Sir, – The stark contrast between your correspondents Eleanor Bradford and Fiona Rintoul’s opinions (September 26) provided a very clear illustration between an open mind and a very closed mind.
I found the much more thoughtful and considered opinions expressed by Eleanor Bradford showed the positive aspects and surprises that the ritual coverage of the death and burial of our late Queen, Elizabeth II, had provided.
I found the opinions expressed by Fiona Rintoul totally negative and, quite frankly, rude and deliberately provocative and insulting.
If you have nothing positive to say I would very much prefer you said nothing.
David Philip, Knockhall Way, Newburgh.
Shot in the dark on firearms licensing
Sir, – Re your headline on the Skye shooting, other than for air weapons, there are no “Scottish” gun laws.
Firearms licensing is reserved to Westminster.
This is a perfectly sensible position since why should it be easier or more difficult to obtain a firearm in Scotland than in the rest of the UK?
Peter Wishart demolishes his own case for a “review” of gun laws by admitting that “the UK has probably about the most stringent and best-operated gun control regulations in the world”.
As a gun owner for almost 50 years and who has been subjected to the tightening of controls on gun ownership and use over that period I fully agree.
Given the new prime minister’s obvious dislike for the SNP and its leader, does anyone really think that Westminster is going to hand over firearms licensing to the Scottish Government?
Bruce McPherson, Middleton Drive, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.
Ferry delays leave a sinking feeling
Sir, – The Scottish Government controls Transport Scotland and it also funds and controls CMal, the ferry and harbour procurement agency, CalMac, the present ferry operator, and David MacBrayne, its parent company, plus the Ferguson Marine shipyard where we expected two new ferries to be made and floated all these years ago.
In a bit of transparency from the ex -transport minister he explained to MSPs that when he held that elevated position he felt “transport governance was quite a cluttered landscape at that point”, and further claimed that “I had for some time held the view that the transport governance arrangements were far from perfect”.
It looks like there must have been a considerable amount of toxic responsibility passed around with the two-ferry parcel of bungling that has landed in our tax-paying laps.
Sam Coull, Lendrum Terrace, Boddam, Peterhead.
Alternative spelling has struck a chord
Sir, – I will never again look at the word “tune” without thinking of Iain Maciver’s wonderful spelling – “choon”.
Ann Macpherson, Gadie Burn Cottage, Auchleven.
Net-zero policy doomed to fail
Sir, – Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget will cost the taxpayer billions of pounds but it could just achieve its objective of stimulating UK finances and trade and job creation.
Thus, that gamble is in with a chance of what could be very useful success.
In complete contrast, the nations of the Western world’s attempt to avert climate disasters is a guaranteed failure, the UK avoidably wasting the vast monetary and other resources demanded by decarbonisation, as exemplified by the realisation of net-zero.
Decarbonising industry and home, though very difficult to achieve, could be made a partial success. For transport by road, heavy haulage, sea or air, still needing petroleum derivatives, it must fail.
Even electric cars are not green when man-made CO2 (carbon dioxide) from their manufacturing and batteries are included.
Likewise, wind turbines are a broken reed, a very damaging waste except to those in huge profit from them.
The results of decarbonisation depend on predictions based on multiple computer programmes yielding internal disagreements. The speculation that global warming is caused by rising atmospheric tensions of manmade CO2 from fossil fuels used for energy is entirely unproven.
Nor is there any evidence, let alone proof, that decarbonisation could influence climate either locally or worldwide.
There is, anyway, sound physical and chemical evidence to exonerate CO2 of significant blame for any global overheating, fires, flooding or wild weather events.
However, the main fact negating any climate benefit from the UK’s output of CO2 is that it is a negligible proportion of the planet’s total output at less than 1.3%, Scotland’s a 10th of that.
Meanwhile, the bulk, almost 70%, of the CO2 is emitted from countries with a fixed policy not to curb any significant release.
All in all, any usefulness from the UK’s curbing CO2 is limited to a speculative token gesture which we need not and cannot afford.
Mr Kwarteng’s mini-Budget, albeit chancy, represents a much safer bet than the UK’s futile war against climate change.
War creates no real winners, ultimately only failure and waste.
Charles Wardrop, Viewlands Road West, Perth.
It pays to shop around locally
Sir, – As the Highlands and islands’ leading business organisation, the Federation of Small Businesses repeatedly points out the importance of small businesses to local economies and communities, plus the many direct benefits that come to those who shop local.
Having recently driven home from Oban to Sutherland I was struck by the obvious change to pricing strategies exhibited on supermarket petrol station forecourts, something highlighted by the RAC in early September. Simply put, supermarkets are no longer the automatic go-to places to buy the cheapest fuel – far from it.
Prices fluctuate the whole time, but right now you can buy unleaded in Beauly for 153.9p per litre, while Inverness charges 160.9p for a litre.
Meanwhile, in Tain, Asda is charging 164.7p and Tesco 165.9p per litre, while the independent is charging just 161.9p.
This pattern continues anecdotally across much of the region and the message is simple: Now, more than ever, it pays to shop around and shop local – on every level.
David Richardson, Development manager Highlands and islands, Federation of Small Businesses.
Budget angled to Tory faithful
Sir, – Who would believe that the new ultra-right-wing Conservative Government, led by our new smiling prime minister Liz Truss presented a budget that makes the rich richer, the poor poorer and the less well off even worse.
The government showed no shame, openly admitting the gap between the wealthy and working class people is wider than ever.
Remember, the tax changes would, I assume, benefit all members of the Cabinet – talk about lining their own pockets, this takes the biscuit.
You must feel sorry for Jacob Rees-Mogg, he will be lying in his bed wondering which overseas company he will put his bonus money into.
The government is also to look at the benefits of all claimers, including people who need help such as the disabled.
They also intend to make changes to prevent unions carrying out their duty to protect their workers from unscrupulous employers, which includes the Tory party.
The mini-Budget, without doubt, is set to suit their Conservative base members. I would suspect the prime minister will possibly hang on until the next election, which might be even closer if they fail to achieve the growth they are hoping for, with all legs and arms crossed.
The Conservatives don’t give a hoot about the working class.
Jim Strachan.
Beachfront needs access
Sir-, Every time I see the artist’s impression of the beachfront regeneration, the more infuriated and exasperated I become.
If people are to be encouraged to visit the plazas, pump track (whatever that is) and pier then how are they supposed to do this if many of the roads leading to the beach have been removed?
Having been thwarted in their attempts to pedestrianise Union Street – for the time being anyway – the planners have switched their traffic-free obsession to the beachfront. It’s clear to me that, without adequate access, this much-loved part of the city will become a windswept wasteland.
I will be completing the online survey and urge others to do the same.
Jonathan Mitchell.
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