Sir, – Perhaps it is time for the BBC to take pre-emptive action if it hopes to get successive Tory governments off its back. I would not claim that the BBC is beyond criticism, particularly in news reporting and in its London-centric bias.
Could I suggest that it take all of its sports coverage and transfer it to a new subscription channel? That would enable it to reduce the TV licence substantially while protecting its excellent public service output. I do not know the percentage of viewers that are avid fans of football or cricket etc, but I suspect that it is far lower than the corporation’s saturation coverage appears to infer.
If I am wrong, then a BBC Sports channel would be even more successful.
Douglas Tait, St Columbas, Lonmay.
How will we spend wind farms cash?
Sir, – Crown Estates Scotland (CES) announces it has generated £700 million for the auctions of offshore sites for wind farms.
Under the CES governance rules most of that money will go to the Scottish Government. How will they spend it? Will they subsidise energy supplies to end users? Will it be used to insulate houses? Will it be used to protect communities from rising sea levels?
That £700m leasing fee will be used by the end users, thus a large tax on energy bills because a lack of other power sources will force the UK to import gas and electricity from overseas.
Deals like this for CES will increase poverty in Scotland while making more demands for the needy on the public purse.
This type of deal will also add additional costs to industry and commerce, reducing the opportunities for businesses and employment.
James A Mackie, South Road, Garmouth, Moray.
Poor prospects for low-paid and OAPs
Sir, – Increased food prices, soaring energy prices, increased national insurance contributions and predicted inflation of 6% mean bleak prospects for those on average incomes or less. Particularly hard hit will be those on universal credit or whose sole income is the state pension.
Food increases have been ascribed to demand from countries recovering from the pandemic but a substantial element may be due to Brexit. Around six million families are already in fuel poverty and Westminster should act soon by removing VAT from fuel and/or reducing the green levies on it.
Loss of the £20 a week boost to universal credit from last October has already been predicted to push half a million families into destitution. Under the suspended triple lock arrangements, pensioners would have had average wage increases but will receive instead only 3.1% in April.
Since the financial crash of 2008, living standards for the average UK citizen have risen, in real terms, by less than 2%. With some notable exceptions like financial services, the UK has morphed into a low-wage, low-productivity services economy and the levelling up to a high-wage economy, promised in 2019, may prove long and difficult.
Dr Walter J. MacCulloch, Causewayend Crescent, Aberchirder.
Tongue firmly in cheek over mouse
Sir, – I am happy to concur with William Morgan, Midstocket, Aberdeen that my piece re the St Kilda mouse was “tongue in cheek”.
I can assure your writer it’s cleverness, but being a modest chap I’m reluctant to use that in my defence.
I’m afraid I don’t watch much TV.
Long live the Union!
Bill Maxwell, Mar Place, Keith