Sir, So, the Scottish Parliament has voted to write off historic poll tax debts.
Those who took a principled stand against the charge, as well as others, are now safe from any legal action.
There were many more people, though, who, despite considering the poll tax as unfair, still paid up, albeit through gritted teeth and straitened purse.
Many thought it wrong to deprive local councils of the income they needed to provide services.
So, to those in the “can pay won’t pay” camp, I would make this suggestion. You have made your point, you cannot now be prosecuted.
Assuming your circumstances permit, why not now make the noble gesture of voluntarily paying your outstanding debt to your local council?
Such a generous action would replenish the dwindling resources of local authorities, enabling them to continue providing many of those services which are so important to the less well-off among us.
How about it?
Jane Ann Liston. 5 Whitehill Terrace, Largo Road, St Andrews.
East coast fans suffer again
Sir, Once again, on Saturday, the BBC Scotland bias against the north and east was revealed.
No TV coverage of Dundee United playing Aberdeen. No chance. Our offering was listening to steam radio to catch what we could. They even had the affront to screen the Hearts v Alloa game afterwards.
However, the Glasgow-based BBC was in full swing on Sunday when Celtic played Rangers.
It was action stations, with all the weaponry they had, full TV event before and after, summaries and opinions galore. Yes when it’s for a west of Scotland audience, then it’s no expense spared.
The east and the north get a raw deal from. After all, we all pay the same licence fee, don’t we?
Well, we do as far as I know, I may be wrong, so please tell me if I am.
George Cormack. McLauchlan Rise, Aberdour.
This is a daily occurrence
Sir, Having read your article regarding a bus blocking the fast lane at the A937 junction by Laurencekirk it would no doubt appear to many that this may be a rare occurrence. It is not. It happens daily.
Unfortunately for the local bus company it seems they have been amongst the few ones found out. This may seem hard to believe but as a Laurencekirk resident I have often witnessed worse.
Only last week, taking my daughter to Montrose, we witnessed a small car transporter performing the same manoeuvre as the bus, the difference was there was a trailer attached with another vehicle aboard, so it was covering almost both northbound lanes.
Shocking manoeuvre it was, but the driver was not finished. Apparently not content with putting the fear of God into northbound traffic they ended up standing on their brakes the driver, on joining the south-bound carriageway, remained in the fast lane, forcing traffic to illegally undertake, a manoeuvre that seems to be becoming acceptable.
Charles Gray. Laurencekirk.
No power then, so why now?
Sir, The Energy Minister has announced that there is to be a “moratorium on fracking” in Scotland, and that the “public are to be consulted”.
In March 2014, when Dumfries & Galloway Council asked for a “moratorium on windfarms” as they were so overwhelmed with applications, the same Energy Minister advised that he had no power to delay or postpone applications, and the council’s request was summarily kicked into touch.
He had no power then, but he seems to have found power now, yet mysteriously the law hasn’t changed.
In addition, he says, the “public must be consulted”.
But the public already has the right to be consulted about any application for planning permission, and to have its say, and to have its opinion, both lay and expert, fully taken into account.
Bogus populism, orpandering to the ‘greenatic’ fringe? I think we should be told.
Graham Lang. Chair, ScotlandAgainst Spin. Westermost, Coaltown of Callange, Ceres, Cupar.
Access problem solved . . .
Sir, Bob Smart’s letter (January 24) spelling out the problems of access to the waterfront V & A is spot on.
However, there is an obvious solution. Take the £45 million budget and build the V & A around Camperdown House.
The country house setting certainly worked for the Burrell Collection.
Tony Ibbotson. 16 Baldovie Road, Dundee.