Sir, The emergence of that old Labour dinosaur Tam Dalyell should be welcomed by many of those in Scotland who remain undecided over which way to vote at the forthcoming independence referendum.
He states positively that the only way the union will survive is for the Westminster Government to dissolve the Scottish Government altogether. He does have an honest and valid point and has the nerve to state it.
The intention of Westminster to dismantle the Scottish Parliament would rile many of us in Scotland if this were to happen and God only knows what repercussions it would cause this side of theborder.
Would those of us who live here actually put up with this kind of dictatorial treatment should it emanate from London at any time the UK Government wishes?
Tam’s statement and the actual fact that the Scottish Government could disappear anytime at the will of Westminster will surely give many of us pause for thought before voting to stay within this union.
Bob Harper. 63a Pittenweem Road, Anstruther.
Tesco must come clean
Sir, Your article on Friday, Tesco urged to be transparent over Cupar intentions, really highlighted the attitude and lack of respect that Tesco have for the people of Cupar and surrounding area.
For years now they have spoken about their new store and the benefits and jobs for the community. Many years ago I went to a public meeting in the Cupar YMCA regarding their plans for the new store, not one management representative from Tesco was present only a few off-duty shop assistants who, of course, could not speak on Tesco’s behalf.
It was obvious then that the purchase of the Reekie site was just to land bank and prevent competitors coming in. The site is now an eyesore and the road they have laid through the site which they claim will be part of a service road does not look as if it will withstand heavy traffic for very long. A cheap cosmetic job to try to fool the public.
I feel the people in Cupar deserve clear and definitive answers, as do our local councillors. It would be sad if Tesco staff were to lose their livelihoods but it is maybe time the people of Cupar voted with their feet and boycotted the store. If Tesco is not interested in the community then it should allow other genuine retailers take over the site.
Cupar has a lot to offer but as you enter from the South Road and see the derelict site that was Martex and the eyesore next to the Tesco store it isn’t very appealing to visitors. Time for Tesco to be clear about their intentions and less spin on the matter.
James C T Angus. Muirhead Farm, Craigrothie, Cupar.
Not easy to report fault
Sir, I came home from holiday recently to find my phone wasn’t working. I checked with a neighbour and they told me their phone was fine. Another neighbour told me that a BT engineer had been at my property and offered to phone to report the problem to BT.
That turned out to be pointless as the person at the other end of the line refused to take a note of the problem because my neighbour wasn’t a BT customer. Anyway, there was a number I could call but it was a premium one costing £1.53 per minute, which I thought was a bit rich.
I then tried to contact my server and, would you believe it, that was also a premium rate number. I wondered how they expected me to phone when I had no phone line I don’t use a mobile.
I think this is a disgraceful way to treat anybody who has not caused the problem and is now being held to ransom by the people who have, apparently, caused it. They should be thoroughly investigated.
June Reid. 12 Findhorn Street, Dundee.
Could still be a great asset
Sir, You recently quoted Councillor Miller’s wish that the saga of Perth City Hall will be over this year, whether its revival and redevelopment or its demolition eventuates.
How can the leader of Perth and Kinross Council be so casual about the fate of such a fine piece of the Fair City’s heritage, still well-preserved and potentially a wonderful asset?
The council are considering plans submitted by the Perth City Market Trust for a fresh food market and tourist information complex which, along with several additional important functions, could bring more visitors and shoppers in to help revive retail in Perth’s presently ailing centre.
The “burgeoning” tourist industry would be greatly helped with the return of the information bureau to the city centre, along with relevant exhibitions of history, geography and local life. In its heyday the hall was a vital venue for social functions. It should become that again.
In contrast, demolition, followed by the creation of an empty civic square, is a fearsome and very expensive at least £4.5 million prospect, with virtually nothing useful to show at the end of it all save the likely ruination of city centre retail businesses.
