Sir, – I refer to George Murdo’s letter of September 15.
It seems rather arrogant, firstly, to assume that farmers and landowners care less for the welfare and upkeep of our landscape than do the conservation lobby that so frequently dwells upon idealism as opposed to realities.
I don’t actually know of any farmers who have no concern for wildlife, as Mr Murdo avers.
The fact is, however, that Scotland’s landscape has been fashioned for very many years by human hands. It is not some accident of nature.
The continuing maintenance of land, be it for farming or forestry, requires investment and ongoing funding. It is not cheap.
Landowners need to see some sort of reasonable return on the funds invested.
Scottish farmland is not some form of Disneyland that is provided for the visual and rambling amenity of those who do not rely upon the land for their livelihoods.
Mr Murdo, and some NGOs that should know better, seem to be advocating a policy that return on investment should take second place to uncontrolled expansion and experimentation in relation to certain species of wildlife that they favour.
Notably, he does not deal with the point that predation of our ground-nesting birds is largely ignored by the conservation lobby, probably because the subject is not as interesting or exciting as the somewhat eccentric ideas of introducing beavers, wolves and lynx simply because they prowled the Scottish lowlands and uplands hundreds of years ago.
Likewise, he makes no reference to the impacts of climate change on our existing flora and fauna.
While the use of chemical controls may usefully be restricted to avoid collateral damage to our wildlife, we should also be conscious of the fact that consumers of farm produce in the UK have been led to expect blemish-free products on supermarket shelves.
If blemish-free products cannot be produced in Scotland, then we can be sure they will be imported from other countries where wildlife conservation and well- being is a matter of much less importance than it is here.
All in all, most landowners are much better informed of the realities attaching to wildlife conservation than their armchair critics.
Derek Farmer.
Knightsward Farm,
Anstruther.
Taxed to death in Angus
Sir, – Regarding the latest and wholly unacceptable 29% increase by Angus Council for burials, is there no end to their greed? I would like them to try to justify this ludicrous increase.
As a pensioner on a very modest pension (private pension frozen again for this year due to negative consumer price index) people like myself who live in Angus are going into limbo. We cannot afford to live and cannot afford to die.
Council tax payers are not getting value for money from Angus Council.
The authority is out of control. We have had unreasonable charges foisted upon us for bin collection yet we have streets full of weeds and road gullies full of debris. Roads are breaking up and full of potholes and parks are overgrow with weeds.
Angus Council should have more than enough revenue from all new-build houses in Angus.
But we still see no improvement to the infrastructure or basic tidiness of Angus, just more increases.
Our SNP government must stop all their moaning on about Brexit and independence and get a grip on governing Scotland. One priority should be to tackle Angus Council and call a halt to all unreasonable charges for council services.
Brian Clark.
65 Broomwell Gardens,
Monikie.
SNP cannot seem to count
Sir, – You reported (September 16) that Nicola Sturgeon has warned of a lost decade of economic and social turmoil across the UK due to Brexit. However, the main reason for her party’s existence is to exit the UK.
A quick glance at her party’s website tells us that £48.5 billion of Scottish exports go to the rest of the UK whereas only £11.6 bn go to the EU.
I have no aspirations to be First Minister but her arithmetic surely needs some improvement.
Willie Robertson.
Grianan,
Lynton,
Stanley.
Rethink policy on Europe
Sir, – Though your quotation from Adolph Hitler’s Mein Kampf on how to take control over a people made chilling reading, describing the imposition of imperceptible reductions in their freedoms so that these cannot be reversed, it is a realistic description of an effective political policy designed to quash a nation’s liberty.
It also recalls clearly the attitudes and methods that have been adopted by the EU in seeking to create a United States of Europe, subsuming member nations into a bloc under the control of its European Commission.
What, therefore, underlies the SNP policy of seeking to lock poor Scotland into an anti-democratic organisation like the EU, especially when the great proportion of Scotland’s trade is with other nations in the UK?
Could hardcore anti-English (and Welsh and Northern Irish) prejudice explain such an economically self-defeating policy?
You reported the SNP leader’s predictions of a “lost decade” for us as a consequence of Brexit, with “deep and severe damage to our economy, society and life”.
Scottish independence, would, she claims, be needed to allow a place for us in the EU. Alex Salmond, the previous leader, suggested that Scotland might seek to block Brexit.
Bearing in mind Scotland’s economic position, worsened by oil price falls, and recalling the dire situation the Greeks and others now find themselves in as EU members, should not the SNP’s EU policies be drastically revised?
(Dr) Charles Wardrop.
111 Viewlands Road West,
Perth.
Scotland is faring better
Sir, – In his letter under the heading, SNP popularity slipping, Martin Redfern (September 16) claims the SNP have done a poor job with the devolved powers.
He cites NHS, education and the emergency services. If these services had not been devolved, they would be in a state on par with their compatriots in the rest of the UK. There they have junior doctors strikes, the NHS is in financial trouble and police numbers are down.
The SNP have some way to go to reverse Westminster mismanagement but they are far more proactive and can react to problems far quicker than the Westminster juggernaut that is so inflexible.
Unionist voters are becoming more “savvy” claims Mr Redfern.
Well if you are Labour but happy to vote Tory or Tory but happy to vote Labour is that not compromising your political beliefs?
Could this be why the Labour vote is melting away? Is voting anyone but SNP the way to go forward? It could come back in the future to haunt some voters.
Lastly, he claims Ruth Davidson is more popular than Nicola Sturgeon? I understood the poll question was, “was she good at her job” .
As leader of an opposition party she is better than Kezia Dugdale. That is fact. Ms Sturgeon leads the Scottish Government. That is a fact. Ruth is unlikely to lead the Scottish Government. Therefore, we cannot compare them like-for-like in this particular poll.
Cllr Henry Anderson.
Almond and Earn, Perth and Kinross Council,
4 Muirmont Crescent,
Bridge of Earn.
Anniversary was overlooked
Sir, – The lack of any official recognition by the Scottish Parliament of September 15, Battle of Britain Day, is sad to say the least.
Two Scottish RAF squadrons, City of Edinburgh (603) and City of Glasgow (602), were engaged in one of the first actions on September 3 1939.
Malcolm Parkin.
Gamekeepers Road
Kinnesswood.