Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – It is usually amusing when those in the Labour Party complain about the Scottish Government being too popular and, in the footsteps of Labour giants like Lord Foulkes, Gordon Barlow has fallen into the same trap (Letters, June 7).
The SNP has delivered on its promised policy of no tuition fees for university students. If I remember correctly that was once the policy of those in the Labour Party who also benefited from free university tuition before their own government pulled up the ladder of opportunity by introducing student fees.
The focus of Labour’s attack should not be on an SNP Scottish Government working on limited resources and doing its best to create a fair and just society in Scotland, within an unfair and inequitable United Kingdom. Instead the focus should be on why the UK Government is so determined to create ”a market” for university education in England, where the financially best off can afford the best universities and those who could benefit most from a university education are denied the opportunity.
The timing of Labour’s attack could not be worse. Just this week we were reminded that in Scotland, top universities, like St Andrews, accepted only 13 students last year from schools situated in some of the poorest areas of Scotland.
It is that level of disgust with publicly-funded universities that do not work hard enough at engaging with our most disadvantaged citizens that should be driving the debate about the kind of socially democratic country we in the SNP are desperate to create.
It would more helpful if Labour joined the debate in a more positive fashion, instead of being engrossed with petty political point scoring.
Douglas Chapman.38 Pitbauchlie Bank,Dunfermline.
No reason to spoil a good party, eh?
Sir, – Malcolm Parkin (Letters, June 7) needs to re-read the letter of June 5 from Alan Hinnrichs.
Mr Hinnrichs was comparing the television coverage of the Jubilee to that which would be expected in North Korea, given the spectacularly nauseating level of sycophancy and forelock-tugging to which the BBC in particular resorted. He was not drawing any parallels between that country and our monarchy.
That said, there are many people in Her Majesty’s Britain who are either starving or living well below the poverty line.
Her Majesty’s Government has also colluded with torturers through the process of rendition and has blood on its hands for the killing of hundreds of thousand of innocent Iraqis in an illegal war over WMDs that could be launched to destroy us in 45 minutes, but which continue to elude detection to this day.
Still, why spoil a good party for the mega-rich and privileged few, eh?
Alistair McBay.Lawmuirview,Methven.
Thanks to two knights of road
Sir, – I would like to thank the two van drivers who helped me to move my car off the Broughty Ferry Road roundabout in rush-hour traffic on Thursday morning when my clutch collapsed.
Prior to this I was subject to 20-30 minutes of evil looks, and abusive gestures from other drivers.
I am aware that breaking down at rush hour on a roundabout is inconvenient to a lot of people … including myself! This did not happen by choice and it was the last place I would have chosen to break down, but you can not choose these things.
So to all of those people who were rude and aggressive please try in the future to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
It took less than a minute for my car to be moved once I had some assistance from another driver with a little commonsense who saw that helping me would help everyone.
It’s not the end of the world if you are a few minutes late into your office and a little patience or even assistance would have been better for everyone.
Thanks again to my two rescuers as well as the fabulous AA man who turned up 10 minutes later.
Caroline Routledge.Monifieth.
It would mean EU control
Sir, – Alistair Suttie and Jim Robertson came at me from two different directions, but neither made a viable case for Scottish independence.
Mr Suttie claimed that an independent Scotland would mean getting rid of one tier of government, that of Westminster. Certainly that would be the case, but Alex Salmond and his party want even closer ties with Brussels than the UK now possesses.
Like the Irish, the Scots would have to dance to the EU tune and what has happened to Ireland in recent months has not been an edifying sight. Better the devil you know, I say.
At least our Westminster government is democratically elected. If the ScotNats have their way, we shall be ruled by an army of unelected, faceless bureaucrats in Brussels who cannot balance their books and cost us all a fortune. Our fishermen’s and farmers’ problems would become much worse.
Jim Robertson’s angle is that an independent Scotland would be forever non-Tory. Precisely! One reason for the Conservatives losing out in Scotland has been the decision by many former Conservative voters to vote Scottish Nationalist.
These deluded deserters fail to see that, in an independent Scotland, there would be a return to the previous division of political parties and voters into Labour, Liberal and Conservative.
The only raison d’etre for the Scottish Nationalists is to gain independence.
If that were achieved, I agree with Jim Robertson that, judging by Scottish voters’ past record, the Scottish Government would be forever left-wing, Socialist if not Communist!
Is that what deluded former Tory voters now voting Scottish Nationalist want?
It is certainly what they will get!
George K. McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
They wanted to be there
Sir, – With regard to the letter from Alan Hinnrichs (Like North Korean propaganda, June 5), unlike the massed crowds in that country the people who turned out to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee were not forced to do so.
They were very happy to celebrate our Queen’s long reign.
Alex N. Moffat.Korean War veteran,67 Bilsland Road,Glenrothes.
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.