Sir, Having read Brian Smith’s depressing, negative and inaccurate missive (July 15) about Brechin’s Harley Davidson in the City event, I felt compelled to respond.
Unfortunately Brechin has its fair share of naysayers like Mr Smith who are quick with negativity, criticism and complaint regarding the events and volunteer organisations in this community.
They themselves offer very little, indeed nothing, positive either in the way of ideas or, more importantly, time and effort in an attempt to make Brechin a better place to live.
As chairman of Brechin Judo Club and treasurer of Brechin Community Cinema, I have some understanding of the effort and expense it takes to put on events such as Harley Davidson In The City.
They are by necessity commercial events as they are expensive to arrange.
Perhaps if Mr Smith and his fellow naysayers actually spared their precious time to assist the various volunteer organisations in this city they may have a better appreciation of what it takes to run events such as this.
My guess is, however, there will be no danger of Mr Smith actually doing anything that might involve him getting off his sofa and engaging with Brechin’s many community-led volunteer initiatives.
When I returned to Brechin 10 years ago I found a community dilapidated and in the doldrums, long neglected (a neglect which continues to this day) of inward investment by Angus Council.
In the intervening years a relatively small number of local people have seen the potential for Brechin to be a better, indeed great, place to live and set about turning this community around.
Now Brechin is a much more vibrant place due to this small group of committed individuals who form the backbone of groups such as Bravo, Brechin Community Council, The Attic, Brechin Community Cinema to name but a few.
Perhaps if Mr Smith turned his energies to contributing to these groups rather than criticising he too might enjoy the rewards to be gained from being part of the renaissance and resurgence of our community.
Finally, it is my understanding that there has been an internal disagreement between East and West Coast Harley Davidson chapters resulting in some not attending the event rather than any displeasure with Bravo.
Mark Arbuthnott. 50 Market Street, Brechin.
SNP were right over fox vote
Sir, Not for the first time do I find myself disagreeing with virtually every single word of your columnist Jenny Hjul’s regular rant against the SNP (July 15).
Her views are so different to mine that I conclude that we must live in parallel universes.
I live in the real world so I do not know where she is to be found.
In her latest column she attacks the SNP MPs for having the audacity to have an opinion on fox hunting and to have made a decision to vote in Westminster on the issue.
The SNP have made it clear all along that they would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to vote on issues that have been flagged up as purely English matters.
Firstly, the issue of foxhunting to my mind is not purely an English matter.
To me it is an example of the worst kind of animal cruelty and as such is much wider than merely of English interest.
For example, if there was to be a vote to stop hunting elephants in Africa I would expect all SNP MPs to vote against it.
What makes it of Scottish interest is the fact that the Scottish hunting ban is reported to have been flouted.
The law in Scotland states clearly that dogs can flush out a fox to waiting guns.
The law states that the dogs should not chase the fox and must not come into contact with the fox.
The reality is believed to be different.
In England only two dogs are permitted and the English MPs wanted to bring the English laws into line with Scotland.
In Scotland, however, moves are afoot to have a debate to tighten up our laws.
It would have been ridiculous for Scots MPs to allow the English laws to be made more lenient when back home the laws may be about to change.
As the issue is of mutual interest then it fits the criteria needed for Scots MPs to be able to vote in Westminster.
Harry Key. 20 Main Street, Largoward.
MPs aiming to sow division
Sir, – Jenny Hjul’s column (July 15) SNP Resorts to a Pack Hunt, has provided a skilful insight into the mentality of the Scottish National Party.
While our police service, hospitals, schools and roads, all in varying degrees, require attention, our representatives in the House of Commons (led by Nicola Sturgeon who is not even an MP) are sowing division and rancour in a cynical effort to further alienate our fellow countrymen in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Many of us with deep roots in the soil of Scotland will be horrified by these antics and in a wider context I hope the Scottish National Party will take heed of what has happened in Greece.
Angus Cheape. Fossoway, Kinross.
Scotland’s jobs plight ignored
Sir, – Our police service is in disarray in Scotland, our council budgets are being slashed and we have thousands of young people looking for jobs.
The golden goose of oil has stopped laying eggs and we are exposed as a country dependent on public-sector jobs.
The enterprise spark has yet to really be set alight in Scotland yet our 56 MPs bother themselves about foxhunting for the sake of a bit of politicking.
Get your priorities right for once and get Scotland working. Our youth deserve it.
Charles Wilson. King’s Road, Rosyth.
Critical times for Eurozone
Sir, – I agree with the comments by Andrew Argo in Business Matters (July 15).
Much has been said, accompanied by various statistics, about the present (not the first) financial crisis to afflict a Eurozone country.
Whatever the eventual outcome of decisions about the Greek problem, it will be the people outside the public sector who will suffer most.
This is the standard debt crisis consequence in any country.
The Greeks were overpaying themselves, one way or another, for years, just like us.
My concern is how long will the cash supplying lenders continue to lend? Until the euro itself is threatened? And then what?
We are facing very interesting times ahead.
The months to come will be critical to our national well-being and far more important than foxhunting.
AT Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes.
Chase votes not headlines
Sir, As a member of the Labour Party I am disappointed that Harriet Harman has expressed support for George Osborne’s plans for welfare reform, in particular the proposal to restrict Child Tax Credits to the first two children.
The reason she gave for this was public opinion. This is not leadership. If Labour is to regain power in either Westminster or Holyrood, it cannot be achieved by following opinion polls.
Labour needs to win support for its social justice agenda. However, this must be achieved by informing and winning arguments, not the short-term gains of courting newspaper headlines.
It is in all our interests to close the attainment gap and to end inequality.
This cannot be a battle of left versus right or working class versus middle class but about convincing everyone that social justice is in their interest. Winning this argument is how Labour will return to power.
The good news is that Labour’s leadership candidates in Scotland and the UK have distanced themselves from Harriet Harman’s comments.
Opposing Mr Osborne and Ms Harman does not mean that the welfare system is perfect and could not be targeted more to meet the needs of the vulnerable.
However, any changes must be focused on supporting the vulnerable, getting people into work and ensuring those on low pay have access to training which enables them to reach their full potential.
Dr Scott Arthur. 27 Buckstone Gardens, Edinburgh.
Danger in UK homes market
Sir, – Last September many people warned of the consequences if Scotland voted no.
People were advised that the most likely outcome of voting no at the referendum would be a minimum of five years of rapacious, austere Tory rule.
Specific warnings were given that the Tories were going to gut benefits for the working poor in order to transfer wealth to the rich and that they were planning to outlaw the right to strike.
The Budget and the Tories’ attack on the right to strike vindicates those warnings.
Tory plans for ballot thresholds are pure hypocrisy.
If the same were to apply to a General Election, no UK Government would ever be formed.
The Tories got into Government with the support of not even a quarter of all registered voters in the UK.
The UK Government is also intent on removing legal restrictions on using agency workers to replace strikers.
The Labour Party have paid the biggest price for their treachery.
They took Tory money to scare elderly pensioners into voting no.
But now the Tories are preparing to cut off all Labour’s funding through the political levy.
This comes on top of losing all but one of their Scottish MPs.
By the end of this parliament, the full extent of Labour’s betrayal will be shown.
The Tories have vetoed meaningful powers promised for Holyrood and Scotland will be ripped from the EU against her will.
Finally, there will be a Greek-style economic crash brought about by the Tory policy of overheating the housing market in order to buy votes in the south of England.
Alan Hinnrichs. 2 Gillespie Terrace, Dundee.