Sir, – Have a more reprehensible pair of letters than those from A T Geddie and Gordon Kennedy vis-a-vis events at Calais (August 1) ever been published in this paper?
Both view those desperate, tortured, hungry souls seeking a better life in the United Kingdom as part of a faceless, alien invasion to be met with military violence.
Not content with training guns on defenceless people, Mr Geddie wants to imprison them in detention camps, too (sound familiar?) before dumping them on a random beach somewhere in North Africa, presumably so that Islamic State can sort them out for us.
Research on the ground demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of those attempting to enter the UK across the Channel are fleeing war, dictatorship, famine and religious persecution in Eritrea, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and other failed or despotic states across the Middle East and Africa.
These refugees are the 21st Century equivalents of the Irish who fled to Scotland in the 1800s to escape a lethal famine or the Jews who fled Germany in the 1930s to escape Nazism.
They deserve to be treated, and discussed, humanely with compassion and respect.
David Kelly. 17 Highfields, Dunblane.
Put migrants on oil installations
Sir, – David Cameron said we are in danger from a “swarm of immigrants” from Calais.
The United Nation’s special representative, Peter Sutherland called him xenophobic and said Britain should take in more refugees.
I did not see Mr Sutherland and the United Nations offering to house and finance several refugee families.
If we allow immigrants in it will only encourage others to follow and there would be ongoing social and financial burdens such as schools, hospitals, welfare and housing.
Kent County Council are already struggling to cope with more than 600 children claiming asylum.
Children under the age of 18 become our responsibility.
This local authority is facing a shortfall of £5.5 million or more every year.
This situation is unsustainable.
These “swarms of immigrants” are in fact illegal immigrants since they have travelled through up to six “safe havens” in Europe where they should have immediately claimed asylum.
Illegal immigrants should be accommodated on out-of-commission oil rigs in the middle of the North Sea, processed and then deported despite the “swarm” of complaints from the race relations industry and greedy race-relations lawyers.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
We have created Calais crisis
Sir, – The mad military manoeuvring of our governments (past and present) leave me in awe.
Having bombed Afghanistan and much of the Middle East into an uninhabitable chaos, they then, without a trace of irony, suggest destroying the boats used by the poor people trying to flee these bombed-out failed states, by bombing them.
Failing that and assuming some brave souls will still survive the perils of fleeing the failed states on frail craft across the Mediterranean, or overland through Europe, the present government seem to be considering employing Gurkha soldiers to stop these fleeing refugees from entering the UK.
I’m reminded of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 character Milo Mindbender, whose company had the contract to bomb a German-occupied city in Italy, but also had the franchise for the anti-aircraft defence of said city.
Even Heller at his anti-war fictional best would be hard pressed to compete with today’s reality.
Tom Minogue. 94 Victoria Terrace, Dunfermline.
Labour can find a way back
Sir, – Ian Murray MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, is absolutely correct to say now is the time for the next tranche of Scots to step forward to lead the Labour movement in Scotland (July 30).
Brown, Smith, Dewar, McConnell and others all changed Scotland immeasurably for the better, but now is the time for a fresh start for Labour.
This does not mean that we forget what the giants of the Labour movement have achieved, from creating the NHS to establishing a national minimum wage, but we must now entrust fresh faces to take forward Labour values and the social justice agenda Scotland.
Anyone who as ever attended a Labour Party meeting will confirm that there is no shortage of ideas or commitment in the movement.
These are not people who blame others for society’s problems, but seek to convince everyone that social justice is in their interest.
The challenge is for the Labour Party to use these activists, and their number is growing by the day, to fully engage with their communities and rebuild trust in the movement.
This grassroots is where the next Labour’s generation of community councillors, councillors, MSPs and MPs will come from.
This is why it is important that Ian Murray gave this speech.
He is proof that when kids in deprived areas are given a chance they will succeed.
However, as his Edinburgh South constituency is arguably a microcosm of Scotland, he also evidences that the electorate will trust a politician who listens and tirelessly supports the community they represent.
The next Scottish Labour leader must listen to Mr Murray’s argument, learn from his work ethic and challenge the grassroots to exceed his expectations.
Dr Scott Arthur. 27 Buckstone Gardens, Edinburgh.
Time for Scots to break free
Sir, – United Kingdom politicians being spied on by the intelligence services, child-abuse scandals involving politicians swept under the carpet, David Cameron ignoring parliament and allowing British pilots to bomb targets in Syria, and of course, let us not forget that another unelected peer finds himself caught up in another scandal that shames the nation.
Is this what Scotland voted no for last September?
Westminster is rotten to the core, it is morally bankrupt and is ruled by a corrupt cartel that seems only interested in feathering their own nests, and yet, Scotland seems content to be a part of this nest of vipers.
High time we broke away, before Scotland finds itself mired in corruption beyond repair.
RMF Brown. Hill Terrace, Markinch.
Start governing our country
Sir, – I have spent a lifetime sitting on the political fence but recent events have left me very angry that true Scots are presented to the world as a bunch of sheep being rounded up by some political shepherd or another and forced into another referendum pen by the will of the few rather than that of the many.
Democracy was amply demonstrated by true Scots at the recent referendum when 28 of the 32 Scottish council areas voted to stay in the Union. That means 87.5% of the Scottish council areas voted no.
That wily old true Scot, Gordon Wilson, counselled his underlings to start behaving like adults and do the jobs they were elected to do: govern Scotland with wisdom and real foresight.
The referendum cost in the order of £14 million, that’s enough to pay for 500 young teachers, or 500 new police officers, or 500 young nurses for a full year and some want to spend the same again to do the same again to achieve the same result again and deprive Scotland of more jobs again.
John J Watson. 39 Elie Avenue, Broughty Ferry.
Complex causes of Alyth flood
Sir, – In response to Professor MacKenzie’s letter (July 22), we would like to clarify that SNH has no policy preventing the removal of fallen or dead trees and branches from the Den of Alyth.
They can be removed if the managers so wish, although we do encourage some deadwood to be retained in suitable places as an important part of the woodland system.
We sympathise with the impact the flooding has had on Alyth residents but the causes of the extreme flood event will be complex.
In response, SEPA, Perth and Kinross Council and SNH are collaborating to investigate the causes of the flooding.
Between us, we have conducted a number of site visits, and are looking at the rainfall levels, the timber debris, land drainage and any other contributing factors.
We believe it would be unwise to speculate on the exact causes of the flood in advance of analysis of all the evidence. We are planning to communicate our findings with Alyth Community in the ear future.
The recovery of Alyth continues and we are fully committed to providing on-going support as we can.
David Bale. Scottish Natural Heritage, Inverdee House, Baxter Street, Torry.
No difference between grants
Sir, – While I personally don’t agree with public money funding T in the Park, it is surely no different to arts council grants to opera and ballet, which I also don’t agree with.
Laurie Richards. 100 Crail Road, Cellardyke.
Solar power is monitored
Sir, – Geoff Moore, (July 28) claims that payments for electricity for small-scale solar arrays is estimated.
This is not true. I have to give regular meter readings to the company which buys the electricity generated by the solar panels on my roof and the payment I receive is tied to these figures.
The payments go up and down according to the season of the year and cloud coverage, indicating that they are tied to electricity generated and not an estimated figure plucked out of the air.
Walter Attwood. 7 James Street, Whins of Milton, Stirling.