Sir, I refer to the letter from Paul Kelly, Royal Mail Director (Committed to quality service, September 16).
It is a joke. Seemingly, Royal Mail is wholly committed to delivering the highest level of customer service to customers in the PH postcode.
On more than one occasion we have noticed the lack of postal deliveries in our street. Notably two weeks ago on my birthday I received no mail although friends and family assured me they had posted cards well in time with first class stamps. Even as an adult I was most disappointed not to receive any cards. Can you imagine how a child would have felt?
Last week my husband ordered some items from the internet and was advised they would arrive Wednesday or Thursday by the latest.
When they arrived on Friday we asked the postman what caused the delay. He informed us that due to him not willing to work overtime he held back mail for our street and also another street in the village with the result no mail was delivered to us on a Thursday. He told us no-one was willing to cover the overtime.
It would appear this has been on going for some time, although it was not noticed until my birthday. I would have thought this was illegal.
My husband phoned to complain and was told we would be contacted within 72 hours. We are still waiting. If the Royal Mail want the public behind them they are going the wrong way about it.
Margaret Anderson. 22 Taybank Place, Errol.
Get on with new school
Sir, Like many other parents, I thought that after the consultation, where 85% of us who expressed a view were in favour of the new Madras at Pipeland, the time for debate was over and we would finally get the school that we have waited for so long.
But, to my immense frustration, I now see the same debates being raised all over again. The same people are raking over the same issues in exhaustive detail.
There may be some advantages of the pond site over Pipeland (just as there are some advantages of Pipeland over the pond site). I’m sure that it makes for fascinating pub discussion. But while the discussion goes on, our children are condemned to learn in crumbling outdated buildings. Don’t let another generation of children experience this.
So, please, I appeal to all involved, don’t delay things any further. Listen to what the parents said in the consultation, support the planning application and let’s just get on with building the new school.
David McCallum. 18 Cant Crescent, St Andrews.
Need to think things through
Sir, The proposed Liberal Democrat mansion tax will encourage the owners of expensive houses to downsize to avoid that tax.
This will then drive up the price of houses below the mansion tax level and in turn will encourage the sellers of those houses to downsize and realise their profits.
The final effect of the mansion tax, therefore, will be to increase house prices at the lower and starter level ends of the house market.
Politicians should learn to think things through properly.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood, Kinross.
View needs to be recognised
Sir, A year from today Scotland may well have decided they want to be an independent country. If so the UK will dissolve and cease to exist. It is naive to think that the situation following a “yes” vote would see a stable UK, especially if English concerns have no representation at the negotiation table.
The Better Together unionist supporters’ only hope of maintaining the UK is to support the establishment of an English Parliament as a way to rebalance the union. Yet unionists appear to be in denial at the prospect of a “yes” vote actually happening, so they remain foolishly quiet on the subject of the English Question.
The Scottish will vote for independence if the UK Government does not give concrete evidence that it intends to establish home rule for all the UK nations. The people of England also need democratic equality with their own Parliament and First Minister.
By showing that England needs to be recognised politically and constitutionally as equal with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, they would be putting up a much needed constitutional dividing wall that will create stability for all the nations of the UK.
The status quo cannot be maintained and we now have polling evidence that shows the people of England are considering independence for themselves. Although the vote on independence is for the people of Scotland, the English view needs to be expressed during the debate.
Eddie Bone. Director, Campaign for an English Parliament