Sir, – Correspondent Allan MacDougall apparently believes the UK’s historic sin of international bullying in past centuries should deter complaints about present day rudeness and bullying by EU negotiators (Letters, October 16).
Are our delegates forever to be inhibited from complaining because of long-past events?
Perhaps, in much the same way, Mr MacDougall and those with similar opinions believe that today’s Scandinavians might have to remain forever silent, considering their forebears’ behaviour as vikings.
Surely, complaints about current matters must be allowed.
If they are not there must be a risk that malefactors may escape justified criticism and continue to bully.
Any unbiased observer of the Brexit negotiations will have seen the contrast between the manners of our representatives such as David Davis and, say, Guy Verhofstadt, who has been described as the “rudest man in the European Parliament”, and is one of their chief negotiators.
Like many remainers, Allan MacDougall declines to acknowledge the result and seeks referendum rerun(s).
Would he react likewise if his football team lost or his racehorse came in second?
Very probably not.
However, it appears that our people’s Brexit decision has made him, as the EU is often, a “bad loser”.
Need that really be so, in modern times?
Dr Charles Wardrop.
111 Viewlands West,
Perth.
Scotland gets a raw deal
Sir, – The “threat” to resign by Ruth Davidson and David Mundell if Scotland attempts to disembark from the Brexit Titanic is an abrogation of responsibility.
It also confirms that the Ulsterisation of Scotland by the Unionist parties.
For the last four years the clarion call from Ruth Davidson and her fanatical band of Tory bigots has been “respect the result”.
They claim 2014 “settled” the question of Scottish independence for all eternity.
By kowtowing to the DUP, David Mundell and Ruth Davidson are ignoring the two thirds of Scots who voted to remain.
No doubt when Theresa May heard Mundell’s threat to resign her response was “who?”.
Mundell simply isn’t significant enough to be a footnote and will be nothing more than a punchline.
Since the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence there have been two general elections and an EU referendum.
In them Scotland voted SNP, SNP and remain.
What we got was Tory Government, Tory Government and hard Brexit.
Brexit is a rotting carcass.
The determination of Davidson and Mundell to keep Scotland clinging to it at any cost shows they no longer speak for Scottish voters.
Tories don’t believe in climate science or health and safety laws.
All of these things are impediments to making their donors more money.
It appears to me that the Tories have no morals.
Greed is good in their world.
Alan Hinnrichs.
2 Gillespie Terrace,
Dundee.
Future looking far from bright
Sir, – Last week I visited a Dundee outdoor shop intending to purchase a pair of new walking boots.
I was especially interested in a pair of heavy duty Brasher boots as they have a great reputation.
I was surprised to see that the Brasher brand is now made by Berghaus.
I was not put off by this as both brands are iconic British manufacturers.
I was surprised, though, to discover that these two companies are now owned by the Pentland Group and the boots are now made in China or Vietnam.
This got me thinking of all the things that we now buy from China and so many other non-EU countries.
Surely this makes a lie of the fact that the UK must leave the EU in order to trade with the rest of the world.
To me Brexit is total madness and we are being led by a bunch of right-wing maniacs into a situation where we are guaranteed to be worse off in every way imaginable.
Five years ago if someone had told me that we would be in this insane position I would not have believed it.
I fear for our future.
Harry Key.
20 Mid Street,
Largoward.
Council letting Fife down
Sir, – The East Neuk of Fife relies upon tourism to maintain its economy, there is no secret there.
That is unless you happen to be Fife Council.
Mr John Cameron of Kilconquar wants to build a farm and rail visitor centre on his farm which will attract visitors from all over Fife and beyond but has been refused permission because the proposal is “unacceptable in the countryside” (“Council rejects open farm and locomotive visitor centre plan”, Courier, October 16).
So where do you build a farm visitor centre but in the countryside?
Come on Fife Council, support local businesses and help build our economy to provide jobs in the East Neuk.
Jo Dibley.
56 High Street,
Anstruther.
Climate change costs a concern
Sir, – The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is yet again warning that nations must act to reduce their CO2 emissions and save the planet.
More’s the pity that China, India and other countries are not listening. No word from IPCC of Germany razing a 12,000-year-old forest to expand a dirty opencast lignite mine.
No word, either, on the fact that the world has oil resources for 190 years, natural gas for 230 years and coal for 2,300 years.
Nor is there any mention of the world population being 11.2 billion by 2100 or that the 1.28 billion vehicles in the world will increase to two billion by 2035.
Meanwhile, the anti-meat lobby say that cutting out meat will reduce CO2 emissions but do not mention of the one billion cattle and one billion sheep in the world.
Strangely there is also no mention of the UN-backed scientific report which says that stopping climate change will cost the world £1.8 trillion – that is £1,800 billion or £1,800,000 million – every year for the next 20 years, so where is it coming from?
Could the IPCC please give due consideration to all the relevant factors and also mention these somewhat inconvenient truths?
Clark Cross.
138 Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.
Tories look after themselves
Sir, – Mr Hamilton quite correctly observes the impact of the ongoing attacks of the Tories upon the most vulnerable people (Letters, October 14).
The contrast in the treatment of the bankers and the poor, sick and disabled people in the UK could not be more stark.
One group, whose greed nearly bankrupted the country, are still reaping the benefits of their greed with the Tory tax cuts helping keep their fat pensions nicely protected.
The other group, already living in dire poverty, are now also being forced into homelessness, use of foodbanks and general desperation by the latest zealous, nasty Tory cuts.
Of course one of these groups spend millions every year on financially supporting the Conservative Party.
Sherlock is not required to work out which group that is.
Karen Heath.
Cortachy,
Kirriemuir.
Scotland is a big player
Sir, – In the First Minister’s conference speech she did, rather carelessly, err in saying England was 10 times bigger than Scotland.
England is certainly much more populous, but, if we include territorial waters, Scotland occupies a larger area of the globe.
It would seem that the geography of her speech writer is open to improvement.
Joseph G Miller,
44 Gardeners Street,
Dunfermline.
Time to axe parking charge
Sir, – Now that the Scottish Government has sensibly eliminated all health board debts perhaps they can use a little more of our money to buy out the car park operators at Ninewells Hospital.
This would ensure equity for patients, relatives and staff across the country.
Hugh Macrae.
Binrock,
456 Perth Road,
Dundee.
