Sir, Mr Davis, in his letter (February 25) raises the prospect of votes being cast on the basis of “vague and romantic notions” in the forthcoming referendum as being “worrying” and that Annie Lennox should qualify her statements.
How about the vague and romantic notions we have heard from David Cameron oil revenue should be used for the benefit of all in these islands?
By now we should have had a motorway from Land’s End to John o’ Groats . . . something that would benefit everyone; or how about the people around Laurencekirk who can’t even get a safe entry to the A90; or the need to dual the A9? What about us having the most expensive fuel in Europe? No, we’ll have a high speed railway that will better serve fewer people…in England.
On the other hand we have the Doc Halliday of the north, who’s gambling that we will be allowed to share the pound, and that entry into Europe is a foregone conclusion (do we want Europe?) and refuses to offer a plan B, and that everything said that he doesn’t like is just a bluff.
Is he trying to force us to vote with our hearts rather than our heads?
I would suggest to Mr Davis that it is the politicians who should qualify everything they say, something they have all dodged up to now, but then ducking and diving is their job.
G Stewart. Springbank, Clayholes, by Carnoustie.
Alex gets facts wrong again
Sir, The other day Alex Salmond returned to one of his favourite themes in his desperate bid for Scottish independence. Unfortunately, he got his facts wrong again.
He stated, more than once, that Norway was a smaller country than Scotland, and intimated that the Scots would be on a level playing field compared to the better off Norwegians.
The land area of Scotland is 78,387 square kilometres while that of Norway is 385,199 square kilometres. The Scottish coastline, including the many islands, (just like Norway) is 11,880 kilometres. Norway’s is 25,148 kilometres.
It is an inescapable fact that bigger countries tend to have greater natural resources, as does Norway. This means they are richer, have a higher standard of living and can provide for their populations more easily. (Norway has around 250,000 fewer inhabitants than Scotland.)
One wonders if Alex Salmond is simply ignorant of the facts he gives out, or if he is simply trying to paint another rosy picture hoping none of us look at the maps of Scotland and Norway when the weather forecasts are on.
D Adams. 31 Kirklands Park, Cupar.
Ashamed to be a Scotsman
Sir, Having read about the TV programme re Sauchiehall Street I decided to watch it. My viewing of it lasted for less than one minute as the language was disgusting.
If this is a reflection of our country, to be seen by many people, it makes me ashamed to be a Scotsman. Who is checking such programmes to filter them?
Why should we be subjected to a programme which simply appears to be trying for the record number of oaths in one sentence? I am open minded but this crossed the boundaries.
JM Donnachie. Leslie, Fife.
We’re different even in sport
Sir, Why are the British media so populist in their coverage of Olympic events they naively classify as alien?
Curling is a case in point. The event, in terms of Britishness, is uniquely Scottish. To make this event popular on the BBC we have Steve Cram, a successful running athlete, with his sense of glamour, commentating on curling with its calm alignment to chess rather than the power and glory of running.
In that one event we saw quite clearly a distinct difference between England and Scotland.
Throughout the men’s final we had Cram with his amateur and eternal negative, hurried voiceover as though he was darting past the curlers towards some imagined finish line. Viewers might have imagined curling was an English sport and the GB team were not playing it as subtle Englishmen would!
Scots see the world as sporting poets we are different from the rest. Curling, with its unique peculiarity (is it any wonder Scots or the Dutch invented the sport?) shows the uncertain and unpredictable nature of the Scots.
In its manner Scottish curling is almost romantic. The sensitivity of that delicate touch, controlled energy and a tightly knit connection with comrades, fighting adversity in our own unique way.
This is the Scottish personality even if we seem foolish and not caring that is us, even in defeat.
So why are there no Scots to commentate on what is clearly a Scottish sport?
Graham Duncan. 7 Downie Park Road, Dundee.
Some will see it as a good idea
Sir, Many parents will be only too happy to hand the responsibility for their semi-feral children over to the state. I see this as a popular SNP proposal.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood, Kinross.