Today’s letters to The Courier.
Labour also has form in protecting seats Sir,-In politics there is always a tendency for our representatives to tempt fate. Labour MP Thomas Docherty has done so in the controversy over the decision to prefer the Lossiemouth air base over Leuchars.
He wants the Ministry of Defence to look at whether Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander exercised undue influence in order to site Scotland’s only air base in the north (August 8).
It is understandable that he might want to exploit divisions among senior Liberal Democrats. But he might also want to consider why the strategic defence and security review was necessary in the first place.
The reasons were not just military. The coalition found on coming to office that the defence budget was the most complex and difficult to decipher of all government departments.
That was partly due to the complex, and sometimes politically motivated, method of awarding defence contracts throughout the UK.
The last Labour government has to accept a lot of the responsibility for this. There was a perfectly understandable desire to protect jobs in vulnerable areas. But employment security can sometimes come into conflict with military reality.
Mr Docherty may want to look at what influence Labour ministers used in order to protect the party’s hold on marginal seats.
The fact that he only became an MP in 2010 should not stop him carrying out these inquiries.
They might help explain why it would sometimes cost more to cancel a contract than it would to see it through to completion.
Bob Taylor.24 Shiel Court,Glenrothes.
Stronger voice in EU matters
Sir,-Your leader article (August 8) is oddly critical of the Scottish Government’s proposal to strengthen Scotland’s voice in Europe.
The entirely reasonable request to be part of UK delegations attending European Union meetings that discuss matters of clear interest to Scotland is based on 12 years’ experience by successive Scottish administrations where representation has been on a grace-and-favour basis.
My colleague Richard Lochhead’s request to attend the Informal Fisheries Council in Vigo, Spain, in April 2010 was turned down by the then UK Secretary of State who inexplicably preferred to send an unelected member of the House of Lords with no background in the topic to represent Scotland’s fishing interests.
Again, in September 2010, despite being the only UK ministerial representative with responsibility for fisheries, and despite the Scottish fleet catching around 90% of the value of the UK’s mackerel quota, Mr Lochhead was initially refused permission to speak for the UK at an AgriFish Council in Brussels about the issue of mackerel quotas, one single item on the agenda.
Only after the first minister wrote to the prime minister did common sense prevail and the decision was reversed.
The amendment to the Scotland Bill we have published today recognises the role of Scottish ministers in relation to matters directly within our responsibility, such as fisheries.
Fiona Hyslop.Secretary for Culture and External Affairs,St Andrews House.
Do not harm police morale
Sir,-I wish to support independent councillor Andrew Rodger, who is a member of Fife police, fire and safety committee and is very concerned regarding the possibility of a single police force.
I appreciate that the overall cost of policing requires to be examined, but I think that if it is decided to have a single force, morale in the service will suffer.
I suggest morale suffered quite badly in the seventies, when regionalisation took place. A number of forces lost their identity.
Fife won the right to become a region and therefore the area policed remained the same.
I was a serving officer in Fife from 1954 until 1984 and attended courses at the Scottish Police College, after regionalisation. The subject of a lowering of morale was always raised. Officers, who had been in smaller forces always felt that they had become very small cogs in very large wheels.
Of course, I appreciate that officers serving in the present forces have only served since regionalisation, and therefore will only have experienced that type of policing, and that their morale is not questioned.
I do think that serious consideration should be given to leaving the Scottish police forces as they are.
The overall cost of running the service could be reviewed.
I feel certain that this could be done without making changes to existing forces. If it is decided to change the force areas, it will be regretted for many years to come.
Ian Thomson,Moor Road,Ceres.
Tenants liked life in the multis
Sir,-I was struck by Dr John Cameron’s memories of his meetings with the journalist James Cameron and regaling him with “Dundee’s latest planning disaster” (August 2).
I am glad Dr Cameron has the privilege of living in a beautiful place like St Andrews.
I had the privilege of taking in the views from various Alexander Street multis in my line of work.
The views were stunning and displayed Dundee and the surrounding areas in all their glory, warts and all.
Most of the people I met liked living in their flats, whilst admitting not everything was perfect.
So I witnessed the spectacle of the multis being demolished with mixed emotions empathy with the people who used to live there, but also a sense that this was another step in Dundee’s renewal.
Perhaps Dr Cameron needs to reflect on the human element of this story and lend support to the efforts being made to regenerate Dundee.
Doug Millar.6 School Wynd,Tayport.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.