Sir, – We’re all aware of the allegations of sexual harassment, mishandling of complaints, and doubts about civil service and justiciary involvement.
But after court cases, independent and parliamentary investigations and reports we still cannot be sure where the truth lies yet I have an uncomfortable feeling that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark”.
For good or ill we no longer seem to have a belief system that helps us differentiate right from wrong and help us assess the merits of those who aspire to lead our national life.
When John Major faced inappropriate behaviour allegations against some of his cabinet, one public figure, when asked if a chaotic private life need be a bar against serving in government, replied, “I don’t have a private and a public life. What you see is what I am. Integrity is indivisible.”
How many of today’s leaders could feel able to make such a bold claim?
Maybe they could do worse than accept as a kind of a subsidiary standard a Four Way Test long associated with the Rotary movement:
Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better relationships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
W W Motion.
St Andrews Road,
Anstruther,
Fife.
When does Sturgeon get to keep them?
Sir, – I wonder how many times Nicola Sturgeon has to beat Douglas Ross, Murdo Fraser, Margaret Mitchell, Jackie Baillie et al before she gets to keep them and put them on her mantelpiece?
Stewart Falconer.
8 Glenisla View,
Alyth.
Deafening silence or apologies to follow
Sir, – Mr James Hamilton, the man who has led the independent inquiry into whether our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, had misled parliament over what she knew and when, relating to the Alex Salmond saga, has cleared Ms Sturgeon on all counts.
He said Ms Sturgeon “had not breached any of the provisions of the code”.
I wonder if all the Unionist politicians and the right-wing media will be as vocal in their apologies as they have been in attacking Ms Sturgeon, and by association, the SNP?
I suspect that their silence will be deafening.
How long will it be before the Scottish Tories, Westminster Mafia, the Scottish Labour Party and the Lib Dems come up with some other dirty tricks to attack our elected Scottish Government? They are certainly happy to join forces to attack our first minister.
Harry Key.
20 Mid Street,
Largoward.
Student parties could spoil it for all
Sir, – I was dismayed to read about a Dundee student party leading to multiple new Covid infections.
This disregard for the rules is not just a danger to themselves but also to the wider community.
I watch the numbers per 100,000 for Dundee on a daily basis and they had been going down but what now?
My understanding is unless we are less than 50 per 100,000 we will still be in Tier 3 with the subsequent restrictions, a hard price to pay for the fleeting pleasures of a group that should know better.
Hopefully the university authorities will educate their students on their responsibilities in these matters.
Christine Johnston.
8 Stanley Road,
Broughty Ferry.
Long way to go before ‘holy grail’
Sir, – The latest findings on particle physics from the Hadron Collider, Cern, indicate mankind has a long way to go before unravelling the epistemological holy grail of “reality”.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet puts it most succinctly: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Kenneth Miln.
Swallow Apts,
Union St, Monifieth.
