Sir, – Apologies to Nairn Football Club and ex-Bash Street Kids roadie Ally Haggart but I can only suspect that they have either plagiarised or rediscovered street food staple the Glasgow Oyster, comprising a Scotch pie inside a roll.
Usually taken with obligatory “red” or “broon” sauce. A treat I was introduced to in Yorkhill, Glasgow, away back in the late 1960s.
William Morgan, Midstocket, Aberdeen.
European money fuels Scots’ support
Sir, – Ronald Johnston’s letter of February 21 shows his views to be somewhat different to that of the mainstream in Scotland.
Significantly more voters opted to support the SNP in government than any other party. The ballot on EU membership gave a similar result. Regardless of the numbers turning out to vote, results are decided on the basis of those voters’ choices. That’s how democracy works.
Of those that did vote, they heavily supported EU membership by more than 60%. A vote of 55% rejected Scottish independence. Why? Perhaps the assistance of the EU in many projects in Scotland, notably, but not exclusively, in rural areas was brought to mind? That funding should have come from Westminster but didn’t.
Of the four parts of the UK, two voted to leave the EU, two to remain, Scots giving the largest support to membership. In these times of difficulty and danger, being part of a large, democratic organisation is significantly safer, along with having more simple and beneficial trading arrangements. Brexit has rather proved that. Could this be a major reason for Scots continued support for EU membership?
Ron Campbell, Richmond Walk, Aberdeen.
Sometimes stats don’t stand up
Sir, – I must respond to Ronald Johnston’s letter in which he accuses Ian Blackford of infelicity for claiming that the majority of Scots voted to remain in the EU.
Ronald’s argument is based on the percentage of the Scottish electorate, not those who bothered to vote, who voted to Remain.
The most commonly stated infelicity since the referendum has come from Leavers, most notably Jacob Rees-Mogg and Michael Gove, which is that the British people voted to leave. Not using Mr Johnston’s argument they didn’t. The UK turnout was 72% of which 52% voted Leave. In other words, only 37.4% of the UK electorate actually voted to leave; quite a bit less than the 41.7% of Scots who voted to Remain.To put Mr Johnston’s questionable logic into even starker context, Boris Johnson won the 2019 UK general election (and a majority of 80 seats) with only 43.6% of the vote on a turnout of 67%. In other words, a derisory 29% of the UK electorate actually voted for the Conservative Party. That’s far less of a mandate than the Scottish Remain vote.
That’s the problem with twisting statistics to suit your argument. They often don’t stand up to simple scrutiny.
Tom Johnstone, Brownhill, Maud.
Where is respect of post-war years?
Sir, – While well aware that views on the future of society by members of my generation who spent their school experience in the immediate post-war years are musings on a bygone age that have no relevance in the modern world, there is an important feature of our lives at that time that has sadly disappeared among many of today’s young people.
What is missing is respect. For a section of those who subject teachers to daily abuse it is no longer “cool” to accept authority. Not only are teachers treated with disrespect, so too are views of anyone they feel infringes on their desires.
This lack of respect spills over into property with vandalism of items installed for the benefit of society. No longer do some feel that if something doesn’t belong to you then leave it alone.
I feel fortunate to have spent my formative years when lives were adjusting to the hardships of post-war Britain. Families were poor as I was not the only one to have no money in my pocket, except at “tattie holiday” time until we left school, but what we had was respect for those in authority such as teachers and police along with property that belonged to someone else.
Those who pass legislation that continually erodes discipline have much to answer for as the weakness of authority becomes ever more evident.
A society without robust authority falls into chaos.
Ivan W Reid, Kirkburn, Laurencekirk.