Sir, – Police Scotland has once again come in for criticism for failing to respond to a major public disorder incident in Cowdenbeath last weekend (April 30).
The local Member of the Scottish Parliament has written to the Fife divisional commander of Police Scotland asking for answers.
Should he not be directing his questions to Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland?
After all, it was the Scottish Parliament that set up the monstrosity of Police Scotland.
They appointed the chief constable and ultimately they must be responsible for the closure of local call centres and the reduced number of frontline officers.
I feel sorry for the under-pressure divisional commanders in the force.
They have the invidious task of trying to police areas of Scotland with restricted resources and, at the same time, trying to appease public concern.
The First Minister is very much involved in rallying her troops, with the ultimate goal of gaining control of the British Parliament following the general election.
Would she not be better devoting her time to getting her own house in order?
Jack Harley. 9 Mackie Crescent, Markinch.
Leuchars would be ideal airport
Sir, – I must disagree with some points in John Strachan’s letter (April 28).
He says that people from Dundee use Edinburgh Airport anyway and that it is an easy drive from Dundee.
Surely these people would not go to Edinburgh if there was anairport available at Leuchars.
He says that theMinistry of Defence would not considerturning Leuchars over to civilian use.
That does not seem to be the case when The Open is at St Andrews. Leuchars is packed with private jets of all sizes. In the past, Concorde has flown in for the championship. None of that is military traffic.
If the runway at Leuchars is so important to the MoD, why close the base and give it over to the army? After all, tanks do not use runways.
Look at America. In the 1960s, civil airlines and the USAF shared runways and it worked well, Orlando being one.
An agreement like this could have been reached over Leuchars many years ago.
Scott Haldane. The Anchorage, 8A Bingham Terrace, Dundee.
Caring staff in health service
Sir,- All too often we read and hear of neglect in hospitals and patients being denied proper care.
My late husband spent three months in the stroke unit of Perth Royal Infirmary.
Consultants, doctors, therapists and nursing staff cared for my husband with professionalism and expertise I was kept informed of every decision.
I was with my husband when he died and I was so comforted by all the compassion shown by all staff.
Jean Keith. 13 Robertson Crescent, Newburgh.
Simple way to resolve strike
Sir, – The dispute between NHS Tayside and the UNITE union has surely gone on long enough.
As I recall from your earlier reports, the crux of the dispute seems to hinge around whether or not the UNITE union signed a document agreeing to the current work and pay arrangements.
NHS Tayside say they have this document and UNITE say they never signed any such agreement.
Surely the way to end this dispute is simple.
NHS Tayside should produce and publish the signed agreement, in which case NHS staff can go back to work and take out their frustration on their union management.
If NHS Tayside cannot publish such a document then they should do the right thing and pay the workers their missing back pay.
Captain Ian F McRae. 17 Broomwell Gardens, Monikie.
Stop running down Scotland
Sir, – I cannot understand where your columnist Jenny Hjul is coming from.
Her articles are becoming more hysterical as the election approaches.
Her constant running down of all things Scottish makes me wonder that if it is so bad and the SNP who govern Scotland are so inept, why does she live here?
For someone who makes her money in this country to constantly run it down has me baffled.
She has a personal dislike of everything Scottish and the mere mention of the fact that the Scottish Government has done more in the last 10 years than any others achieved in the previous 70 sends her into an apoplectic rage.
She is quite entitled to air her views but it would be refreshing if she just once admitted that this is a well-managed country with a well-educated electorate who in the main are engaged in progressive politics to make it even better.
Bryan Auchterlonie. Bluebell Cottage, Ardargie.
Trident danger to our troops
Sir, – We entered the First World War using the tactics learned in the Boer War; then in the Second World War we began using the tactics of the First World War.
Trident is the weapon and tactics of the Cold War. Was its use even threatened during the Iraq wars?
If a fraction of the funds required for Trident were spent on conventional forces, we would not have had the shame of sending ill-equipped soldiers into battle in Iraq.
Brian Rattray. 124/2 Gylemuir Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh.
Britain’s defence put at peril
Sir, – How appropriate that Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson should campaign by posing on a demobbed tank.
That sums up her party’s defence policy: spend a ludicrous amount of money on posturing with Trident and run down conventional forces.
Having scrapped almost half our tanks, the UK now has 40% fewer than Switzerland. The threat posed by Russia is one of the justifications for renewing Trident.
Are tanks redundant? No. Putin’s tanks are rampaging around eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the USA worries that we are a less effective defence partner because of our obsession with Trident rather than the forces that could help the UK play a valuable role in NATO.
James Christie. 2 Dryburgh Crescent, Perth.