Letters Page

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‘Unhelpful’ messages on fuel

SIR, – Regarding the current fuel situation, I don’t think I can ever recall such unhelpful and conflicting messages being given out about anything. Differing and contradictory statements have been made.

When pumps are empty, albeit perhaps only temporarily, being given assurances that there is plenty fuel is a bit rich. If you have an empty fuel tank, the fact that there is petrol available 50 or 100 miles away is irrelevant.

As for urging motorists not to panic-buy: in theory, this may be wise, but human nature dictated that people would fill up when they could, for fear of not being able to get fuel later. No amount of urging against this is going to work if drivers are concerned when confronted by reports and pictures of empty fuel pumps.

Judi Martin,

Alma,

Maryculter, Aberdeenshire.

Potential effectsof strike

SIR, – The current fuel crisis is like a ship sailing in uncharted waters, with the full potential knock-on effects now becoming clear, leading to a situation that could be a lot worse than was first thought.

Listening to the statements made by politicians to date, both from the Scottish Government and Westminster, it is clear that they know little about the potential of this strike action and might be forced to introduce emergency powers to bring the situation under control.

It may well be true that there are enough stocks of fuel available to see us through to May, but the logistic nightmare of distribution could well cause many problems for the people of Scotland.

Dennis Grattan,

3 Mugiemoss Road,

Bucksburn, Aberdeen.

Frustration over industrial action

One of the delights in writing to the P&J is the fact that one can air one’s views, read them for a degree of satisfaction, and release frustration.

My frustration this time is: are we returning to the industrial 1970s?

Strikes are arising all over that place. Teachers (what a disgrace), refineries, the public services, airports, even the police are trying to get in on the act, and many others.

If the strike (blackmail) is successful and wages increase, where is the money coming from? Of course, the product or service provided increases in price, the public pay higher prices for fuel, food, services, fares.

Why do unions insist on strike action? Could it be that the various union reps need to be seen to be doing something to earn their fat fees?

With conglomerates like Shell and Tesco making huge profits, why cannot government relieve them of some of this excess, put a moratorium on all price increases across the whole spectrum and stop this ridiculous merry-go-round?

If prices stay static, there is no justification to strike for higher pay. In the end, no one wins, only the public lose.

R.J. Tucker,

Munro Place, Tain.

Rising costs of London Olympics

SIR, – I, like many people, cheered and applauded in 2005, when London was chosen as the venue for the Olympic Games in 2012.

This wonderful event is to be staged in Great Britain, with tremendous opportunities for the youth of our country to show and perform against the rest of the world, but at what cost?

Alarm bells have started ringing, with many of the organisers of the games giving their reports, which is just the second in the series of progress reports due to be released over the next four years.

In 2005, the original budget was £4.1billion; we now have Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell forced to admit the cost has risen to £9.3billion.

It has now come to light that the cost of buying land and compensating owners would be £30.4million above the current estimates.

The warning is the true cost of the games could soar to £20billion, and the Scottish funds have already been raided to subsidise the spiralling cost.

Surely we the taxpayers don’t want another financial mismanagement disaster to pay for, when we already have had the Scottish Parliament building.

Many of our elderly must look back over the years and ponder if commonsense really counts for nothing.

Stanley Green,

25 Windmill Court,

Fraserburgh.

Croftingactivities

SIR, – You reported (the Press and Journal, April 22) the chairman of the Crofters Commission claiming that up to 20,000 new people could be “living on the land” as a result of the commission promoting the creation of new crofts; and that these new crofts would be the base for young people engaged in “anything from online services to traditional crafts or any other micro industries”.

Really?

Whatever these activities are, they are a vast remove from the core activity of those people and communities whom the commission was set up to protect, namely the production of sheep and cattle.

The hills are becoming devoid of sheep, and it will soon be too late to reverse this.

With growing concern over worldwide food shortages, it is clear that the policies that have led to this are utterly irresponsible.

Instead of indulging in these fantasies, the commission should be speaking out against the urban-based so-called “conservation” organisations with their highly selective understanding of “conservation”, whose preaching that sheep are bad for the hills has been proved so disastrously wrong, and should be doing its best to reverse the decline in livestock numbers and in active genuine crofting.

Michael Otter,

Smithy House,

Oldshoremore,

Kinlochbervie.

Raising a flag on Rockall

SIR, – My congratulations to Andy Strangeway on his various adventures and his far-travelled colleagues (the Press and Journal, April 24). I wish them all well. Indeed, he may be the first Yorkshireman to raise a flag on Rockall.

His Gaelic-speaking Hebridean companion will not be the first of his ilk to land and raise a flag there, however.

Well-known skipper Malcolm “Cubby” McKinnon, a Gaelic speaker from Jura, did just that on a BBC-organised trip some years ago.

He, too, had no climbing equipment.

John Campbell,

Chapel House,

Ardchattan, Oban.