Sir, – Everyone subsidises the farming industry throughout Europe, including Scotland.
These vast subsidies also create a false market in land and all to thecost of other people, especially those with the lowest incomes.
Which is why I expressed surprise that farmers should take the enormous political risk of characterising welfare support for poorerfamilies as “poisonous welfare”.
Readers may like to know that the diesel that farmers buy costs them half what we ordinary mortals pay. Isn’t that some poisonous welfare too?
Where were ourScottish farmers when miners complained that their industry andcommunities were being decimated?
Perhaps they were too busy counting up the government grants they had received as ourshipyards and textile mills were also closed.
Most farmers appreciate the generous benefits their industry receives.
They will be hoping for all sorts of concessions from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which could greatly affect the farming industry in Scotland. Farmers will need our goodwill.
It is fine to be protected from world trade and taxes as farmers are but maybe your correspondents (June 25)should be more sympathetic to others who do not benefit from such protection. Farming is a massively subsidised industry that is also supported by tariff-protected food prices. These high prices bear down hardest on the poor, theunemployed, thedisabled and on families.
Farmers whose lives are made privileged by fat subsidies should be wary of criticising others, lest we wonder why we should tolerate theirgenerous handouts.
Andrew Dundas. 34 Ross Avenue, Perth.
Nation relieson farmers
Sir, – Your correspondent Andrew Dundas (June 23) may be justified in feeling frustrated at the level of subsidies received by farmers and food producers.
No one likes to see less than transparent expenditure of public funds.
These subsidies are, however, a lingeringvestige of a planned economy devised toprovide us with national security.
During the war, after agriculture had been exposed to market forces in previous years, this nation struggled to feed itself.
In the post-war years, agriculture began to be managed to ensure we had enough food to see us though a national emergency.
It was a price worth paying, at least at the time. The advent of the Common Market in 1973 brought the Common Agricultural Policy.
This seemed designed more to protect smaller European farmingconcerns than about feeding a continent.
The world is notblack and white, nor is it simple.
Many of us maywelcome the current lower milk prices in supermarkets caused by imported milk.
But the other side of the coin is that we simply cannot turn the United Kingdom milk tap back on in times of crisis.
A few pennies on the price of milk may wellbe the price we have to pay to buy security of supply.
While we can be sure of high animal welfare standards in this country, we do not have the same traceability with imported milk and food.
To rely on imported food and deplete our own production capability would put us at the mercy of foreign producers.
Robert Anderson. Kirkton, Arbroath.
Review your own methods
Sir, – I refer to Councillor Richard McCready’s statement that he is opposed to zero-hours contracts and has written to the social justicesecretary to demand that Scots Law be used to stop employers using this practice.
For many years now, Dundee City Council has offered minimum-hours contracts to newemployees rather than employ people on full-time contracts.
There have beenmany, many instances of full-time posts being manned by an employee on say 10 or 12 hours guaranteed hours and then offering the employee additional hours on a regular basis to make up theweekly wage to a full 37 hours.
The employee, therefore, cannot plan the working week as the additional hours and income is not properly structured.
The employee doesnot have the conditions of a full-time employee and National Insurance and holiday entitlement is also a grey area.
Minimum-hourscontracts are just as unacceptable as zero-hours contracts when people are desperately trying to lead a normal working life.
This situation hasbeen exploited bysuccessive Labour and the current SNP city council.
So come on Councillor McCready, do something about Dundee CityCouncil conditions of employment beforeyou start seekingnewspaper coverage by paying lip-service to asituation which is encouraged by your own council.
Peter Davidson. 29 Scotston Gardens, Dundee.
Speak out on libraries threat
Sir, – I do not think it was right for former library head and English teacher Audrey Yeardley (June 25) to draw comparisons between Nazi book-burning exercises and proposed libraryclosures.
Her broader point about the role thesefacilities play in thecommunity deserves to be taken seriouslyhowever.
Fife Cultural Trust has shown an astonishing degree of insensitivity over the plan to closethe Glenwood libraryin Glenrothes, forexample.
Doesn’t it know that this is one of two well-used community assets in a complex that does not have its problems to seek?
A bright, compact and welcoming unit is being put under threat by a simple refusal by the trust and Fife Council to think outside the box.
What is needed at the Glenwood Centre is a package to transform the older part of the area.
The flats at its centre need to be brightenedup; the library needs to be kept open and renewed efforts need to be made to find a new buyer to help fill the vacant shops.
This would require a bit of joined-up thinking not just the old cost-cutting exercises of the past.
The people in the west of Glenrothes cannot be confident that a period of consultation will produce anything like that.
It is still important they let their feelings be known.
The loss of a library that helps job seekers, local children from schools and nurseries, local researchers, even elderly readers who just want to pop in for a chat, would be a massive setback for the town.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
Congratulate Mhairi Black
Sir, – Mhairi Black has just discovered that she has graduated fromGlasgow University with a first-class honours degree.
She became the youngest MP to be elected into parliament for over 300 years when she contested and won her Glasgow seat as an SNP candidate in the general election.
She overturned a 16,000 Labour advantage to win by a margin of 5,500 votes.
I hope that all readers, despite their own political views, can accept just what an amazing achievement this all is by a young woman, not born with a silver spoon and all the advantages of wealth.
This story proves that with a vision, passion, dedication and loads of hard work, young people can achieve great things.
Harry Key. 20 Mid Street, Largoward.
Move MPs out of London
Sir, – The news that essential refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster might cost £8 billion, and take 40 years, must surely concentrate minds on what exactly proper governance of the country requires in terms of accommodation.
For a start, there is no knowing what kind of country there will be to be governed in 40 years time, although it would seem to be a fair bet that accommodation for Scottish MPs might not be required.
Given that majorgovernment building projects generally run way over time and budget, the potential cost implications would indicate that this project is a non starter.
But I would suggest that to abandon Westminster would in fact be a blessing, not just in terms of finance, and convenient government, but also in terms of the democratic functioning of the country.
We have seen, over the years, power and influence drawn to London in a way which is greatly disadvantageous to the rest of the country.
I would suggest that a move of the apparatus of government to a purpose-built complex, in a more central part of the country, would be entirely beneficial to the country and wouldprovide the kind of counterweight to the power of London which we clearly need.
Les Mackay. 5 CarmichaelGardens, Dundee.
Give T in Park a fair chance
Sir, – It is great news that DF Concerts have been granted their vital public entertainment licence to stage T in the Park at the new venue at Strathallan Castle.
It was possible because of the foresight of Perth and Kinross Council and people living in and around the venue. So let the music begin.
But why can’t some of the doubters give thefestival a chance at its new venue?
Yes there will be teething problems. In my 15 years of attendance I have seen my fair share but to their credit, DF Concerts have always addressed the problems and dealt with them toeveryone’s benefit.
I just wonder how many festivals some of the objectors have been to and why some of them think 85,000 of us will be either drunk or high?
I have had a few a few times over the years but have always managed to make it back to my but n’ ben with, or without, the assistance of friends and without the need for the emergency services.
Geordie Heron. Fyal Farm Cottage, Alyth.
Benefits of living in Britain
Sir, – Is Britain the most beautiful country in the world? Or is it just our climate that migrants are desperate to experience?
After all, they have snubbed their noses at the temperate vineyards of Tuscany, the balmy coastal regions of France and the rich farmland of northern France.
They could have taken a right turn and applied for a job in wealthy and orderly Germany.
Instead, they arefighting to get into this country for the miseryof dark and chilly British winters, comforted, of course, by the world’s most generous benefits.
Bob Stark. Mill Street, Tillicoultry.