Sir, Your correspondent Mr Auchterlonie posed the very proper question: why would SNP forget about independence?
As was suggested, it is a central plank of their very being and to remain constant to your beliefs is a noble thing. After all, just take a look at the Labour Party.
They have rejected socialism, nationalisation, opposition to nuclear weapons, opposition to the House of Lords, universality, progressive taxation and fair employee/trade union relations; to name but a few.
They are a shambles in Scotland as a result and not only do the Scottish public not know what they stand for, their own elected members cannot articulate a vision for the party.
That is why we have the unedifying sight of Westminster sending up Jim Murphy to sort the natives out.
Keir Hardie must be spinning in his grave.
Henry Malcolm. 331 Clepington Road, Dundee.
Dread the day road reopens
Sir, Your interesting piece: Dura Den road will be rebuilt, by Cheryl Peebles (November 8), contains errors of fact the C45 does not run between Cupar and Pitscottie; the Q10 is not the only alternative route and an expression of opinion with which I and other residents would disagree.
The article states: “The majority of residents will be very pleased to see the road reopen.” In fact, many residents and also visitors to Dura Den welcome the absence of through traffic.
Walkers, riders and cyclists are able to enjoy the Den peacefully and dread the day when it will again become a rat-run for motorists.
It has taken Fife Council a long time to reach its present position on reinstatement and many of us hope it will take them even longer to reopen the road.
Simon Weller. Kemback Beg, Cupar.
Economical with the truth
Sir, Re the letter, Had to smile at alliance jibe (November 18), I feel Councillor Robertson is being very economical with the truth. Not only is the SNP minority administration not in any form of alliance with the Tories, they (the Tories) are the main opposition party.
It is the age-old question of who polices the police? In this case who watches what your local politicians do? And who holds them to account?
The convenorships held by the main opposition party in Perth and Kinross Council are for audit (where they hold the SNP administration to account) and scrutiny (where they scrutinise the actions of the SNP administration).
Is the LibDem Councillor from Kinross actually suggesting the SNP should retain these “watchdog” convenorships for themselves? That would be totally undemocratic and mean the SNP-led council was policing itself.
I should also point out that if the LibDems had fared better at the last local elections then the convenorships would have been given to them.
As it is, Perth and Kinross Council is made up of 18 SNP members, 10 Conservative councillors, five LibDem councillors, four Labour councillors and four independent councillors.
The political reality of this is that the SNP controls the appointment of all convenors apart from the ones that the PKC scheme of administrations says must go to opposition councillors.
Surely Cllr Robertson is not suggesting that when only two positions are available to oversee the actions of the SNP administration that they should not go to the main opposition party, which won 10 seats, but be given instead to the LibDem, Labour or Independent groups?
Cllr Elspeth Maclachlan. SNP Councillor for Perth City North, Perth and Kinross Council.
Becoming more united
Sir, Dr Cameron seems to think that swamping The Courier with letters proclaiming his biased views will persuade people to his way of “thinking”. His personal attacks on his perceived opponents, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, are unbecoming of someone of his previous profession.
Scotland is not now more divided than it was before the referendum. In fact the failure of the materialisation of the empty promises made by Cameron, Brown et al have made many “no” voters pause for thought.
Recent polls showing more than 50% of Scots want another referendum sooner rather than later is evidence that we are becoming more and more united now, but perhaps not in a way that would please Dr Cameron.
Ken Greenaway. Torr of Kedlock, Cupar.
Why let them near infants?
Sir, It is appalling, sad and inexcusable that yet another Dundee toddler has been savaged 25 years after the tragic killing by two rottweilers of 11-year-old Dundee girl Kelly Lynch while on holiday in Dunoon. There have been many others since.
So often, as in both these cases, the hound belonged to a family friend, or it is the family’s own “pet”.
What possesses anyone to allow such unmuzzled animals, some as heavy as adults, some able to bite through human bones, near any young children, let alone infants?
One possible problem that I have not seen mentioned is the practice of some owners to give their dogs fluffy toys to play with, so it is hardly surprising if the dog suddenly and out of its “never-done-that-before” character, treats the infant likewise.
Annette Birkett-Uppenkamp. 12 Horseleys Park, St Andrews.
It’s why they come here
Sir, I refer to Mr Tolland’s letter (November 13) in which he attempts to rubbish the views propounded by Captains Parcell and McRae. His letter might carry more weight if we could understand from what point of personal experience he speaks. Or is it just a point of view gained from too many years of selective media brainwashing?
For my part, I have lived and worked for some 50 years in various countries of the world, including some of those in the British Commonwealth, others belonging to the former Soviet Union and others which are independent nations both within and outwith the European Union.
I cannot recall a single occasion in which the United Kingdom was castigated as a brutalising colonial power and I have always found an abiding respect for the tolerance and democratic principles of the UK, which is probably the reason why so many foreign citizens wish to settle here.
I think perhaps Mr Tolland is confusing today’s view of what passes for political morality with the view that prevailed between 100 and 200 years ago.
No attempt is made to compare UK colonial rule with that of competing powers of the time, such as Germany, France, Portugal, Belgium, Japan, etc. And I see no rebuttal whatever in his letter, to the Captains’ point concerning the brutality of a present generation of dictators causing mayhem, misery and destruction in the countries of Africa and the Middle East, to say nothing of an emergent Russia’s attempts to effectively colonise parts of Ukraine.
Derek Farmer. Knightsward Farm, Anstruther.
Not much changes….
Sir, I was intrigued after reading Chris Ferguson’s article on crime in Dundee, in the 1860s. I presume Dundee was not unique to such behaviours. His own comment on the events is even more topical.
“An underclass of criminals had been waging war against police and respectable society. Anyone walking the streets at night was liable to be robbed (is that all?) and there had been break-ins where the perpetrators resorted to fire raising to cover their tracks.”
Plus ca change.
Ah, but crime levels are dropping, so we are told.
A T Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes.