of PanAm 103 over Lockerbie.
Sending 42 Commando’s “rapid response unit” to seize an Iranian oil tanker in dubious circumstances was bound to provoke retaliation.
Burdened by Gordon Brown’s futile aircraft carriers, we don’t have the warships to guard children’s sail boats in Kensington’s Round Pond.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.