Sir, – I am in my late seventies and have never voted, nor will ever vote, Conservative.
However I must admit to having a certain amount of admiration for the Conservative Party this last few days.
We have always known that the Tory Party has no interest in the welfare of the ordinary man or woman in the street but is only interested in looking after the interests of the bankers and their millionaire party donors.
At last, by reducing the top rate of income tax and removing the cap on bankers’ bonuses, they have acknowledged this fact.
I applaud their honesty.
Recently on the Jeremy Vine radio show, when discussing the cut in the top rate of income tax, a gentleman caller said that he welcomed the cut as he was earning more than £150,000 per annum and struggled to make ends meet.
What kind of planet are these people on? If he was struggling, how does he think someone earning a 10th of that per annum must be doing.
To continue this honesty that the Conservative Party has found, I would like to hear Liz Truss say, at their conference, “if you are a poor person and vote Conservative then more fool you”.
W. A. Ross, Broomhill Avenue, Aberdeen.
Manager’s jacket is on a shaky nail
Sir, – Oh dearie me, I fear that Gareth Southgate’s tenure is hanging on a very shoogly peg.
Surely he must be on his way? His supposed loyalty to keep selecting Harry Maguire beggars belief.
Issy Currie, Main Street, Castletown, Caithness.
Ferries contract can be switched
Sir, – Watching in the news the ongoing saga at the Ferguson Marine yard regarding the building work to produce two ferries, and the Scottish tax cash being squandered on a weekly basis, we now have been told that it’s going to cost £ 70 million more and the delivery times will stretch into 2024.
The order should never had been granted to this yard due to the complex engineering involved to bring it to high standards in its propulsion systems.
There are many yards in the EU and Scandinavia who would have had the vessels built to the highest standards and the contract costs. In fact, the vessels would have been delivered on time.
The SNP-led Scottish Government should never have been involved with this ongoing saga as they are not shipbuilders and they are using taxpayers’ cash to try to get the vessels built at astronomical costs.
I say stop the work now and tow the ships to another yard which has the ability and experience to fulfill this most important order for the people of the Western Isles.
Gavin Elder, Prunier Drive, Peterhead.
Objection to road not to housing
Sir, – I write to object to the headline of last Wednesday’s front page (“112 homes plan branded ‘cultural vandalism’”). It is misleading.
To be very clear, residents of the lanes of North Street and Gilchrist Square that lead to the High Street in Dornoch through which cyclists and pedestrians will travel have never objected to the building of the new homes.
Our objections focus on the decimation of the ancient drovers’ road and, secondly, our serious concerns around increased safety risks because of significantly greater numbers of cyclists and pedestrians using the very narrow streets which do not have footpaths.
We have consistently petitioned Highland Council for viable options which already exist.
Christine Callingham, North Street, Dornoch, Sutherland.
Budget response by SNP is needed
Sir, – So, the Scottish Government has delayed its so-called “intervention” to comment on the UK Government’s mini-Budget of last week. Instead of a response within two weeks, as promised, we now have the acting finance minister saying he will give us the benefit of his opinion during the week beginning October 24.
What a coincidence that this just happens to be after the SNP conference rather than before it. Knowing that they would again be shown up with a feeble response to a robust Westminster Budget, the SNP run from internal criticism at their conference.
Asking for external opinions before giving us their thoughts does not take that long. A proper government would make a response a priority – this one obviously thinks their party conference is more important.
Andrew Dingwall-Fordyce, Garlogie House, Westhill.
Lottery winners help to save lives
Sir, – As CEO of Scotland’s largest international humanitarian organisation, The Halo Trust, I wanted to thank last week’s lucky People’s Postcode Lottery winners in Aberdeen.
Our Dumfriesshire-based charity receives funding raised by players of the lottery to find and destroy unexploded shells, bombs and landmines in north-west Syria, where more than 1.6 million people in the opposition-controlled enclave live close to unexploded ordnance.
All too often, it is children in refugee camps who suffer from living beside explosives as they mistake lethal shells and grenades for scrap metal, leading to tragic deaths or life-changing injuries.
After more than a decade of conflict, the Syrian people’s needs are greater than ever, but the world’s attention has moved on to other crises.
I am grateful to all players of the People’s Postcode Lottery for raising funds which will allow us to save lives while the world is looking elsewhere.
Maj Gen (Rtd) James Cowan, CEO, The Halo Trust.
Tories jump from frying pan to fire
Sir, – After the disastrous mini-Budget announced on September 23, and the fallout it has caused to the instability of the country, it is clear that the Tory prime minister we had was better than we have now. Replacing him was essential, but the one elected, Liz Truss, is an even bigger mistake.
She and her chancellor have managed to plunge the country into turmoil. It took Boris two years to achieve this – it only took the new Cabinet 19 days.
