Thursday’s correspondents clash over local authority budget cuts, Britain’s involvement in Libya, possible sanctions on the Old Firm and the risk of another financial crisis.
Well-paid officials will cut vital council staff
Sir,-Your editorial Feathered Nests (March 8) hit the nail on the head.
In the coming months we will, no doubt, be faced with an increasing number of cuts by our local authorities as they try desperately to reduce budgets that have got completely out of hand.
But no-one wants frontline services drastically reduced and nor should they be. Fewer teachers, police officers, librarians, social workers, road sweepers and bin collectors would be sorely missed. The fat cats at the top would not be.
So if our councillors are to engage in “efficiencies” would they please cut from the top down not the bottom up. But they will have to do it themselves as the fat-cat managers will always cut from the bottom, thus preserving their own well-padded pay packets.
Jim Robertson.194 High Street,Montrose.
Public-sector pension freeze
Sir,-I refer to your editorial Feathered Nests regarding local authority pensions. I was dismayed by the assertion that councils have paid £866 million to council staff in pensions during the last financial year.
Such information only serves to mislead your readers. Councils do not pay pensions which, in fact, are paid by the Local Authority Superannuation Scheme, which is self-contributory throughout working years.
Any contribution by employers during these years is part of the pay structure.
My wife, after 19 years’ service in local government, receives the princely sum of £202 per month.
Although this is indexed linked by law, the fact is that public-sector pensions have been frozen over the past two years.
In this age of inflation, this is a real cut in expected income.
David Watt.Redford,Carmyllie.
Debacle in desert
Sir,-One of our “junior” diplomats and some SAS soldiers on a Libyan walkabout with multiple passports and other clandestine kit were captured by anti-Gaddafi farmers.
Desperate appeals to the rebels by the British ambassador Richard Northern for their release were intercepted by Gaddafi who gleefully broadcast them to the world.
This is the biggest western cock-up since Jimmy Carter decided to rescue the Iranian embassy hostages with flying incompetents who crashed into each other.
This rebellion has a long way to run and all we have done is provide Gaddafi with propaganda by making the rebels seem like western stooges.
(Dr) John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
Old Firm ban threat unwise
Sir,-After all the hand-wringing and agonising about who and what was to blame after the last Old Firm match, perhaps a bit of perspective might be helpful.
With no crowd trouble in Celtic Park and nothing out of the ordinary for midweek Glasgow city centre, the media descriptions of players’ behaviour has been an over-reaction.
Depressingly, domestic violence increases after an Old Firm fixture irrespective of the behaviour of players and management.
On a national level, this is true of any big-game fixture. In England, the worst fixture involves the national team.
While few can argue with the mediocrity of the present Old Firm teams, the fact is they are the flagship of the Scottish league and talk of banning the fixture is unrealistic and unhelpful. When audience figures are everything, the Old Firm derby can be great television.
Douglas McInnes.Woodside,East Mains,Auchterhouse.
Stop benefits to troop hater
Sir,-Emadadur Choudhury was given a paltry £50 fine (March 7) for setting fire to poppies on Remembrance Day and shouting, “British soldiers, burn in hell.” The incident outraged war veterans and could have led to public disorder.
London District Judge Howard Riddle should hang his head in shame.
Choudhury became a British citizen no doubt because he wanted the £800-a-month welfare benefits as well as the social housing.
If he hates Britain so much then he should not accept these benefits.
This government should stop all benefits as his presence is not in the public interest and his conduct is tantamount to treason. Ministers should insist that he leaves the country immediately. France and Italy have done this.
Clark Cross.138 Springfield Road.Linlithgow.
Separate banks’ functions
Sir,-Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, has warned that we risk heading for another financial crisis (March 5).
This is surely the strongest argument for splitting banks up, yet he seems to be very much a lone voice in the City and among the coalition politicians.
After a lot of talk about getting tough with bankers’ bonuses, David Cameron has gone very quiet and is beginning to look more like Gordon Brown in his disastrous support of current banking methods.
The banks are obviously intent on filling their pockets with as much bonus money as possible before they wreck the economy again.
They couldn’t give two hoots about their customers or about lending to business, despite all the billions the Government has flung at them to encourage lending.
This makes it essential to separate the retail sector of banking from the riskier investment side, otherwise the taxpayer will have to bail them out again with more job losses and hardship on top of the current dire situation.
Angus Ramsay.34 Kings Road,Rosyth.
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