Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Yet another immigrant, Abu Quatada, is successfully using our courts and European courts to defy repeated UK Government attempts to deport him to face charges abroad.
He has been released on bail yet again under close police supervision. This long saga must have been and continues to be an enormous drain on the public purse.
Why? The man is vehemently opposed to Western ideals, culture and principles. He does not like us, but he not only accepts, but demands our protection. From what? The government and courts of a Muslim country, whose religion he supports!
The balance of power in our democracy has swung too far in favour of the courts. There is some justification for allowing appeal after appeal for our own citizens, but immigrants especially illegal immigrants should not have this protection as of right.
Immigrants, illegal or seeking political asylum, should be allowed one court hearing to put their case for staying here. Once a decision has been made one way or the other, there should be no further recourse either to our higher courts or the European courts.
When the immigration court has decided for deportation, the immigrants should be sent back to where they began their journey and, in the case of illegal immigrants, the airline or shipping company which brought them here should pay their passage home.
It should not be possible for the courts to overrule the Home Secretary and the immigration authorities time and time again as they are now doing certainly not the European courts.
The balance is skewed. It must be restored.
Who rules this country anyway? Our lawyers? I don’t remember voting for them.
George K McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
Green energy inevitable if we are to survive
Sir, – Contrary to Brian Wilson’s claims (Letters, November 14), it is he, not me, who does not have the facts right on climate change.
He says the Met Office concedes there had been no statistically significant warming since 1998. The Met Office made no such claim.
In fact they said that it was not possible to make such a claim based upon a sample of 12 years. It is a favourite trick of the deniers to say that 1998 was the hottest year on record, exclude the previous one degree rise in the last 150 years due to CO2 emissions and then say this ”proves” global warming is not happening.
The basis for Mr Wilson’s claims about the Met Office comes not from them but from a downmarket tabloid newspaper which gives a regular platform to discredited big oil-funded propagandists who use smear and innuendo to impugn the credentials of climatologists.
The global warming deniers like to bang on about the cost of green energy. Hurricane Sandy cost an estimated £25 billion that was one hurricane.
Then there is the cost of rising food prices due to climate change. Factoring in all these costs, green energy is inevitable if we are to survive as a species.
Alan Hinnrichs.2 Gillespie Terrace,Dundee.
Need to know nuts and bolts
Sir, – Iain Hall is to be commended for his eloquence and Douglas Chapman for his earnestness (November 14) in their forthright support of independence.
However, it has already been pointed out that the report which places an independent Scotland in sixth place in the world’s wealth league was not prepared by the OECD but is an SNP prediction based on their own calculations which are based on unquantifiable and fluctuating oil revenue. This being the case, why stop at sixth place?
Disappointingly, Iain Hall winds up his excellent letter by describing a ”well-resourced” Scotland without saying what the resources are.
This, too, is the problem with the Scottish Government and the SNP in general. Many Scots would like to live in an independent, thriving Scotland which would be an improvement on the status quo, but the Scottish Government, despite being continually pressed to do so, refuse to spell out the financial nuts and bolts of independence.
Keeping your fingers crossed and hoping it will be ”all right on the night” does not inspire confidence.
George Dobbie.51 Airlie Street,Alyth.
Attentive and friendly
Sir, – After reading Jenny Hjul’s interesting article on ”frugal” travelling and being a couple who do enjoy holidaying we have always aimed for value for money and have nothing but praise for Premier Inns. We did stay one night in a Travelodge budget hotel and agree that it was all that Jenny Hjul found.
All the Premier Inns we have visited had all the in-room items of a good class hotel and we have found the receptionists very attentive and friendly.
Agreed the wardrobes rarely have doors but allow ample hanging and shelf space. Their leaflet lists all their included items with a guarantee of a good night’s sleep or your money back. Needless to say, we have never had a refund.
Frank Galloway.40 Dalrymple Terrace,Dundee.
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.