July 12: Fight in press damaging university's reputation

---

Sir, — July 11's report (Abertay profs issued warning) does not show certain of the senior academic staff in a particularly good light, nor does it help the reputation of Abertay University in any way.

Rather than fighting now in the press, it would surely be sensible to await the outcome of the current investigation into the circumstances surrounding the retirement of Professor King.

"Profs" should remember that there are usually two sides to every dispute.

David Hogarth.
12 Moyness Park Drive,
Blairgowrie.

With a little imagination...

Sir, — The decision by the government to award the £3bn contract for the new Thameslink trains to Siemens, rather than Bombardier, has created many column inches on the iniquitous nature of EU procurement rules.

EU public procurement rules require all public sector contracts issued by local authorities, central government and utilities of £100,000 or more for services and supplies, or £4 million or more for works, to be advertised throughout Europe.

The Thameslink train upgrade tenders falls under these rules and Siemens won because it offered a cheaper contract.

However, that is not quite the whole story. True competitive open EU tendering process has a lot of loopholes and according to the Woods Report for the UK government published a few years ago, there is a lot of favouritism on the continent to ensure domestic producers get picked in a way that the rules could be circumvented without seeming to be so.

Other EU countries like to back their own companies in public procurement decisions.

The Woods Report mentions numerous examples, designed to exclude foreign companies from having a realistic chance of winning public procurement contracts in countries like Spain, Germany and, above all, France.

Tenders are written precisely so that only a domestic contractor can fulfill it, and are often sliced up into parts so that each slice falls below the minimum required for compulsory international tendering.

And when all else fails, there is a loophole paragraph that states the final choice does not have to be on most competitive price alone, but on best value, an amorphous concept which allows domestic bidders to be favoured on aesthetic, environmental or social factors.

On top of all this, some countries give two to three times more state aid to their firms than the UK does, obviously distorting competition.

With a little imagination, saving the British workers could come under the social consideration loophole that would allow the government to support British manufacturing without contravening EU law.

Alex Orr.
77 Leamington Terrace,
Edinburgh.

Vile abuse of animals

Sir, — I cannot understand how such an honourable paper as The Courier can justify giving publicity to the bullfighting in Pamplona (photo in Saturday's Courier).

This is a vile abuse of animals, who have no voice to protest (incidentally the bull's vocal chords are cut so the audience can't hear its screams).

These animals are paraded in an arena then prodded with swords, tortured and terrified by an army of so-called brave men, before being slaughtered.

All this horror, much to the delight of an audience who can only be regarded as equally vile as those who torture and kill these animals.

Spain is on the brink of economic turmoil, and perhaps their energies should be focused more on doing something more useful and beneficial to its survival.

Human suffering will continue as long as animal suffering continues. This bullfighting circus is not bravery. I recently walked up to a bull and practically tickled its nose.

Stupid, perhaps, but certainly not brave.

The bull did not react, but there again I did not have others antagonising and stabbing it painfully into a rage.

Those who watch this outdated wickedness should be ashamed of themselves because without the audience, there would be no cruelty.

Bob Beveridge.
High Street,
Falkland.

Don't do as I do, do as...

Sir, — Al Gore is to be a speaker at the Scottish Low-Carbon Investment event to be held in Edinburgh on September 27/28.

This is the same Al Gore whose scaremongering film, An Inconvenient Truth, contained nine inaccuracies or exaggerations.

Sea levels are not rising and polar bears are not in danger.

I do not suppose his lecture will disclose that scientists in the US have reported that the Earth's temperature has declined over the past decade although concentration of carbon dioxide increased steadily?

His mansions in Tennessee and southern California must consume the output of a small power station.

Al Gore warned that sea levels would rise by 20 feet but then used some of his vast profits from carbon trading to buy a condo costing $4 million. It is only feet from the ocean in Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco — a city he warned would suffer devastating floods.

Hypocritical or foolish?

Mr Gore continues to make travel, lifestyle and investment choices that show his belief that making green sacrifices are for the masses but not for him.

Perhaps his lecture, supported by Alex Salmond, will be about making money out of the Great Global Warming Scam.

Clark Cross.
138 Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.

► Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.

---