Sir, – As a Dons fan for close on 80 years I have lived through many peaks and troughs in the fortunes of the club.
We are now most certainly in the latter, so is it no surprise that some of the comments from the hierarchy at Pittodrie leave me dumbfounded.
Manager Jim Goodwin says developing and selling talent to the big boys is the blueprint to keep the club moving forward. Surely that’s not the plan if you are a fan?
Come on Aberdeen, where’s your ambition? Selling your best players for millions then bringing in replacements for sweeties? That is what sums of less than £1 million have become now.
All this talk of being “a big club” why not show some big-club mentality and spend some of the transfer money on better players.
With the present policy sometimes you might land lucky and unearth a gem but in most cases you get just what you pay for.
“11m reasons to make it a Dons season to remember” says the newspaper headline. May I suggest a more appropriate statement: 10th in the league, no Europe, and no silverware make it a Dons season to forget.
Ivan W. Reid, Kirkburn, Laurencekirk.
Hitting back over wind energy plan
Sir, – Your correspondent George Herraghty (Letters, July 12) complains that the National Grid is installing an electricity interconnector from the mainland to Shetland. Would he deny Shetland residents security of supply? Or would he prefer they continue importing dirty diesel to be burnt in Lerwick Power Station?
Mr Gerraghty complains about the cost of the interconnector. The cost of all such investments by the National Grid is just 3.3% of a typical electricity bill; this can hardly be described “staggering”.
Mr Gerraghty complains that the Viking Wind Farm development on Shetland will impact the environment. The outcome of the planning process ensured a Habitat Management Plan (HMP) covering several thousand hectares of the wind farm site.
It contains plans to restore degraded areas of peatland around and beyond the wind farm site and to seek to protect threatened bird species such as whimbrel, red-throated diver and merlin.
For Mr Gerraghty to describe this as “utter disregard for the peat-rich environment and birdlife” is surely a mis-representation. Mr Gerraghty then looks forward 30 years to when the turbines reach their end of design life, referring to “rusting stumps”. Before then, of course, they will be fully decommissioned or replaced with more efficient machines.
And finally, Mr Gerraghty reminds us that wind energy is poor during periods of high pressure. In response I would call attention to the current extreme heat warning from the Met Office of temperatures in the high 30s deg C in south-east Britain. Climate change is real and getting worse. The sooner we decarbonise our energy system the better.
Jeff Rogers. Waters of Feugh, Banchory.
Downside of voting for independence
Sir, – Your regular correspondent, Peter Ovenstone, complains in his latest missive that he would be debarred from taking part in the vote to elect Boris Johnson’s successor as prime minister, should he be minded to do so, because having voted for Scottish independence in 2014, he is not allowed to join the Conservative Party and therefore be in a position to cast his vote.
Perhaps Mr Ovenstone can remind your readers when this seemingly draconian and totally undemocratic rule was enacted?
Mike Masson. Oak Tree Avenue, Banchory.
Ministers in hiding to avoid questions
Sir, – Has anybody noticed that when bad figures are released – as in the worst figures for A&E ever – the minister responsible, Humza Yousaf, disappears.
This is a pattern in departments. Angus Robertson has been posted missing since the census debacle, but we can be guaranteed when it comes to Boris Johnson and the UK government they all seem to come out of the woodwork to put in their tuppence worth.
Ian Gray. Viewhill Cottage , Mosstowie, Elgin.
Sturgeon’s leading us all to a dead end
Sir, – I do not understand much of what Grant Frazer is talking about. There is no logic or common sense in what he has written. The fault lies with Nicola Sturgeon who is currently attempting to mislead Scotland by attempting to map a route to an independence referendum for which she currently has no legal authority.
She first needs a Section 30 order to be agreed with the UK as this is very obviously a reserved matter. She had already been advised by Scotland’s top law officer that Holyrood does not have the legitimate power to make such legislation. It is becoming apparent that Sturgeon is quite prepared to just ignore legal advice that she does not agree with and will end up at a dead end.
Her escape route of using an ordinary election as a proxy alternative to a referendum is even more ridiculous. The first election chosen (ie the next general election) would immediately disenfranchise all 16 and 17-year-olds. Is that really her intention or is it all just a game she is playing?
I would seriously recommend a new leader for the SNP.
David Philip. Knockhall Way, Newburgh
Beergate excuse is licence for tipplers
Sir, – With reference to your article (P&J, July 9) on beergate, Starmer was cleared of committing any offence “due to an exception, namely reasonable necessary work”.
I suggest that anyone caught drinking after hours in licensed premises should explain that it was due to “reasonable necessary thirst”.
Alexander McIntosh. Leys Drive, Inverness.
Getting facts right over IndyRef2
Sir, – Regarding the letter by Grant Frazer.
I feel I must correct his assertion that the first minister has referred the proposed referendum to the Supreme Court to make a ruling. This is not correct. The correct procedure is to pass the proposed legislation through Holyrood and then submit that legislation to the Supreme Court with an endorsement from the sitting advocate general of the Scottish Parliament.
The Supreme Court would then decide if the legislation is within the competence of the Scottish Parliament. The situation at the moment is that the advocate general does not think the proposed legislation would be within the competence of the parliament and has declined to endorse the proposal.
Without an endorsed piece of legislation the Supreme Court would not rule on such a matter.
Ms Sturgeon knowing that the legislation would fail has opted to spend taxpayers’ money asking the Supreme Court to give her the answer she already knows and thus the platform from which to launch the general election independence-seeking mandate at the next opportunity.
I don’t believe anybody has been caught off guard, rather Ms Sturgeon is trying to circumnavigate the Scotland Devolution Act.
Konrad Lister. Minto Avenue, Aberdeen.