Today our readers discuss the right-to-buy policy, legal sovereignty, biased news media, Fife’s care homes and the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
Right-to-buy policy no longer sustainable Sir, Your Leader article (February 7) rightly highlights the crazy situation where councils are striving to build new homes for rent while, at the same time, suffering depletion through right-to-buy sales.
The madness is compounded by being forced to sell such prized assets at a fraction of their value.
I have compared Perth and Kinross Council’s innovative and valiant attempts to increase the supply of affordable housing to trying to fill a bath with the plug out and now we’re faced with trying to do that with the taps turned further and further down.
Right to buy is long past its sell-by date. The disposal of any other council asset at knockdown prices would spark investigations for fraud and a public outcry for heads to roll.
With Scottish Parliament elections drawing nearer, it will be illuminating to see which political party grasps this nettle.
As to your suggested start to address land supply, in Perth and Kinross we have audited our land holdings and pioneered valuation of plots at an “affordable housing level” so that housing associations can acquire sites and develop them within the constraints in which they operate.
We have also contributed significantly to housing association developments to overcome site conditions and costs so that homes can be built in the towns and villages where they are most needed by our communities.
I am grateful to The Courier for its ongoing championing of affordable housing in our area.
(Cllr) Peter Barrett.Housing and Health Committee,Perth and Kinross Council.
Interference in Scots law
Sir, While I agree with the broad thrust of David Clegg’s Political Diary article about giving prisoners the vote, the intemperate language does nothing to advance the case and would be better suited to a rabid red top.
It is unlikely that there are any murderers, rapists or paedophiles serving sentences of less than four years, or, as seems more likely, one year.
Of course we do not need to go abroad to see other jurisdictions interfering in our domestic affairs the recent decision by the UK Supreme Court, who, supposedly, have no jurisdiction over Scots criminal law, to overturn the view of seven Scottish judges that Scottish custody law complies with European requirements, is a case in point.
John Henderson.Roebrek,Linross,Glamis.
Egypt bias by broadcasters
Sir, I was on holiday in Tenerife when the Egyptian riots began.
The television programmes on offer in foreign hotels are generally diabolical, and in Tenerife we were fed a diet of wall-to-wall news. It was so depressing, especially since every channel focused on Cairo and Alexandria.
One plus was that it revealed how biased television newscasters are. They were all, without exception, featuring speakers demanding the resignation of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak.
I consider myself reasonably well read and aware of what is going on in the world, but I would not like to venture an opinion on Mubarak’s regime.
The television reports gave no background, yet the commentators were so certain that the protesters were right and Mubarak was not only wrong but downright evil and those television channels were all either American or British.
It is almost as if we in the West have a death wish. Mubarak, King Hussein of Jordan and the rulers of the Gulf States are generally pro-West or at least neutral in the fundamental Islamists versus Israel and the West conflict.
They are a bulwark against regimes such as Iran which are much, much more oppressive.
George K. McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
Change can be for better
Sir, With reference to your reports on Fife Council’s decision to replace some of their care homes, it is important to remember that the consultation carried out was just that. It could not be binding and all the up-to-date facts had to be taken into account.
As I understand it, some of the buildings are very old and inefficient. New homes can provide better care for the elderly more economically.
The responsibility for ensuring that the care provided is up to standard lies with the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, and the public should bring pressure to ensure that their inspections are rigorous and their findings are strictly and promptly adhered to.
It is natural that relatives should be concerned about change, but change can be for the better and we can and should ensure that it is.
Anthony Garrett.1 Royal Terrace,Falkland.
Double facing over Lockerbie
Sir, So now we know the Labour Government under Gordon Brown did “all it could” to facilitate the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al Megrahi.
We also know that both the Bush and Obama US administrations were made aware that Labour ministers were doing all they could to release Megrahi.
We can conclude that the Coalition Government must have known from a very early stage that the previous Labour administration had been doing all it could to release Megrahi.
The rank hypocrisy and duplicity of past and present British and US governments, British ministers, US government officials and Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat politicians at Westminster and Holyrood over this matter is simply breathtaking.
All are now accused of condemning the release of Megrahi in public while seeking the opposite in private.
Malcolm McCandless.40 Muirfield Crescent,Dundee.