Sir, It is scandalous that Dundee City Council is to pay half the cost of operating a twice-daily flight to London.
The council is effectively subsidising businesspeople who literally fly in and out of Dundee, spending little time and less money in the city.
The benefits to the local population are tiny, while the financial and environmental costs are huge.
Dundee benefits from its central location in Scotland and its proximity to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports.
Council funds would be much better spent on subsidising a regular coach service to Edinburgh airport, which is just one hour away but is inconvenient to reach by public transport.
Such a move would reach a much broader sector of the population, while also reducing fuel emissions.
The notion that the airport is crucial to Dundee’s regeneration is ridiculous, as most visitors arrive by train or car.
The airport and its London link are largely symbolic.
In a time of climate change, this is a symbol we can ill afford to keep.
Dr Beth Lord. 19 Madeira Street, Dundee.
Sad, but Scots do not deserve independence
Sir, As the independence debate trundles on, it was crystallised during Question Time in Dundee last week when Jim Sillars came across as the only person in the room who understood what independence is all about.
His case went over the heads of both the audience and the rest of the panel. The majority of Scots will say “no” in September.
Ninety-five per cent of the media is against independence and daily spews out lies and establishment propaganda. This to a population that has been so ill-educated over the last few generations that it believes that life is all about electronic gadgets and English football, and is quite content to let the decaying circus of Westminster “get on with it”.
The gap between the aspirations of the average Scot with respect to what he wants out of life for himself and his family, compared with the average continental European or Scandinavian is huge. The Catalonians are more likely to achieve independence than Scotland.
One million Catalonians marched for independence recently based on ambition to restore their heritage, traditional values and build a better society under their own control.
There were no placards questioning “ Will I be £500 better off?”.
It is a tragedy for future generations, but quite simply, Scotland does not deserve independence.
W J Harris. 18 Queen Street, Carnoustie.
Letting them off the hook
Sir, The turnout at the Cowdenbeath by-election shows that 65% of the electorate don’t care who represents them in the Scottish parliament.
This is worrying, as it further encourages politicians to do what they wish, with little chance of being called to account for their actions.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood, Kinross.
None of their business!
Sir, I note from the weekend press that our friendly banks in this case, HSBC in particular are now demanding to know what we are going to spend our hard-earned savings on if we ask to make a withdrawal of between £5,000 and £10,000!
If we don’t tell them, then we don’t get our money.
They seem to miss the point that the money is ours not theirs and what we choose to spend it on is none of their business.
I was subjected to this very sort of inquisition some time ago and when I refused to give an answer, the teller protested that it was “the bank’s policy” and that she had to “fill out the form”.
There then ensued a stand-off with neither of us giving in until I got fed up and, being a little concerned for the queue building up behind me, told her that the substantial four-figure sum I wanted to withdraw was being used to buy the groceries at Tesco’s. At this point she finally conceded defeat and parted with the money. Perhaps laughable, but true!
If ever there was a policy to encourage us all to keep our money “under the mattress” instead of saving it in a bank then this is it.
J D Grieve. 7a Church Street, Monifieth.
“L’Ecosse, c’est moi”
Sir, Alex Salmond’s outrage that anyone should have the temerity to ask him to provide details of how he personally spends taxpayers’ money indicates his new self-image. In his own mind he has become, with the thistle and the deep-fried Mars Bar, a Scottish icon. Like his “auld ally” Louis XIV, he truly believes, “L’Ecosse, c’est moi”.
This is what lies behind his state visit to the Ryder Cup where he was mocked by Scots golf fans in the crowd and his travelling circus racked up bills of half a million pounds. If he is successful in September we may expect many more of these jaunts with expenses neither spared nor explained.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.