On the agenda today: the costs of public sector pensions, the Orange march in Perth, sport and national identity, and the Gaza flotilla.
Huge hidden costs of public sector pensions
Sir,-John Hutton, the former Labour Government minister now chairing the government inquiry into public service pensions, has asked for the views of every concerned UK citizen.
Such an approach is welcome but the lack of transparency in reporting the real cost of these pensions during the tenure of Gordon Brown makes participation difficult. After employee contributions, the official annual cost to taxpayers for teachers and the NHS is 14% of pensionable salary and 19% for the civil service some £15 billion.
However, these figures are the result of some “Enron” accounting and the true figures are probably closer to 30%, 40%, and £30 billion respectively.
In addition, since MPs’ pensions are by far the most generous of the lot, it is to be hoped our political masters will volunteer to be the first to have their benefits reduced.
(Dr) John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
March passed without incident
Sir-I do not know what Orange Walk MP Peter Wishart (June 29) attended last Saturday but it could not have been the one I enjoyed in Perth.
He is quoted as stating that, “I was extremely conscious of an unpleasant mood in the streets”.
I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the colourful spectacle, the music and the beautiful weather and this seemed to be shared by the large crowd of spectators.
The police reported that there had been absolutely no incidents despite the many predictions of fighting and riotous behaviour and I cannot help wondering if this comes as a disappointment to Mr Wishart.
When one considers that events in Northern Ireland have made it possible for this event to take place in one of our major cities, it is a credit to all those on both sides who have worked hard to reach a peaceful compromise.
Eric Brownsmith.39 Sutherland Crescent,Abernethy.
We came in peace
Sir,-I was one of the Orangemen who paraded through Perth on Saturday and thank the people who made it such a good parade.
Everybody I spoke to said it was very good and not what they had expected.
We did not come to Perth to cause bother or intimidate anyone but to have a good day out.
Alex Reid.25 School Road.Chapelhall,Airdrie.
Scottish not British
Sir,-George McMillan (June 30) might do well to remember, as I most certainly do, that, for as long as I can remember, whenever an English athlete is doing well they are termed as an English athlete and if it is a Scot doing well (as does Andy Murray) they suddenly become British. I firmly believe that in the media and government circles there has been, and still is, a persistent and cohesive effort to deny Scotland its national pride.
What is wrong is to call us inward and anglophobic when we want to celebrate Scottish successes.
Those who attack Scots for being proud cannot have it both ways and, for the record, I most certainly see myself as Scottish and do not in any way class myself as a British citizen. Not everyone sees themselves as both Scottish and British.
Jeff Duncan.PO Box 10083,Dundee.
Ties that bind us with England
Sir,-I do hope that Reuters man Mr McMillan is over his rant at me (June 30) and is lying in a darkened room relaxing.
Having worked as a football writer with several England football teams under such varied managers such as Walter Winterbottom, Alf Ramsey, Joe Mercer and Don Revie and having all our direct family, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren living in England, I am certainly anything but anti-English.
Oh, and about Reuters, as opposed to my training. I was offered a job with them when working in England many years ago.
I declined because I was happy where I was and, though respectful of their organisation, didn’t fancy giving them even five minutes of my time. And, as an unbiased Scot, I still rate the commentary by Mowbray biased.
Ian Wheeler.Springfield,Cupar.
No justification for ship attack
Sir,-Myer Green (June 25) quotes three sources to tell us that the Israeli attack on the Mavi Marmara was justified.
I can offer more opinions from eye-witnesses who say it was not and can claim that the count is still around six billion people against.
Whatever the intent of the people on the flotilla, and they included four people from Scotland, a member of the Israeli Knesset and a former American ambassador, the fact is that they were attacked while acting within the law.
On this basis, the Bloody Sunday killings were justified and the South African police were right to shoot dead children for throwing stones at their pigs after driving them into Soweto.
My attendance at moral philosophy lectures was not perfect but, even if it had been, I don’t think there would have been a theory put forward which justified murder on this basis, unless Myer Green lives in some utilitarian enclave where murder produces pleasure.
Let’s not try to retrospectively justify an armed attack on civilians on the basis of the self defence with which it was met.
Steve Dron.Muirfield Crescent,Dundee.