Tuesday’s scriveners discuss increasing the minimum wage, Britain’s international financial generosity, demonstrators’ rights and man’s impact on flora and fauna.
Low minimum wage perpetuates poverty trap
Sir,-The decision to increase the hourly minimum wage by 15p (2.53%) does little to help those on the lower economic margins.
Once tax and National Insurance have been deducted from the increase, it will give recipients somewhere between £4 to £5 a week and simply continue the cycle of poverty and reliance on benefits.
It has always struck me as incongruous that we should have a system of poverty management which is based on the government removing income from the low paid with one hand only to return it with the other as benefits.
Firstly, it is inefficient, in that it requires civil servants and local government staff and a costly infrastructure to collect revenues, assess entitlements and make payments without even considering the direct and indirect costs of fraud itself.
Secondly, it is demeaning to those who are forced to live their working lives in this trap of poverty, benefits and uncertainty, reliant on the goodwill of the government to determine their standard of living.
Surely it makes more sense to allow those who work and live in our low-wage environment to retain, through the setting of realistic tax allowances and National Insurance thresholds, a considerably greater proportion of their earnings in the first instance.
By removing a substantial proportion of our working population from dependency on benefits the government would be able to reduce the size of the civil service and its associated costs and those removed from their dependency on benefits would regain much of their dignity.
Murray Duncan.100 Craigie Road,Perth.
Paying for others’ profligacy
Sir,-David Cameron has told everyone to tighten their belts. He has cut every benefit possible and has designs on privatising the NHS. He has told us that austerity is necessary to bring about financial stability to Britain.
Yet, in one week, he has promised another £650 million to Pakistan. Is this for their nuclear weaponry or maybe their space programme? Then there was a sum of £3 billion at least to assist Portugal out of their financial troubles.
I would hate to think what the Libyan campaign will cost us in the end.
Why don’t we adopt the euro then declare ourselves bankrupt and get bailed out by the rest of Europe like everyone else is doing?
Bill Duthie.25 St Fillans Road,Dundee.
Give police greater powers
Sir,-Councillor Keith Legg (April 7) claims that it is unfair that the vast majority of peaceful demonstrators be made to pay for police and security to preserve democracy despite the illegal actions of the few.
In this age of terrorism and anarchy, then, why do we comply with the security checks and legal restrictions at airports and other terminals which are imposed by all governments?
We do so to preserve our safety and those of all peaceful people around the world.
If hooligans violently break the law then the utmost restrictions on their abuse of liberty must be open to the police including the removal of face masks used to hinder identity checks.
I think UK citizens, including the demonstrators who peacefully used their democratic rights, would welcome much fuller powers for the police and security services to deal with the outright thugs who ran amok in London.
Angus Brown.The Orchard,Station Road,Longforgan.
Hailing the deceased
Sir,-I recall on one occasion many years ago I was taking the funeral of a Broughty Ferry gentleman who in life had been a disciplinarian and a bit of a trial to his poor wife.
I was with the undertaker in the lead mourners’ car following the hearse with the immediate family sitting behind us as we drove past Grove Academy.
It was lunchtime and groups of teenage pupils stood on both sides of the road and, to the horror of the undertaker and myself, solemnly gave the Hitler salute.
Fortunately, it prompted only shrieks of laughter from the back of the car and the voice of the grieving widow said, “How did they know?”
(Dr) John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
Imbalances in ecosystem
Sir,-May I first point out that I asked whether the offending beaver was European or American.
The knotweed was a typo error.
But Mr Phillips is correct in stating that many species were lost due to human influences in the past. It is because of these losses that there is a total imbalance in our present ecosystem.
Removal of such land predators as wolves and bears has allowed species such as deer to get out of control.
It has also enabled the grey seal to populate the North Sea as previously it only pupped on islands where there were no predators, human or otherwise. The human race is facing a future where starvation will be rife unless we start reducing our population.
The concreting of farmland and reduction in fertility of upland pastures by over-exploitation is not helping.
We have to start now on a ruthless but holistic programme to protect what natural species we have left.
Climate change will by its nature alter our species’ structure, with upland birds such as ptarmigan being at the head of the list, cold-water fish such as salmonids may find water temperatures too warm and will shift north to new spawning grounds.
We need not accelerate these problems by introducing invasive species of either flora or fauna.
I would assure this gentleman that my students are far from being misled.
Eric McVicar.Strontian,Argyll.
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