Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – With all the economic turmoil in the world, the thought of Scotland removing itself from the United Kingdom sends shivers down my spine.
Somehow or another we have sleepwalked ourselves into the situation where people south of the border, and in the rest of the world, imagine that the majority of Scots want independence.
As far as I can see, this situation has come about for a number of reasons.
1 – A failure on the part of the UK government in explaining to Scots just how well off we are compared to other parts of the UK in terms of funding.
2 – A widespread and deep-rooted belief on the part of certain sections of the scottish electorate that independence is the answer to all our problems.
3 – The myth that revenues from so-called Scottish/North Sea oilfields would automatically be diverted north of the border.
4 – That we can pick and choose which parts of UK legislation we enforce.
5 – The perception that, rightly or wrongly, many local and national representatives are just not up to the job, leading to much disillusionment on the part of the electorate.
This, in turn, results in the failure on the part of many Scots to get out and vote at local and national elections.
Scots fought and died alongside men and women from all over the UK in world wars. Only by standing together did we prevail.
Thank God that for most thinking Scots, preservation of a United Kingdom has to be the ultimate goal.
Bob Smart.55 Bellevue Gardens,Arbroath.
Promoting participation
Sir, – Jenny Hjul’s article (Blethers and jargon are no substitute for pupils’ rights, Courier, February 15) contains several inaccuracies.
The post of Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People is not a political appointment. It is independent of the Scottish Government and is appointed by HM The Queen on the nomination of the Parliament.
My view that we should extend voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds is not a political or partisan view. It’s about promoting young people’s participation and engagement in political processes, and increasing the legitimacy of our democratic institutions.
It links directly to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (particularly Article 12) which concerns the child’s right to have an opinion, to express that opinion and for due weight be given to that opinion, particularly in decisions that affect their lives.
There can be no doubt that the choices made by governments have a major impact on young people: they are some of the biggest recipients of public services and can benefit enormously from investment in areas such as education or health.
And finally, for extended voting rights to be credible, we need to ensure we do not exclude any 16- and 17-year-olds. For this reason, there is a technical issue that needs to be addressed, namely the electoral register will need to allow 14- and 15-year-olds on to the full register (but not the publicly available version).
The reality is that giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote would reflect my, and I believe many others’ vision of what Scotland as a progressive, rights-respecting country could become.
Tam Baillie.Scotland Commissioner for Children & Young People.
Cameron for me every time
Sir, – Two Courier writers had a go recently at David Cameron. David Clegg declared ”the PM is far from the most popular leader”, and Helen Brown told David Cameron to ”get used to it”, meaning the 2014 date for the referendum on independence and Scottish thrawn-ness.
David Cameron may not be everybody’s choice, but he is an improvement on his predecessor and, wily though he is, Alex Salmond is not in the same league. He was nowhere at Westminster.
Referendum? Bring it on!
We have a Scottish Assembly because a minority vote of the Scottish electorate was permitted to have its way. This time, with such an important constitutional change, a decision either way should be made only on the basis of a majority vote of the electorate.
The polls show that most Scots think like myself we are British and Scots. If we are going to decide on the quality of our leaders, give me David Cameron every time over anything the Scottish Assembly can offer.
George K. McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
Proposal could be ‘final nail’
Sir, – The proposal to ban all traffic, including disabled badge users, from Kirkcaldy’s High Street (February 20) is another backward step.
Most disabled badge holders would be unable to be on the High Street before 10am, when the ban is to be imposed. This is possibly the final ”nail in the coffin” for High Street traders.
John McDonald.14, Rosebery Court,Kirkcaldy.
Service heads
Sir, – I read in The Courier on February 18 that those of us who live in Perth & Kinross have a head of democratic services as a member of the council staff.
Who is responsible for the undemocratic services and what are they?
Garry Barnett.Campsie Hill,Guildtown, Perth.
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. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.