Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – It’s a shame The Courier chose to give space to Dudley Treffry’s somewhat small-minded critique of the referendum deal. There are much bigger arguments that show the flaws in the separatist proposals. Principal among those is currency.
Countries like Ireland, Spain and, in particular, Greece demonstrate too well the dangers of using a currency you don’t control.
It’s notable the countries identified by the SNP as models for a separate Scotland all have or had their own currencies. The logic for this is inescapable. If you do well, your currency rises and your people become wealthier; if you do badly, the reverse applies but either way you avoid the internal disruption that comes from using a currency that’s out of step.
So, a separate Scotland would have these choices:
Invent and use the Scots Pund; take your chances on the success of the economy and accept the need to change money at the border Join a currency union controlled by someone bigger (euro and Germany, £ and Rest of UK) and follow one of two routes thereafter like Greece (or even Finland, who also aren’t happy with the euro), take the pain when the big fish decide to mete it out or, as may be forced on the Eurozone, come into ever closer political and financial union with those big fish.
So, there’s a potential future for Scotland. Separate then, over time, join into political and financial union with the Rest of the UK. Alternatively, don’t separate and save all the pain and bother.
Dave Dempsey.7 Carlingnose Park,North Queensferry.
Numbers and voices rising
Sir, – Three stories in your columns make interesting reading. The first was a series of letters bemoaning the appalling standard of the choice of music and “songs” in many churches.
The second was a story concerning the desire of a minister to remove the organ in his or her church to make more room for the praise band.
The third was that the great cathedrals are reporting record congregations for their services. Some of those attending are atheists, most are not, but they gather in large numbers to hear traditional church music sung and played to a very high standard.
Your readers will draw their own conclusions.
Robert Lightband.Clepington Court,Dundee.
Putting profit before birds
Sir, – Despite hundreds of objections, Perth and Kinross Council has approved the erection of a wind turbine at Vale Farm, which is under the jurisdiction of the RSPB Scotland.
Various birds come to Loch Leven throughout the year and a wind turbine is the last thing they would wish to encounter.
The RSPB is putting up the turbine to harvest the mouth-watering subsidies. How long before the RSPB apply for more turbines?
Subsidies from this turbine are not taxable because they are a charity. This is wrong. They are moving away from their mission statement about bird protection into profiteering.
The public should write to the Charity Commission to complain that the RSPB should no longer be considered a charity and RSPB members should cancel their subscriptions.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
Let us not be railroaded
Sir, – I agree with Andrew McBride in relation to the proposed multi-level railway station and find, once again, Dundonians and visitors to our city have to suffer a building which is totally out of contrast with the proposed “new” Dundee waterfront.
If Network Rail is the supposed culprit, after its “rigorous procurement process”, it should be ashamed of itself and Dundee City Council should not wipe its hands clean on the deal but look seriously at the forthcoming planning application process.
Jack Scott.24 Rockfield Crescent, Dundee.
Freedom, via Hollywood
Sir, – It causes me great concern that 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in the referendum.
I believe, at that age, they do not have enough life experience to make a decision that could affect the whole country and it concerns me that they are likely to be influenced by their parents and teachers.
How independent are schools going to be when it comes to expressing an opinion?
What concerns me is that an over-zealous teacher in favour of independence may show a DVD of Braveheart the day before the referendum and stir up young people to vote yes.
I believe it is the wrong decision and an attempt by the SNP to manipulate a result in favour of independence.
Gordon Kennedy. 117 Simpson Square, Perth.
An idea floated for Unicorn
Sir, – Having recently visited The Unicorn, it seems strange there is so much restricted parking in the vicinity, when surely we should be encouraged to visit such an interesting part part of our history.
Perhaps Dundee Council should think again on this one.
Alison Ouchterlony.99 Kinghorne Street,Arbroath.
Grave mess is appalling
Sir, – Sadly, the report “Disgust at state of hero’s grave” (Oct 13) comes as absolutely no surprise to me. Ron Stephen cannot, for one second, be faulted. To leave any sort of rubbish strewn at any gravestone is appalling in the extreme.
I worked in the churchyards of Benvie, Dargie, Fowls, Liff, Longforgan and Lundie for many years. When privatisation reared its ugly head in the mid-1980s I was told to produce work of less quality and more quantity, solely due to ”competitive tendering”.
When government cutbacks affect places such as our last resting place, it makes one wonder just how far our fellow man can stoop.
Ronnie McIntosh.407 Balunie Drive,Dundee.
Real crime is welfare cuts
Sir, – I refer to the Week in Numbers section in The Courier on October 13.
One of the numbers shown was £10 billion, to be cut from the welfare bill. Another number which, sadly, you have omitted is the following: £650 million, to be provided by the UK Government over the next three years to combat ”cyber crime”. This was stated by William Hague at a conference in Hungary.
Where is the justification for this spend, when the people of the UK are being hit time and again with stringent cuts to welfare, increasing energy and food costs, with the elderly and infirm having to make decisions about whether to eat or heat?
Just where is this £650 million coming from?
Sandy Fowler.Dargill Farm,Crieff.
Rules not fair for Marines
Sir – So, five Royal Marines have been charged with murder following an incident after a hostile engagement in Afghanistan.
I understand that rules of engagement conditions are being aired in connection with the matter.
Rules of engagement for our nuclear weapons are top secret (or above). Let us not inform the enemy. Those for our soldiers (navy, army or air force) are common knowledge, therefore the enemy may lay his plans accordingly, gaining an advantage over our own men and women.
The IRA made great use of this, with repeatedly tragic results for soldiers, policemen and civilians. The Taliban do the same. Neither the IRA nor the Taliban have adopted such strictures in achieving their military aims.
We must stop putting our servicemen into such hopeless situations of split-second judgment while, or even after, the bullets fly, and then getting out ”Queen’s Regs” for honest mistakes.
A. T. Geddie.68 Carleton Ave,Glenrothes.
Remember the victims
Sir, – I have been a reader of The Courier for more years than I care to remember but I don’t think I have ever heard such a ridiculous point of view as the one rendered by Dr John Cameron in your paper on October 15.
Does this man really think that people who were allegedly abused by Jimmy Savile are as repellent as the perpetrators of this sort of child abuse? When did it become a crime to report a crime?
Far from being money-grabbing individuals, these people are victims of a sickness in our society that should be condemned by all right-minded people.
T. Tolland.East Park Cottage,Meigle.
Missing boat over V&A
Sir, – I was saddened and annoyed to learn about the modified plans to site the iconic V&A museum almost entirely on land. This stunning building was designed to be situated on the Tay.
I fail to see how the connection between river and city can be strengthened by bringing the V&A on shore, thus removing much of the open space in front of the museum.
The budget for the museum is woefully inadequate for a world-class building. If we can find 20 times as much to fund a controversial tram system for Edinburgh, it should not be beyond Scotland’s capability to find the resources to ensure that the V&A is built as envisaged.
Mike Baughan.Shepherd’s Road,Newport.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.