Sir, It is interesting to note, that Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House and Fife’s Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Garry McEwan (The Courier, February 27), are quick to publicise the advantages the public in Fife are receiving from Police Scotland by providing specialised resources.
What they do not publicise, is the fact that over 20% of police officers (more than 200 in number), who were formerly members of Fife Constabulary, are now stationed outwith Fife. It is, therefore, no surprise to learn that additional officers, from elsewhere, are required to augment the depleted police numbers in Fife.
They also do not publicise the travelling time incurred by these officers, which could be in excess of 20% of their duty time if travelling from Glasgow or Aberdeen. Stop being selective with comments and advise the public of the “big picture”.
J Harley. 9 Mackie Crescent, Markinch.
The people with the real power
Sir, News that Standard Life might leave Scotland after a YES referendum vote, while Royal Bank of Scotland are considering their options, as are the industrial Weir Group, should serve to remind politicians of their place in the pecking order of who really runs things.
The bankers and financiers who control the money supply call the shots; shareholder- driven industry does what it has to do to make profits; and the media then tells the public what to think about all that.
Politicians merely comment on what has happened after these real masters have made their moves. Any who think differently are deluded.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood, Kinross.
An attempt to coerce?
Sir, Some years ago, due to a miscalculation from someone employed by Standard Life, there was a shortfall in my endowment policy. As a direct result of this, I had to find funds elsewhere to clear my mortgage. By way of some compensation, I was “awarded” shares to the value of approximately two-thirds of the shortfall.
I have retained those shares, not a lot of money, through various fluctuations, but now, on a matter of principle, I have decided to sell them.
I can only view the statement from the company, on a possible move south, as an attempt to coerce the Scottish electorate to vote “no” in the forthcoming referendum.
This, to me, is completely unacceptable and smacks of Edward I of England and his “Ragman’s Roll”.
The money raised will be happily spent on taking advantage of the Scottish tourist industry’s excellent portfolio, safe in the knowledge that a move to England is out of the question!
Joseph G Miller. 44 Gardeners Street, Dunfermline.
This is fanciful and wrong
Sir, Graham Duncan (letters, February 27) describes Steve Cram’s commentary as amateur and negative. I have spoken to many curlers in the past week and every one has enjoyed the commentary and spoken highly of Cram and Jackie Lockhart.
The BBC are to be congratulated for their coverage and it is hoped that the response to the curling will encourage them to cover the World and European Championships.
Mr Duncan’s attempts to portray this as a factor in the independence debate and the romantic nonsense that he, like Jim Crumley and Jim Sillars, espouses is as fanciful as it is wrong.
John Arbuckle. Giffordtown, Fife.
No need to go to the Tate
Sir, If it is art that might be the saviour of Perth City Hall (Perth Tate Gallery pitch for City Hall, February 27), why look further than Perth itself?
I have been a volunteer through Tayside Decorative and Fine Arts Society (www.taysidedfas.blogspot.com) in the art department of the Perth Museum and Art Gallery for many years.
They have a superb collection of art only a fraction of which can be shown at one time. The collection includes oil paintings, watercolours, prints and drawings, many of which have some connection with Perthshire and the rest of Scotland.
Other departments also struggle to display their splendid collections through lack of space.
Sadly, many residents of Perth know little of the riches which lie within and do not visit the museum.
Surely its collections deserve a much higher profile and would be a cheaper option than an out-of-London Tate collection?
Virginia Cardwell Moore. Larghan House, Coupar Angus.
Yet another ‘competition’
Sir, Re recent humorous references to daily “Courier competitions” regarding the number of Eve Muirhead/Lorraine Kelly photos in editions of the paper, I would suggest another on similar lines, counting the number of
Couriers issued since Wimbledon that do not include a photograph of Andy Murray!
Dave Brimner. Mearns Drive, Montrose.