This morning’s letters to The Courier editor discuss the election, comments on the Dundee docks plans, the case for summer football and the national anthem.
Voting shambles reminiscent of dictatorship Sir,-As events unfolded before, during and after the election on May 6, I could not but help wonder how the rest of the world views this country and how it conducts General Elections.
Firstly, is it right that very rich people, domiciled or not, should be allowed to pour money into a constituency to try to influence the election result?
Secondly, how on earth in cities such as Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and Chester, among others, were voters locked in or locked out of polling stations or there were not enough polling cards?
Are we going to see a re-run of the election in these areas?
Thirdly, are the public aware that official election monitors from the developing world were observing the conduct of the election and were shocked at what they saw?
Ababu Namwamba, an MP in Kenya, said, “The allegations of fraud and voters being turned away threaten the integrity of the vote especially in marginal constituencies where candidates have a majority of less than 1000.”
Fourthly, despite the best efforts of the three candidates in the televised debates not to speak about it, there is now a £163 billion shortfall and an expected rise in the national debt that is on course to hit £1.4 trillion over the next four years.
When I take all this into account, why am I reminded of Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe?
Sandy West.Albainn,Bridge of Dun,Montrose.
Last past the post
Sir,-Just a thought on the wheeling and dealing between parties since the General Election.
According to the thinking of some twisted minds in and around the Commons, the Tories did not win the election because the well-beaten second best and the third party have more seats than them when put together.
On that basis Rangers did not win the Scottish Premier League and Chelsea the English Premier League because Celtic and Dundee United together and Manchester United and Arsenal together had more points.
Daft? No more so than the pathetic attempt to avoid being called losers by two supposedly major political parties.
Ian Wheeler.Springfield,Cupar.
Clarity required
Sir,-I thank SNP MSP Shona Robison for her clarification (May 11) regarding the points raised in my previous letter.
However, I must take issue with her claim that she “would have thought it obvious” from her original letter that the views therein were those of herself and SNP MP Stewart Hosie.
Her letter was signed merely Shona Robison MSP and referred to no person other than The Courier columnist John J. Marshall, whose article led to the correspondence. Thus, it is surely far from clear who the attribution “we” used in her letter actually referred to.
Moreover, Ms Robison then referred to the wider context of Mr Marshall’s column, in which she says he “explicitly asked for our views” on the matter of the proposed turbines and biomass plant in Dundee.
However, I did not read Mr Marshall as “explicitly” asking for anyone’s views on anything. Indeed, he referred to the conflicting views of Mr Hosie, his press officer and Ms Robison’s assistant and the lack of clarity thereto, and referred to the “party line” but did not specifically mention Ms Robison’s views at all, hence my confusion over her subsequent reference to “we” and now “our”.
During the recent controversy over the proposed closure of Balmossie fire station, Ms Robison, Mr Hosie and SNP councillors in Dundee were not slow to proffer their opinions, despite the fact that the decision was ultimately the responsibility of the fire board, which included a narrower group of SNP councillors.
Thus, in view of the prominence of the SNP Government’s targets on renewable energy sources, the self-evident party splits on the Dundee proposals and the legal duty on councillors not to express opinions on planning matters, it is surely incumbent on politicians to use the utmost clarity when proffering their views on these issues.
Stuart Winton.Hilltown,Dundee.
Case for summer football
Sir,-I agree wholeheartedly with Kenneth Irons (May 8) who wrote about the empty seats seen at Scottish Premier League games.
In other codes of football, such as rugby league here in Australia, the price is cheaper and the grounds are full.
Whole families go to the games. The weather is not a problem so people want to get out and go to the games.
It might be time to try summer football — after all, the summers in Scotland are not as hot as here in Australia and you might just get huge crowds and plenty of cash at the turnstiles.
I noted that when St Johnstone played Rangers recently the crowd was around 7000.
When they played at the old Muirton Park, the crowds were in the region of 20,000. Does that not tell you something is wrong?
John Menzies.11 Barellan Street,Ardlethan,New South Wales.
Anthem becomes mantra
Sir,-George K. McMillan of Perth does appear to have got one thing right about Flower of Scotland.
It does seem to be a red rag to some people but he will just have to learn to temper his ire.
Mr McMillan, you lost the argument.
Now gie’s peace. Put a sock in it.
Ian J. Angus.9 Steading Place,Arbroath.