Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – So Theresa May has seen fit to issue new guidelines to the judiciary in respect of illegal criminal immigrants staying in this country, in an effort to curtail fatuous reasons and decisions being presented to enable their stay.
A whole swathe of rulings have been cited by lawyers under Article Eight of The European Convention on Human Rights, addressing the right to a family life, including the infamous case of a man who could not be deported because he had bonded with his cat, defying all logic and common sense.
No doubt our judges will be up in arms at the fact that they are being ”advised” to use common sense and that this ”intrusion impinges on their independence”. Well, whoopee!
The fact is that they are charged with a duty to look after the rights of the citizens of this country and that Parliament see the need to bring them back to reality is a sad reflection on their vision and interpretations.
Criminals, asylum seekers and terrorists and their legal representatives have recognised this weakness and have exploited this over the years.
I believe that the great majority of the people of this country will be behind this decision on an ”enough is enough” basis.
David Thomson.24 Laurence Park,Kinglassie.
We need to address the root cause
Sir, – Douglas Chapman’s sideswipe at the University of St Andrews (Letters, June 9) for the numbers of students it admits from areas of multiple deprivation is sadly typical of the head-in-the-sand attitude that is failing so many of our young people in Scotland.
The numbers of these students admitted to St Andrews (and other leading universities) are low, not because the university does not work desperately hard to engage with and support them, but because so few achieve the grades that they need to be able to succeed at university.
At St Andrews, had he bothered to check, Mr Chapman would have discovered that we have innovative differential admission programmes, summer schools, we are making extra bursary and financial support available, raising an extra £13 million for scholarships and running outreach programmes in primary schools to support young Scots to study for a top class university education.
How can it possibly be the fault of our universities that so few young people from areas of multiple deprivation in Scotland leave school with even the basic skills they will need just to get to the starting line in higher education?
It is a national disgrace, and Mr Chapman should study the facts and look a little closer to home for the solutions.
Universities are doing their bit. We need the rest of society to hear the wake-up call, address the root causes of this criminal waste of potential and work with us to overcome it.
That would be true social democracy.
Niall Scott.Director of Communication,University of St Andrews.
Answer is in our hands
Sir, – John McDonald highlighted two tragic accidents in recent days and hoped that police investigations might come up with a solution.
It is only right and proper that all agencies which have responsibility for the welfare of the nation strive at all times to deliver the best possible service to ensure that our citizens have an environment that allows them to thrive.
However, is it a healthy position to expect the state to run our lives for us and to find the answer to all our problems?
If individuals abdicate all responsibility for their own actions and choices and are encouraged to blame all their misfortunes on outside factors how will these individuals ever be able to change their own lives for the better?
How many times do people need to hear messages about the negative effects of smoking and the excess consumption of alcohol, the positive health benefits of a balanced diet and regular exercise?
Yet time and again outside factors are thrown up as reasons for the poor state of the nation’s health while the role of the individual, who is ultimately responsible for the choices that he or she makes, good or bad, barely rates a mention.
As long as we are travelling at speeds where fatalities will happen if a sudden impact occurs, there will be loss of life on our roads and I can only echo John McDonald’s condolences to those who have been affected by such tragedy.
People are human and errors of judgment can happen to anyone.
I fully agree that our transport chiefs should put all available resources into improving roads where there has been a history of serious accidents.
However, in my view the most effective way to minimise loss of life is for drivers to take more responsibility for their own actions and drive in such a manner that their safety and the safety of others is their main priority.
Alan Kennedy.55 Newton Crescent,Carnoustie.
Just fantasy
Sir, – George McMillan does a nice line in fantasy (Letters, June 9) when he suggests that Scotland post independence will ”forever be socialist if not communist”.
The truth is that since 1999 Scotland has experienced social democratic governments, which have all, with varying degrees of success, promoted government which balances the need for social equity with financial responsibility and economic development, albeit with limited powers.
As for the future shape of government, whether independent or not, it will require politicians who can demonstrate leadership and ambition for their country.
Iain Anderson.St Monans.
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.