On the agenda this morning are politicians’ relationship with the public, traditional music, and more on the Dundee port proposals.
Politicians must reconnect with voting public Sir,-What are the real lessons over Gordon Brown’s appalling gaffe after his encounter with Gillian Duffy? (Political Diary, May 1).
It amounts to a bit more than simply reminding politicians that their microphones should be switched off at the right time.
It is really about the gulf between the attitude of the political classes and the people they are supposed to represent.
People who spend their lives locked in strategy meetings, reading technical reports, listening to advisers, assessing media reaction, are apt to get a distorted view of reality on the ground.
Mrs Duffy is not a bigot because she is concerned about immigration, or abuse of the welfare system, or the size of the national debt.
She was probably articulating the views of many women of her own age and social background.
What is worrying is that the Prime Minister’s reaction to her doesn’t just reveal a grumpy aspect of his nature.
It reflects something deeper. It is that rift in outlook between those who have made a career out of politics and those coping with life as it really is.
The new parliament can make a start to bridging that rift straight away.
It will mean a radical reform of the voting system and really drastic action on expenses abuse.
Above all, there is a need for a change in attitude that gets politicians listening to the people rather than the hordes of advisers and bureaucrats who clutter up the political system.
Bob Taylor.24 Shiel Court,Glenrothes.
Traditional music threat
Sir,-Helen Brown’s feature (April 28) on Perth-based fiddler Patsy Reid begins, “Traditional Music in Scotland has never been stronger.” I would respectfully disagree.
The day is past when traditional music was able to perpetuate itself through one musician playing and singing to another.
Today, tradition bearers must reach a wider audience through concerts, festivals, workshops and recordings. But recording studios, sound systems and supporting musicians are not free.
Last month, members of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) received a letter announcing that the organisation’s entire paid staff have all been made redundant due to the loss of core funding from the Scottish Arts Council.
As secretary of Perth branch of TMSA, I am aware of the great effort that the management board made to avoid this but, without funding, there was no choice. And TMSA is not alone. As mentioned in your article, Patsy Reid is able to bring her Bridging the Gap to audiences because of financial support from Tune Up, a programme of the Scottish Arts Council. But Tune Up faces a comprehensive review and can no longer accept applications for support during this financial year.
Without support, the future of TMSA and others like it is questionable. The music will survive but fewer people will hear it.
In the past year, Scottish arts funding of £460,000 was granted for the creation of a sculpture that will be part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympics.
A larger amount has been awarded to Scottish Opera, whose programmes include Baby-O, an opera for six to 18-month-old babies. These sound interesting and I bear them no grudge.
But isn’t there something left in the purse that could be used to help keep musical tradition alive and well?
Linda Dewar.Cnoc Mor,Aberfeldy.
Planning presumption?
Sir,-Although unlikely to be affected by the controversial proposals for Dundee’s port area, I am nevertheless interested in the political and legal debate surrounding the issue.
To that extent, I was interested to read the recent letter (April 30) from Dundee East MSP Shona Robison and, in particular, her expression of opinion attributed by the word “we.”
To whom does “we” refer?
Is it Ms Robison’s household of herself and husband Stewart Hosie, who has a good chance of being re-elected MP in the Dundee East Westminster constituency.
Or, in view of self-evident splits between Ms Robison and her staff on the issue, could she be expressing an opinion on behalf of her Dundee office generally?
Or does she refer to Dundee’s SNP group of politicians and councillors generally? If that is the case the city council’s planning decision has been pre-empted in breach of the relevant law.
Or is Ms Robison speaking as a member of the Scottish Government, which could presumably in due course call in the planning application, as it did with Donald Trump’s Aberdeenshire golf development? Or is she merely expressing her own opinion, in which case, is she using the royal we?
Stuart Winton.Hilltown,Dundee.
Dundee green jobs potential
Sir,-I think that the way the economy is, Dundee residents should be grateful for the possibility of wind turbines and a biomass plant.
This is going to bring work to Dundee.
The port used to employ many people when Kestrel and the dockyard were busy.
People should be thinking about the future of their children and even grandchildren as this may bring other companies to Dundee.
I would certainly support this and hope that they do not pull out of the city and take the plans elsewhere.
(Mrs) L. Flynn.4 Ashludie Mews,Monifieth.