Sir,- I looked at the photograph and read with disbelief the report in The Courier (February 27) of the self-satisfied SNP housing minister Margaret Burgess and SNP councillors hailing the success of the affordable housing project in Friockheim.
The Angus SNP administration’s claim it has been successful flies in the face of reality when the provision of affordable housing in every project by Angus Council has been a failure.
The council has taken the description “affordable” and stood it on its head.
Every affordable housing project by Angus Council has resulted in what the councillors call “slippage”.
The costs of building two one-roomed, and one two-roomed homes has reached £700,000 and they are not yet completed.
As we are all too aware the finished costs of all Angus Council projects usually run over.
The Friockheim affordable housing is now 26% over budget the costs increased when it was decided to put an access road in and more parking for the Friockheim Hub resource centre that had been granted £1m from the Lottery Fund.
The other affordable housing in Angus tells the same tale of what some would call incompetence and profligacy with affordable housing grants, such as in Forfar, where the council built on a site so steep no-one else would build and put the costs of foundations alone into an unacceptable cost.
With the housing minister “hailing” £25 million as a major government input into the whole of Scotland’s affordable housing problem, her hailing falls flat when the reality is that if all this was handed to Angus Council, it would only achieve approximately 100 affordable houses.
Robert Alexander. 5 West Smieton Street, Carnoustie.
Congratulating principled MSP
Sir,- I’ve never had much time for politicians who will say and do anything to stay on the party line.
So, congratulations to Margaret Mitchell, Conservative MSP, who came out against her party line and declared for leaving the EU.
This must have been a difficult decision. But how refreshing. Here at last we have an MSP who is prepared to say what she thinks and her reasons for doing so.
Our country pays into the EU as a membership contribution approximately £8.5 billion every year and rising.
Scotland’s share is £760 million that could be used to alleviate the SNP’s austerity measures against our local councils, keep our libraries open, rebuild our schools and still have more to spend.
That seems to me a very good reason to leave the EU. Let us use the money at home.
George Cormack. 2 McLauchlan Rise, Aberdour.
A city centre in slow decline
Sir,- With reference to Graham Huband’s comments on Reform Street, Dundee, and its deteriorating shopping experience, I feel that the whole city centre is going through a downturn.
I must say I have seen some incredible improvements since I arrived in 1981, and in the summer there’s no better place than City Square.
But on my last few visits we were chased by charity people trying to get to sign us up to giving.
I understand parking charges are to be increased, so I have the choice to shop out of town.
I like the city centre, but it’s easier and free to park out of town and still get everything I want.
The city council has taken its eye off the ball and is putting too much effort into the Waterfront.
Be careful councillors, your city centre will die like so many others.
Derek H Shaw. The Logan, Liff.
Chancellor finally exposed
Sir, – George Osborne’s warning about further cuts in his upcoming budget should nail the lie of a UK economic “recovery”.
The UK economy died when manufacturing jobs were sent offshore and when the financial system was deregulated.
Jobs offshoring benefited the City, corporate executives, and shareholders, because lower labour and compliance costs resulted in higher profits. However, jobs offshoring also offshored UK GDP and consumer purchasing power.
Despite promises of a “new economy” and better jobs, the replacement jobs have been part-time and low-paid service sector jobs.
Without income growth to drive the economy, George Osborne substituted growth in consumer debt.
Stagnant and declining incomes were augmented by the ability to spend on credit.
The financial press does not question the propaganda that sustains the idea that the UK economy is sound.
Fiscal and monetary stimulus could pull the unemployed back to work if jobs for them still existed domestically.
But, if the jobs have been sent offshore, monetary and fiscal policy cannot work.
In the 21st Century, Tory economic policy has destroyed the ability of real demand in the UK to increase.
The Tories will deny this they misrepresent jobs offshoring as free trade and claim Britain is benefiting.
The “new economy” is the Third World economy in which the only jobs created are low-productivity, low-paid, non-tradable domestic service jobs incapable of producing export earnings with which to pay for the goods and services produced offshore for UK consumption.