There would be a ghastly demolition site, perhaps lasting years, and the plan for a civic square such as in, say, Edinburgh and Dundee, is crazy. It would be a near-useless space, costing a huge sum, for next to no return. Our weather is not Mediterranean!
The decision is in the council’s hands and we very much hope they will decide constructively, for the good of our “new” city.
Isabel & Charles Wardrop. 111 Viewlands Rd West, Perth.
A ‘minor’ earthquake
Sir, Let me try to put this earthquake rubbish into context. The largest tremor alleged to have been caused by fracking was 2.3 on the Richter scale. This is officially classed as “minor” and would barely have been felt by most people.
A truck passing by on the road outside your house will cause a tremor of around 2.5 to 3.
Of the hundreds of thousands of fracked mines in the USA not a single one has polluted nearby water supplies. If one had done so we would most certainly have heard about it in that litigious country.
Most of this anti-fracking stuff is the purest green scaremongering. If you really want something to blight your life, a giant windmill in the neighbourhood should do the trick.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
Appalling reason for closure
Sir, Having visited the Beacon Leisure Centre in Burnt-island recently I was appalled to read the article in Friday’s Courier about the pool having to be closed due to faecal contamination.
Surely this is the height of ignorance to allow contamination of this kind. Everybody should be aware that a pool is for everyone’s use and behave accordingly.
If, as stated, a lot of contamination is because mothers are not using swimming nappies on young children then a large sign needs to be displayed at the entrance to all pools advising them of the importance of using them.
The thought that anyone else could defecate in a pool is just inconceivable.
Jill Nelson. 2 Hewitt Place, Aberdour.
He was making a good point
Sir, UKIP’s Godfrey Bloom made a bloomer when he used inappropriate language to describe aid-receiving countries, but the point he was making was correct. David Cameron retaliated angrily and insisted helping other countries was in the national interest.
How can it be in the national interest to give away money we don’t have? We are borrowing even more money to pay crippling interest on the money we are giving away. The UK also contributes indirectly to foreign aid through the EU.
The real problem is that there are no guarantees that British money will not go into the pockets of corrupt political leaders in the countries to which it is sent. The poor, sick, hungry and homeless often receive only a fraction, if any, of the aid sent. Worse still, some of the aid may be used to purchase weapons to be used against their own people.
If Britain is to help the starving and sick in Third World countries, aid should be in the form of food, medical supplies and projects such as fresh water and drainage installations delivered directly to the areas concerned with every aspect carefully supervised and controlled. Local politicians, once sanction has been given, should have nothing to do with the aid we send.
As far as EU and UN aid is concerned, the UK should opt out until our government is sure our money is being used wisely and not lining the pockets of local dictators or being wasted by lax administration.
Meanwhile, there is a lot to be said for Godfrey Bloom’s stance that all such charity should be left to the individual to choose. I must say I object to seeing even well-known charities top-heavy with overpaid officials, with only a small percentage going to the people for whom it is intended.
George K McMillan. 5 Mount Tabor Avenue, Perth.
Mercenary attitude
Sir, I am writing this letter after visiting my friend at Ninewells Hospital for several days. In these hard times it’s difficult for many people to pay £2 for parking even though the visit may not last more than 20 minutes or so.
As the car park allows four hours for that £2 fee many people are good-hearted enough to want to help others by offering a part-used ticket to them to use up the remainder of the allocated time. I was astonished to see Vinci Dundee Ltd has been mercenary enough to warn that the tickets are not transferable!
It’s difficult enough to visit sick near and dear ones and no-one would think of cutting their visits to save on expense, but for Vinci to extract more money by not letting people share a ticket, without going beyond the limited time, is a reflection of the type of commercial uncaring behaviour I feel is not compatible with our NHS.
I am moved daily to see how much goodwill is there amongst ordinary people even in these difficult times. Vinci should show some understanding.
Krishna Ghosh. 5 Farington Terrace, Dundee.