Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir,-As we remember Diana, Princess of Wales, 14 years after her death on August 31, it is wonderful to know that her legacy lives on through thousands of young people right across the UK.
Some 36,000 young people have already been honoured with a Diana Award.
All award holders have demonstrated qualities associated with the late princess compassion and a selfless commitment to improving the lives of others.
It seems fitting at this time to begin recognising the selfless work of young people on an international scale.
This is a kind of natural forward progression in keeping with the charitable work that Diana pioneered.
The Diana Award has partnered with HSBC to reward those who are aged between nine and and 18 who live outside the UK.
Award holders come a variety of backgrounds. They are volunteers, fundraisers and campaigners or carers anyone who has positively influenced the lives of others for the better.
Maggie Turner.Diana Award, chief executive,20 Buckingham Gate,London.
Not heretical to disagree
Sir,-Following the recent revelations of another gay minister, upon which I do not wish to comment, I take issue with the comments of the Rev Dr John Cameron.
His use of the word “sect” is both ignorant and arrogant. It suggests that anyone who disagrees with him is in a minority and heretical. Not so in either case.
His statement that “the Church must obey the law” is a poor excuse and shows a lack of willingness to confirm his stance by religious reasons and hides behind secular law.
Millions of Christians are persecuted on a daily basis throughout the world as they disobey the laws of the countries in which they reside. Is he saying that they are wrong and should abandon their faith?
If the early apostles had adopted his attitude there would be no Christianity today.
Ian Stuart.Broomhill,Culdeesland Road,Methven.
Air service better from Dundee
Sir,- I once wrote a letter suggesting that Dundee Airport was “not commercially viable”.
However, my partner and I recently used the Dundee to London City Airport service for the first time and the experience has left me with a very different point of view.
I am comparing the Dundee to London route to the London Gatwick to Edinburgh route, (for which the price of our flights was cheaper), which we have also used recently.
When using the Dundee service, I didn’t feel any need to use my car as I was able to get off a local bus near the Invercarse Hotel and walk down the brae to the airport, which only takes a few minutes.
By contrast, when I used the other route I drove to Edinburgh Airport. It costs £9.10 per day to park in the Long Stay Car Park at Edinburgh Airport; (I was away for five nights and was, therefore, charged for six days’ parking which cost me £54.60).
When the cost of parking and petrol (using Edinburgh route) are added then flying directly from Dundee can actually work out cheaper. There was also the cost of petrol and the driving to Edinburgh and back.
The planes used on the Gatwick to Edinburgh route are huge. Passengers are herded on like cattle.
The gates that passengers use before boarding their flight at Gatwick are a long distance from check-in desks. Some passengers struggle to find their gate, especially if pushed for time.
By contrast, I found service users at Dundee Airport experience no such inconvenience. Their planes are much smaller and much more comfortable; they don’t have to look at overhead television screens to find out what gate they need to get to or what time their flight is leaving.
And they only have to walk a few yards to board.
Kenneth Brannan.14 Lowson Avenue,Carnoustie.
Comparison is misleading
Sir,-All too often statistics are abused by politicians of all shades Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, of the Liberal Democrats, being the most recent.
In your article (August 29) it was stated that Mr Moore will point out in a speech that Liberal Democrats and Conservatives received more votes in 2010 than the SNP did on the regional list in 2011.
There is no denying that this is correct the coalition parties won 878,326 votes in 2010 whereas the SNP won 876,421 votes in the 2011 list.
Throughout my career at school, however, I was taught never to change too many variables when making comparisons. Michael Moore has changed three: the year, the type of election and, crucially, the type of electoral system.
He has chosen coalition results from the First Past the Post system (which the Lib Dems despise dearly) and the SNP’s results from the D’hondt formula.
Many people like to “mix and match” parties.
An unbiased comparison would have chosen the SNP’s result under FPTP in 2011 where they won 25,000 more votes than the Tories and Lib Dems combined in 2010.
His selective use of statistics is a once again part of the boring spiel to undermine the overall majority won in Holyrood.
Lucas McGregor-Paas.Rathillet,Wellburn,By Cupar.
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.