Alan Hinnrichs. 2 Gillespie Terrace, Dundee.
Our misplaced reliance on wind
Sir,- The recent exchanges between GM Lindsay, Nick Mackay and Clark Cross made interesting reading.
Mr Cross initially challenged WWF’s Lang Banks for his regular and tedious promotion of wind energy and for being silent when the thousands of turbines across the UK produce effectively zero.
Mr Mackay responded with a wind-promoting letter and GM Lindsay waded into the fray and supported Mr Cross.
Unless I am mistaken, and there are two Nick Mackays from Stirling, this Mr Mackay is employed by Force9Energy which is fighting a determined community to place 13 unwanted industrial wind turbines at Glenurquhart.
Mr Mackay will not have to live with the Cnoc an Eas windfarm if it gets approval, unlike the unhappy community his company has targeted.
As for countering climate change, we will always need 100% conventional back up for wind.
Fossil fuels are required to construct windfarms, to build turbines and maintain the machinery, with each turbine housing hundreds of litres of oil.
Thank goodness for people like Mr Cross and GM Lindsay who would appear to have no vested interests yet help people understand the truth behind wind energy.
Lyndsey Ward. Beauly, Inverness-shire.
Expecting much of a mere club
Sir, – I am grateful to your correspondent, David Thomson (February 27), for drawing attention to the European Court of Auditors’ annual reports.
The EU’s auditors have been unable to verify the financial accounts of the EU because each member state refuses to allow the EU’s accountants to scrutinise their own national accounts.
This problem only arises because the EU is, like Nato, a club.
Every member of Nato and the EU is a sovereign power, which means neither international body has any right to audit the financial affairs of any of them.
It is worth reminding ourselves that the US federal government has no right to audit each state’s accounts either, because each is sovereign.
Despite EU members’ individual sovereignty, the European Court of Auditors is asked to do what each of the member states will not permit which is to verify that the money allocated to them was actually spent as the EU’s rules require.
Nevertheless, each member state vows it does follow the rules, and spends the EU’s money properly.
So why is there any fuss about a lack of a full audit trail?
We know the EU is not a supra-national state, so why does anyone complain when the EU doesn’t behave like a state?
Andrew Dundas. 34 Ross Avenue, Perth.
Tail docking is often correct
Sir, – Regarding your article, Rescue centre owner says total ban on tail docking can prove harmful to dogs (February 27), I ask so-called animal lovers who lobbied the Scottish Parliament for a total ban on tail docking of dogs how they feel now that they are responsible for the suffering being endured by the dogs.
I have a two-year-old Welsh springer spaniel I obtained from a reputable breeder and which was legally docked when only days old.
Given his propensity for charging headlong through bushes and undergrowth I can see only too clearly the logic of docking the tails of such breeds and I am angered to read of these poor animals who are forced to suffer through the blind obsession of so-called animal lovers to have their way in the face of evidence from the dog-loving game-keeping fraternity.
Shame on you.
George Craig. Magicwell Lodge, Quarry Road, Balmullo.
Challenging the rogue cyclists
Sir,- Dave Mackie (February 25) is right to be concerned that the cycling lobby is angling to have the law changed so that in any accident involving a cyclist and a car, the motorist will be presumed liable unless they can proveotherwise.
In the last two years in Scotland, more than £70 million has been spent on cycle lanes and facilities that everyone pays for.
In return, cyclists should demand they have an identification number so rogue cyclists are caught and punished.
They should also have third-party insurance.
I am sure responsible cyclists would agree, since the rogue cyclist tarnishes them all.
Like Dave Mackie I have experienced the rogue cyclist who careers along the pavement, jumps red lights, refuses to stop at junctions onto the main road and, despite advice in the Highway Code, cycles in bunches.
Many refuse to use the cycle lanes and instead appear to enjoy holding up the traffic.
What would the legal position be should an accident occur when a cyclist is not using the cycle track provided?
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.