On a final note, I advise rich Tories to book their seat on the bus to England where they will be able to claim the tax reduction – no chance in Scotland.
Don McKay, Provost Hogg Court, Torry, Aberdeen.
Tourists should be paying their way
Sir, – I read with dismay, once again, about the disgraceful behaviour of a small number of tourists who visit our beautiful country.
I am all for encouraging visitors to Scotland but this needs to be managed with more investment in facilities, particularly in more remote areas.
The residents who provided toilet facilities (Press and Journal, September 26) and the frustrated locals who live near Durness (P&J, September 27) must be lamenting the days when visitor numbers were much smaller in their areas.
This is where the controversial tourist tax should be looked at. I have travelled widely within Europe and have gladly paid my one euro per night tourist tax. For our family that was three euros.
The argument against tourist tax is that it would put people off – what nonsense.
In my view, this tax should be centrally collected and then distributed to areas where investment in facilities is most needed. In fairness to the cities, there are many facilities available for visitors – you are never short of a loo or somewhere to park.
The money could be spent providing toilet facilities, parking and indeed rangers and wardens to ensure that people are abiding by the rules in more remote areas, rather than leaving Highland Council to pick up the bill from what I imagine to be a tight budget.
The way things are going, this is unsustainable and very disheartening for the longer-term relationships between locals and visitors.
Let’s keep Scotland beautiful by asking for a small contribution from our many tourists.
Susan Cowie, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.
Government simply ignoring the science
Sir, – In response to the article in The Press and Journal (Breeders call for change on gene editing, September 29) I wholeheartedly agree with the calls made by the British Society of Plant Breeders regarding gene editing.
SNP-Green ministers are continuing to ignore the overwhelming benefits that giving the green light to gene editing would bring about for our farmers who cannot be left behind their counterparts south of the border.
The British Society of Plant Breeders are just the latest in a long line of institutes and experts who have called for ministers to change tack.
The NFUS, James Hutton Institute and the Roslin Institute are just three such examples of how there is a growing impatience at the current stance being taken by the government in Scotland.
They are typically putting their constitutional obsession above the needs of those who would stand to benefit.
I have been calling on the Scottish Government to adopt this stance for almost a year. While they might continue to defend this politically, the overwhelming scientific evidence is to the contrary.
I once again urge them to think again.
Rachael Hamilton MSP, Shadow cabinet secretary for rural affairs and islands.
ETZ option for city offers bleak future
Sir, – Last week’s report published in Joule (Is heating homes all but a pipe dream?) should be another massive reality check on notions that hydrogen power is the future.
The criticism is both damning and unanimous of the idea that hydrogen is in any way a viable form of power for humanity’s future.
This, for me, is another nail in the cross of projects like the much-touted and typically-opaque Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) and the imbecilic claims made by the progenitors of that public fund-draining environmental disaster-in- the-making.
The report which claims to back up the “need” for the ETZ is also incredibly suspect.
If Aberdeen has any genuine desire to be environmentally sound it must show its real mettle and immediately ditch the ETZ and all other plans connected to it, otherwise the future will be far bleaker without much-loved green spaces which are beneficial to all.
Ian Beattie, Baker Street, Aberdeen.
Trying to defend the indefensible
Sir, – Yet more long letters from Dr Wardrop and Neil Bryce displaying stunning (or selectively-chosen) ignorance of the actual science. Reading them is a bit like watching Liz Truss and her chancellor defend the indefensible.
I did, though, have a good laugh at the thought of “galactic events” being a major contribution to climate change. You have been watching too much Star Wars, Mr Bryce.
You’d think Dr Wardrop might come up with a better alternative strategy given his passion for the topic. As far as I can see, his main recommendation is the equivalent of saying “don’t bother about plastic pollution, other countries are much worse, so just keep throwing the plastic bottles out of your car windows”.
Lesley Ellis, Reekitlane, Coull, Tarland.
Royal deference needs to change
Sir, – The impeccable behaviour of George and Charlotte at the Queen’s funeral service is an example to the feral children who run about wild in communities nowadays.
Pity they didn’t appear to be wearing seatbelts when travelling in the royal cars on legal roads. This is not a good example for children.
Again it seems to be a law for the “firm” and another for the plebs. Things have to change – King Charles III has a hard time ahead.
T Shirron, Davidson Drive, Aberdeen
Leave UTG name alone
With regards to the renaming of Union Terrace Gardens – firstly, why change the name?
Secondly, the suggestion of Queen Elizabeth II Gardens is a nonsense and, before I go on, I am not an SNP supporter.
The Queen on her accession wished to be Queen Elizabeth because she correctly pointed out to Churchill that no one of that name had been monarch of Great Britain. This was ignored by Parliament at the time.
If a change of name is desired, why not Her Majesty’s Garden which would tie in with His Majesty’s Theatre.
G Calder, Beechgrove Terrace, Aberdeen
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