Sir, – I see on the front of today’s (May 17) P&J the story “Festival urges fans to answer foodbank SOS”.
It’s not my job to feed people, it’s my job to feed my family. It’s the government’s job to feed their population. The people they promise to do their best for.
But this is a joke. The rich get richer, there’s Elon off on his big rocket burning billions of gallons of rocket fuel and I’m asked to feed random strangers.
We need air to breathe, water to drink and enough food to sustain us. It’s pretty basic, not rocket science…and it’s the government’s job to sort out the society they are shaping so that everyone has enough to eat.
I’m sure some politician is laughing at my gullibility. I’m going to step up and do their job for them while they shove a bit more money into an offshore account.
Anne Staines, Chapel St, Huntly.
Energy price cap is misleading
Sir, – Am I the only person who gets annoyed at the term energy price cap that implies there’s a limit to what customers pay for all their gas and electricity?
It currently stands at £1,971 providing that you’re 1) an average user and 2) on a default tariff.
If you’re not an average user and you’re on a fixed-term tariff you may be paying a lot more than £1,971.
How many households in the Highlands and islands and north-east are paying considerably more, perhaps even double the price cap?
Perhaps The Press and Journal can investigate.
Neil M Smith, Ravenshill Place, Thurso.
No windfall from these turbines
Sir, – Further to my previous letter questioning government ministers and climate activists, I live in Orkney where we produce 120% of renewable electricity for our domestic use; we don’t have a gas supply yet pay some of the highest prices for energy in the UK. Why?
How can this be when we were told that the upside of having so many visually obscene wind turbines and power lines blotting our landscape would mean cheaper electricity prices?
The same applies to Caithness and many other areas of Scotland.
Was it all lies spun by our government and power companies in their rapid quest to net-zero emissions?
Inflicting the damage done by the removal of peat, forests and wildlife habitat and allowing wind farms and hideous infrastructure such as the Beauly to Denny power line to be erected in some of Scotland’s most scenic areas, overriding the will and views of the local people and councils, all to feed power to our major UK cities?
Jim Leitch, Evie, Orkney.
No majority here for indyref2
Sir, – As a typical nationalist foot soldier, Ron Campbell spouts the usual scaremongering rubbish against our UK – a world-leading G7 and Nato country which, each month, thousands of migrants are desperate to call home?
The reality is that there is no voter majority for indyref2,and that the only SNP policy of note over the last 15 years has been to squander lashings of taxpayers’ money to buy votes, “which is why they continue to gain such a high level of support”.
The UK, after having to wait 45 years, voted to leave the dictatorial and cash-hungry EU in the 2016 referendum. Brexit will be a success when all the treacherous Remoaners and the childish EU finally accept the democratic wishes of the British people.
Scotland had an independence referendum (not 45 years ago) in 2014, and voted to remain part of the UK.
Any future SNP indyref2 must adhere to their very own “legislature” – “a two-thirds majority must be achieved before change”.
Scotland’s taxpayers deserve better than this Venezuela-style road to ruin nonsense from the smooth- talking Scottish No-plan Party.
George Emslie, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.
One speeding rule for tourists?
Sir, – Reported in The P&J last week was the case of a Dutch businessman caught on the NC500 exceeding the speed limit by some 40mph.
According to the report he was initially charged with dangerous driving, later reduced to careless driving.
He was fined a somewhat paltry £640 and given six penalty points.
As I understood it, drivers doing 100mph or more can expect a ban and I have seen cases in the paper of this happening even on quiet or empty A-class roads and on dual carriageways.
What magic wand did this gentleman wave to avoid an immediate ban especially when the NC500 in the main consists of rural and in some areas even single-track roads patently unsuitable for even much more moderate speeds?
We hear complaints all summer from folk of the problems with tourists behaving inappropriately while completing this route and equally Police Scotland say how they are monitoring motorists’ behaviour to try to reduce the bad driving, then here we have a pathetic response from the prosecution.
Alastair Armitstead, Achiltibuie, Ross-shire.
What is Nicola’s tour to US about?
Sir, – I could not agree more with John Reid’s letter in The P&J (May 17).
It seems to be a waste of taxpayers’ money for an itinerary which looks nebulous to say the least.
Rather than promoting Scotland, I wonder if it is aimed at preparing the ground for life after Holyrood for Nicola?
M J Salter, Glassel, Banchory.
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