Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, How dare the leaders of all three main political parties decide that those Members of Parliament ‘under their leadership’ should feel obliged to vote that no referendum on EU membership should be allowed for the nation’s electors?
The fact that we voted those leaders into office in a truly democratic way seems to hold no sway with them. They are attempting to deprive us, the electorate, of that same democratic right as far as the EU referendum is concerned.
This act by those who call themselves our leaders is surely the ultimate betrayal of democracy. ”You have voted us in,” they appear to be saying, ”and that enables us to deny you the right to determine our country’s place in Europe in the coming years.”
Let us commend those honest and steadfast members who will vote as their own consciences and their electors decide, but let us remember at the next election those craven and self-serving politicians who crumbled under the undemocratic demands of our so-called ‘leaders’.
Archibald A. Lawrie.5 Church Wynd,Kingskettle.
How do you deal with it?
Sir, This week a man in a red sports car tailgated me for some time along the Kingsway, in Dundee.
I was in the right lane to get off the dual carriageway where I wanted, and I was travelling at exactly 50 miles per hour, the speed limit for that road.
I was subjected to being peeped at for my ”slowness” and felt quite threatened by the closeness of the other car to mine and the concomitant danger.
When I eventually went off the main road, I got a rude gesture as the man sped away from me at well over the 50mph, I may say.
How does one safely deal with such individuals? How do I, almost literally, get someone like that off my back?
Mona Clark.9 Millbay Terrace,Dundee.
Debt position misunderstood
Sir, With regard to the letter from Mr Gallagher about the cost of the DERL incinerator in Dundee (October 18), I’m afraid he has totally misunderstood DERL’s debt position.
Dundee City Council did not take on £42m of DERL’s debt in 2004, as he claims. This is evidenced by DERL’s audited and publicly available annual accounts.
The DERL debt to the council, on which DERL pays interest, currently stands at £3.3m.
Thus Mr Gallagher’s claim that the DERL plant has cost the council £62.3m is grossly overstated and consequently the argument expressed in the letter is fundamentally flawed.
I. E. Kelly, Chairman.
It is morally indefensible
Sir, I read the article by Paul Reoch, ‘Windfarm exhibition proves ‘most useful’ to organisers’ (October 19).
The first application from the Abercairny estates for a windfarm was rejected unanimously by Perth and Kinross Council. Then, after a long and very costly local public inquiry, on the advice of the reporter planning permission was declined by Scottish ministers of the then Labour/Lib Dem administration at Holyrood.
Surely any fair-minded person must see it as a scandal, and morally indefensible, that William Drummond Moray, owner of the Abercairny estate, now sees fit to return after such a short space of time and with the very same developer with yet another windfarm proposal.
On a smaller scale it may be. But it is still very much on the same site as before. It is not, as is misleadingly stated in the report, near Crieff, but about a mile north of Gilmerton on Mull Hill, and again in close proximity to the Sma Glen.
It is equally scandalous for Roseanna Cunningham as constituency MSP, despite further outcry from the local community, to stay silent on the matter, which is precisely what she chose to do with the first proposal.
It is high time, not least with her legal background, Miss Cunningham spoke out. What is happening under present legislation would seem to be perfectly legal, but that does not mean it is right and not requiring of change.
Neil McKinnon.Tulchan Garden,Glenalmond,Perth.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.