Sir – I need to clarify an important point in relation to the story carried by your newspaper recently over the decision by the director of sport at Morrison’s Academy to move away from cricket as the main summer sport.
Cricket at Morrison’s Academy is not being banned, nor is it coming to an end.
Hereafter, cricketwill continue to be offered at Morrison’s Academy but as a part of our programme ofco-curricular activities rather than as a major summer sport.
Instead, and with the express purpose of trying to increase participation by the boys and girls in summer games, all will take part in a programme of athletics, tennis and outdoor pursuits, thelatter having the considerable advantage of being able to go ahead in conditions that would ordinarily lead to the cancellation of traditional field sports.
In practical terms, little will change.
Cricket will still be played, although it has not had a high profile for some time because of the press of early examinations in what is a relatively short term combined with the vagaries of our local climate: we live amid mountains.
What the changewill do is enable more girls and boys to enjoy regular sport and this has to be a good thing in a world where we have concerns about the overuse of screens and the increase in childhood obesity.
Simon Pengelley. Rector and Principal, Morrison’s Academy, Crieff.
Tories righton fiscal policy
Sir, – I refer to Alan Hinnrich’s one-sided outburst (June 11) in which seeks to blame theConservatives for just about everything that hesees as a problem in his life.
I’m surprised he didn’t try to blame the Tories for recent minor increases in the cost of fish suppers.
The Tory party is simply doing what any responsible company would do after a period of lengthy economic difficulty during which the consultants brought in to assist in solving the problems, in this case the Liberal Democrats in Government, failed to produce a meaningful result.
The Tory strategy includes living within our means; selling assets to reduce the costs of borrowing and contribute to deficit reduction; encouraging business investment to create jobs.
It also includesreducing the poisonous influence of welfare handouts.
Let’s remember that the economic situation from which we are still recovering wascreated by Labour ingovernment which it was for 13 years.
Derek Farmer. Knightsward Farm, Anstruther.
No magnanimity by nationalists
Sir, – I am indebted to your letter writers Ken Clark and George White for proving the point I made in mine published on June 12.
I dared to put my head above the parapet to put forward a temperate case and was immediately vociferously attacked, presumably by SNPsupporters.
Magnanimous invictory they are not.
I rest my case.
Anthony Garrett. 1 Royal Terrace, Falkland.
Time to issue our own money
Sir, – Although First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would probably notrecognise austerityif it was served up toher on a plate surrounded by watercress, she does unknowingly have a point whenit comes to austerityand the banking system of the world.
In 2014, the Bank of England finally admitted what many have known for some time.
Money is just an IOU signed by those whoborrow from banks,who have not lentthem the savings of some spinster, but have merely created that money themselves as anelectronic book-keeping entry.
They create moneyby making loans and those loans now form 97% of the UK money supply.
There is no limit to the amount of money the banks can create,provided they can find someone willing toborrow it.
So why are weaccepting the notion that the government is broke and must slash publicservices to pay its debts and reduce the annual deficit?
The government could simply pay the debts of the nation in the same way the banks paythem by electronic accounting entries in cyberspace.
The privately-owned parasitic banking system is based on a fraud and we the public could be creating moneyourselves throughpublicly-owned banks that returned theirprofits to us, instead of to the perpetrators of the gigantic private banking swindle.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood, Kinross.
Unionists on dangerous path
Sir, – Are unionistsserious about preserving the union?
I ask because afterwitnessing a shamblesof a debate on morepowers for Scotland in the House of Commons, the answer would appear to be no.
The Conservatives seem to be back-tracking on not only the infamous Vow but even the Smith Commission pledges that they signed up to after last year’sreferendum.
Scotland will notbe getting 100% of Lord Smith’s proposals.
It is not even getting 80% of what Lord Smith intended.
They even shot down proposals for full fiscal autonomy.
Who could argue against Scotland being responsible for more of its own money?
By rejecting even this reasonable compromise, unionist parties have set Scotland down a path they themselves sought to avoid.
R M F Brown. Hill Terrace, Markinch.
Preserve our way of life
Sir, – The continual calls from do-gooders that we should do more to stop young adults becoming radicalisedis getting rather monotonous.
The 17-year-old who made his way from the United Kingdom to the Middle East, strapped himself in a bomb and blew himself to pieces was an adult. It was his choice and not the result of some Mr Nasty giving a toddler a box offireworks and a book of matches.
We have got to move away from this mindset that is spreading over our country that we simply absorb the attitude of a medieval way of life as part of some better-for-us cultural integration project and start treating those who do notaccept our way of life as pariahs.
Reality may be hard for some to accept but it needs to be part of our way of life in future.
Colin Cookson. Hatton Green, Stenton. Glenrothes.
No lender of last resort
Sir, – In her triumphant tour of US chat shows and lecture halls, the First Minister asserted that full fiscal responsibility would enable her to grow our economy and reduce inequality.
Courtesy prevented her hosts questioning the Scottish economy or the new German model which has replaced her predecessors, Celtic Tigers and variousScandinavian Shangri-las.
Innovation, high productivity and strong exports, she claimed, will create a Teutonic nirvana.
But given our unhealthy, unqualified, unproductive workforce, that will be a neat trick.
If George Osborne calls her bluff there is likely to be across-the-board tax increases and huge borrowing which, given our share of the UK’s accumulated debt, is going to be a tough call.
The infamous White Paper gave the bland assurance that the Bank of England must act as lender of last resort but Mark Carney will insist the IMF drops in to sort out the mess.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
Take control of our borders
Sir, – It is a chaotic situation in Calais where French authorities are in the ridiculous position of trying to mange thousands of immigrants who are trying to reach the promised land of Britain.
These would-be entrants to this country believe the streets are paved with benefits, free healthcare, education and free interpretation services.
Is it not time Britain changed her totallyineffective immigration system to a points-based one similar to Australia and America where immigrants are assessed on their skills, education and work experience.
People who are undesirable, with criminal records, or have few skills would not have a hope of getting entry to this overstretched country.
And this of course would ease pressure on other countries that immigrants use as a springboard to gain entry to the UK.
But unfortunately, while Britain is still part of the European Union,I do not believe wehave any real hope of change.
Gordon Kennedy. 117 Simpson Square, Perth.
Embarrassing SNP actions
Sir, – The SNP now want the UK Government to look at incentives to boost oil and gas exploration.
It is another concrete sign of the desperate state of an industry so many of us rely on for work.
It has been laid so and so many have been laid off since the oil price collapsed from $115 dollars a barrel to $63.
But this was the industry that the SNP built its independence case on.
It was oil revenue that was to bankroll Scotland to become anotherCeltic Tiger in an arc of prosperity in the north Atlantic.
The truth is, if we had voted for independence last September, come 2016 we would have been in the poorhouse.
I take no pleasure from this because I am a patriotic Scot who cares for his country.
What I do object to is the SNP’s refusal to admit what our economic position would be.
I wish they would state simply that they gambled everything on oil and got caught out by the price collapse.
But the bluff, the fast talking and the howling down of opponentscontinues to drown out what should be a frank debate about our country’s finances and its future.
Oil was to be the great wealth generator for Scotland but now First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is demanding support from the UK Government.
Does she or the SNP not see the irony in this?
I find it quite embarrassing.
Charles Wilson. King’s Road, Rosyth.