Sir, – As a frequent visitor to St Andrews I am surprised and appalled by the news that parking in the town centre is to be severely restricted.
What is suggested is going to deny elderly people, like myself, access to shops and facilities in the town.
And where are all the cars to go when the orders are put in place?
I, for one, will not walk from the western edge car parks to do my shopping and then carry it back to my car.
I am not able! It would appear that the fit and able – cyclists and walkers – are to be favoured against the elderly and infirm who also tend to be the people who are important supporters of the retail outlets and shops.
God help the poor traders in St Andrews because Fife Council are certainly not going to.
This is a nail in the coffin of St Andrews commerce.
A Robinson.
Dunkeld,
Perthshire.
Blowing its Covid response?
Sir, – I don’t believe the very informed Alex Orr didn’t know that Chancellor Rishi Sunak would be making a major announcement on Covid when he criticised Boris Johnson’s £5 billion “new deal” in the Courier last week.
He also omitted to say that the £570bn American New Deal money was spent over seven years, not the one year the Sunak announcement covers.
According to the BBC, this week’s UK announcement is worth £200bn, 10% of GDP.
In his letter on Friday (Sunak using peashooter against an elephant, Courier, July 10) Mr Orr says the total is actually £300bn including the £100bn already spent.
This is 15% of UK GDP, almost four times the 4% of GDP he said Germany’s £120bn stimulus package represents. So if the UK isn’t doing enough, Germany must be really blowing it.
Numbers eh?
Allan Sutherland.
1 Willow Row,
Stonehaven.
Supplies secure if border shut
Sir, – Further to Stephen Windsor’s reply (Bordering on the ridiculous, Courier, July 9) to my letter of July 7 regarding the Scottish Government possibly closing the border if there is a risk of higher infection rates.
I was pleased to note he agrees with me that the Scottish Government could well close the border in such circumstances.
As a member of the Scottish National Party he obviously has inside knowledge of their closure plans in that lorries will be permitted to cross the border, but presumably not trains which also carry large amounts of essential supplies.
It is comforting to know however that arrangements are in hand to secure at least some essential supplies if the border is ever closed.
Mac Roberts.
Orchard Cottage,
Inchture Station,
Perthshire.
Infectious period is past
Sir, – The scientists advising the government stated at the outbreak of the Covid virus that it was infectious for up to 14 days.
So why after three months of restrictions on personal freedom has the virus not been eradicated?
Instead of targeting those who were infectious the government chose to lockdown everyone, including the vast number who were healthy.
They used the excuse that they were waiting for a vaccine despite the knowledge that few worldwide viruses have a workable vaccine.
Now, analysis of the Covid outbreak shows that it was in confined clusters and most people were never exposed to the virus, yet the government continues to add on national restrictions.
Why are they making face masks mandatory in shops?
If you are healthy you do not need a mask and those who are showing symptoms should be getting a test and then isolating, not walking around shops posing a risk.
Those who are asymptomatic will have gone past the time they are infectious.
As long as the government continue to give the impression that the virus is widespread the public will not have the confidence to go out and spend money to help the economy recover.
In Fife they have reintroduced bus services that are running around empty and presumably are being subsidised by Fife Council who claim to have no money.
Eric Gibbons.
Coldingham Place,
Dunfermline.
They can’t jail us all over licences
Sir, – It is time every retired person that rebuilt this country after the war stopped paying the TV licence.
The BBC has a permanent staff and self employed celebs that are all over paid.
So why should we be paying a licence when we retire at 65?
It is not a licence, it is a poll tax on every house in the UK and still they want more.
Do we need the BBC?
When they do have Scots, or any other programme with people speaking with regional dialects, it is normally as part of a comedy.
As for our 650 MPs, what is their function?
Is it to sit silent and allow this corporation to raise taxes and change the rules any time they wish?
If we all refuse to pay the licence fee and then refuse to pay the fine from the courts, they can’t jail us all.
They can’t even find space for criminals.
John G Phimister.
63 St Clair Street,
Kirkcaldy.
