Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – In The Courier (July 5) there was a photograph showing the offical document, known as the Letters Patent, which marks the legal change from town to city for Perth.
We are all very gratified by this change in Perth’s status.
This document bears the Great Seal of Scotland and Provost Elizabeth Grant took receipt of it saying: ”We really feel part of history being made.”
Perhaps Provost Grant would be a little less effusive in her remarks if she were to learn a little more of her Scottish history. The opening words of this document are as follows: ”Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God…”
I would like to know when this happened. When did Scotland ever have an Elizabeth the First?
Any history that I have ever read or researched tells me that when Elizabeth the First was reigning in England, Scotland had its own monarch and her name was Queen Mary. Mary’s son became James the Sixth of Scots, and when he became the joint monarch of both Scotland and England in 1603 he was henceforth known as James the Sixth and First.
It is frankly impossible for an Elizabeth the Second of England to confer city status upon Perth. Such a designation, though it may have been used on other occasions, is without legal provenance in Scotland.
This is a complete insult to our nation. All that needed to be done was to have missed out the words ”the Second” or to have changed it to ”Elizabeth the First and Second”.
But this isn’t the first time that Scotland’s ancient history has been glossed over as if it had never happened. They are too numerous to be listed here.
Provost Grant says: ”history being made”. I would suggest by this latest insult Scotland’s history is in fact being unmade.
Ronald Henderson.15 Durley Dene Crescent,Bridge of Earn.
Show of real strength is needed
Sir, – It appears to me that to have an inquiry into the banking system by the government we have one set of rogues vetting another.
Both sides have had their noses in the trough to excess and they expect the country to believe that there won’t be a whitewash?
I suppose we have brought this upon ourselves by the abysmal number of people who bothered to vote. This shambolic situation might not have arisen if the government had been elected by more than 90% of the electorate.
I still believe that anyone in public service convicted of fraud (our illustrious MPs’ expenses debacle and now the bankers are up to their own pocket-lining shenanigans) should be given a jail sentence, forced to return all monies and bonuses, then banned from holding any public office for life.
To bring credibility back to both the government and banking, there has to be a serious show of strength not the sham that was the result of the MPs’ expenses fraud.
The general public needs reassuring that those at the top are just as vulnerable to the swingeing axe of the law as are the general public.
The time for uniformity is long overdue.
B A Smith.31 Pinkerton Road,Crail.
Nothing about speech hidden
Sir, – I write in response to Jenny Hjul’s article ”Whatever it is Alex decides we won’t hear it first” (July 4).
The suggestion that what was said by the First Minister to the Commonwealth Club of California was somehow hidden is ridiculous.
I attended the event myself as did an audience of some 200 people, including representatives of the Scottish media.
The event was broadcast live on 230 radio stations across the entire United States and has been freely available ever since on the Commonwealth Club website.
So not only was the event not hidden, I expect that the First Minister has seldom had so many media outlets cover one of his speeches!
That the Scottish media representatives in the audience clearly did not think that there was a changed position in regard to the referendum is evidenced by their failure to report such at the time.
Crawford W Beveridge.St Vincent Place,Edinburgh.
Remarks went unreported
Sir, – I would like to comment on your article of a week ago regarding banning certain Orange walks in Fife.
The article implied I had initiated a call for a ban on Orange marches. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I was asked to comment on views of other councillors. I did so and what was attributed to me was factually correct, however, the sense of balance I tried to introduce was ignored.
I did say that I equally felt that any republican marches held in Fife should also be banned and I did tell the reporter I was unsure if any such marches did take place.
I pointed out that in Fife any withholding of permission for such marches would be a matter for officials and not elected members.
This is because such responsibility presently has been delegated. If elected members wished to take control of such decisions then they would have to seek a change to the Scheme of Delegation and that would have to be done at full council.
In conclusion what was reported were sentiments of mine that I do not withdraw, but what was not reported destroyed the sense of balance I had hoped to convey.
Councillor George Kay.Fife Council.
Integrity saved
Sir, – As a fervent Arab, I applaud Dundee United Chairman Stephen Thompson for voting against the Rangers newco entering the SPL. He has unequivocally demonstrated that the integrity of the beautiful game is priceless. Bring on the Dees!
David Kelly.17 Highfields,Dunblane.
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. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.