Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, The public will not be sympathetic to the proposal to give MPs a big salary increase to save them having to submit receipts for their expenses. We should remember they fought tooth and nail in the courts, using taxpayers’ money, to prevent details of their expenses being revealed under the Freedom of Information Act.
The expenses for the duck house and the moat-cleaning only came to light when the media leaked the details. US politicians are much more open about their expenses and have to reveal them to the public under the American constitution.
It is much more difficult and expensive to obtain similar information here, despite the so-called Freedom of Information Act.
Angus Ramsay.34 Kings Road,Rosyth.
Dundee should have south bank
Sir, Dundee does itself no favours with the current city boundaries. A city with a population of 150,000 sounds far less impressive than the 200,000 it really should be.
For the city to really grow and fulfil its true potential, then Carnoustie, Monifieth, Muirhead, Invergowrie and, more controversially, Tayport and Newport should ALL be incorporated into the city.
I can already hear howls of protest from Fife, but if Dundee is to really flourish, the waterside revival should be expanded to BOTH sides of the river. The wonderful vistas from the South Bank hillsides should be opened up to housing, hotels and recreation.
The Victoria and Albert Museum will herald a new era, add a ‘Southbank Show’ to this and Dundee will really come alive.
Pete Mearns.130 Hamilton Place,Aberdeen.
Why would we sign up to this?
Sir, I keep reading in the press that Scotland should go it alone and join the EU. Can anyone tell me why we would want to sign up to an organisation that has not had its own accounts signed off for 17 years due to billions of pounds of money being unaccounted for?
The last person to bring this to their attention, an accountant by the name of Marta Andreason, was sacked by Neil Kinnock for having the audacity to tell them their accounts were wildly inaccurate.
Who in their right minds would sign up to an organisation that is being so dishonestly run?
Bob Duncan.110 Caesar Avenue, Carnoustie.
It’s important to shop locally
Sir, In Dundee and Angus, almost 20% of Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) members own retail businesses in our town centres and Christmas is an annual opportunity for them to bolster funds and finance the past year.
I’m encouraging Tayside consumers to get down to their local shops. After all, £1 spent locally is worth far more to the local economy when you consider things like jobs, wages, and local supply chains.
The fit and able, and car owners, have a huge choice of what shops to go to, but consider the elderly, the less able, young children and those who don’t have transport they rely heavily on their local shops.
Sometimes it’s only when the weather is really bad and the roads are full of snow that we realise how important our local shops are.
Yes, consumer habits change, and the internet is playing an increasing role in the shopping experience. But we should not be surprised that many privately-owned local businesses provide online shopping or publish special offers and product price lists online. This allows them to compete toe-to-toe with the web’s retail giants if only we give them the chance.
I do hope that footfall will continue to increase on our streets, not just for our shops but for our cafes, restaurants and other leisure establishments too.
When it comes to supporting local services and shops it’s still very much a case of ”use them or lose them”. They’re open all year round and rely on your custom to stay that way.
And for those who choose to shop online, why not shop local online? Google some local shop names and you might be surprised by what you find.
I wish a prosperous festive season to purveyors and patrons alike,
Charles Goodall.Branch vice-chairman,Local FSB.
Just jumping on bandwagon
Sir, I read with some concern recent reports in the press of the ongoing issue of radiation contamination in the Dalgety Bay area.
I know from personal experience that many people have been working tremendously hard to address this issue over a number of years.
My objection is that much of the credit now seems to be being taken by ex-PM Gordon Brown.
Quite frankly, he did nothing for Scotland or his constituency in his years as PM so it sticks in the throat that he attempts to bask in the light of hard-working local politicians and residents such as Councillor Alice McGarry and Helen Todd.
Jumping on the bandwagon at the last minute does not constitute leadership.
It is a further scandal that he adds his voice at such a late stage and attempts to claim any credit after ignoring the matter for years when he had the power to make a difference.
J. Neale Hanvey.Halbeath Road,Dunfermline.
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.