The new week starts with letters focusing on British forces based in Germany, the Eurofighter, John J. Marshall’s views on the Lockerbie bomber release, last week’s Orkney tidal power announcement, the Rev Mike Erskine, and ‘sycophantic’ tributes to Jimmy Reid.
Can we sustain cost of forces in Germany?
Sir,-At last, a reader has noticed that the United Kingdom retains a sizeable number of service personnel over in Germany (August 16).
I read there are 20,000 of them. Even if they only spend £100 a month, that is £2 million missing from the British economy monthly.
The bases under threat here could do with them. Also, the German forces in Afghanistan do no night duties or frontline action.
This is the saving the MoD needs.
Mr I. Carroll.13 Chapelhill Street,Kincardine,Alloa.
Cut F35 in defence review
Sir,-The suggestion (August 17) that the Eurofighter the Typhoon could be converted for carrier use may not be a runner.
The reason the French left the Eurofighter project was their belief that the design did not create an aircraft that could be land and carrier based, so they went off and built the Rafale, which the Royal Navy looked at but rejected for the F35.
But that was back in the days when we were led to believe the F35 would be state of the art and very cheap as the production run was going to be so vast because so many countries were ordering its three different versions.
But, to date, the price has doubled, it is running late, cannot perform as expected and it is overweight.
So we could finish up with two super new aircraft carriers designed to carry F35 aircraft which we cannot afford or which might not even be available when the carriers are complete.
But also remember that the Royal Air Force want one of the versions of the F35 to take over from the Typhoon.
So it looks like the British Government does not have to look very far to find a big opportunity in their defence review.
David Reoch.39 Gourlay Street,Kirkcaldy.
Lack of compassion
Sir,-John J. Marshall’s comment that justice secretary Kenny MacAskill is probably the person in all the world now most wishing the mass murderer would die, (August 18) simply demonstrates his own complete lack of compassion or anything resembling it.
Such a thought is almost certainly far from Mr MacAskill’s mind when you consider that the decision he made to free Megrahi was at considerable cost to himself.
I wonder if John J. Marshall has ever worked with terminally ill cancer patients, as I did some years ago.
To see relatives and friends coming in day after day looking in vain for some improvement in their loved ones, while at the same time perhaps hoping for a speedy end to suffering, is heartbreaking.
Despite the politically motivated scenes at Tripoli airport and in the city itself which, I am sure, Kenny MacAskill viewed with shared disapproval, Megrahi’s downward spiral, however slow in John J. Marshall’s eyes, will be met with similar sadness by his family and friends.
John Crichton.6 Northampton Place,Forfar.
Grant cash merry-go-round
Sir,-Let me see if I have got this right?
In February 2010 the United Kingdom Carbon Trust awarded a £4 million grant to Norway’s Hammerfest Strom, specifically to build and test a one megawatt tidal-power device off Orkney.
In August, 2010 First Minister Alex Salmond visits Norway and announces that Hammerfest Strom plans to “invest £4 million in Scottish businesses” to build a tidal power device off Orkney and claims that this is “a massive vote of confidence in the talent, expertise and infrastructure in Scotland.”
How exactly does this funding circle display a Norwegian vote of confidence?
G. M. Lindsay.Whinfield Gardens,Kinross.
Time for forgiveness
Sir,-Your article ‘Disgraced Fife minister suspended over affair’ (August 18) failed to mention the remarkable level of support that the Rev Mike Erskine has received from within and outwith his congregations in Crail and Kingsbarns.
He is an outstanding and much-loved parish minister who is truly a friend to all.
He has been sorely missed these last four months while the Church of Scotland has investigated, deliberated and reached a harsh, uncompromising judgment.
Sadly, the Kirk has shown itself to be out of touch and completely lacking in humanity, understanding, tolerance, and above all compassion.
Since when was falling in love a crime? As one member of the congregation in Crail last Sunday was heard to remark, “It is a good job Mary Magdalene did not live in Fife”.
Ronald J. Sandford.1 Scott Garden,Kingsbarns.
Political sycophants
Sir,-Having on a couple of occasions enjoyed the exhilarating company of the late Jimmy Reid, I was repulsed by the sound and sight of many political figures (August 20) whom Jimmy had no time for and many who had scant time for Jimmy after he made his final political journey who have spent the last few days sycophantically scrambling over his coffin.
David McEwan Hill.Tom Nan Ragh,Dalinlongart,Sandbank.
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