Readers' Letters: Britain needs joined up-thinking on nuclear power stations

I note that UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is back on his hobbyhorse... building that £38 billion power station at Sizewell. Does he not see the aggression rising in Vladimir Putin's eyes?

Yes, when it eventually works it might well supply power to 5,000,000 families but it can be stopped from working completely by merely one well-aimed atomic bomb! What are all those families to do then?

A far better policy is to spend that £38,000,000,000 on building many smaller power stations around our island nation, and preferably those that can be driven by the power of the wind or the tide. Naturally, they should all be linked!

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Let's have some prudent sense here!

Archibald A Lawrie, Kingskettle, Fife

Grow up

So, the media in general have been building up to President Donald Trump’s visit and the likelihood of demonstrations to show America just how much we dislike their policies on Gaza, support for Israel and I am sure many other things – misogyny, trans issues, ban golf (OK, I made the last group up).

Of course we have the right to peaceful protest in our country and this is probably the last real “right” that we have! However, when that right is abused to the extent it impacts on the rights of others to go about their daily business without interference there should be restrictions as to time, place and duration so as to minimise disruption to everyday life. Why this isn’t commonplace should be concerning to most of us who, while aware of issues, feel that contacting our local MP provides a better forum to address areas of concern rather than being bussed to wherever to join a march where various issues are addressed through flag waving and the shouting of slogans. At least if your MP doesn’t respond or agree you have the opportunity to show displeasure by campaigning against them at the next election!

As for demonstrating against US President Trump, that has to be the height of stupidity. He has been elected by a majority of Americans to lead their country and so when you demonstrate against their president you are demonstrating against America and Americans. I see little call for demonstrations against Russia for invading Ukraine, or China for threatening Taiwan or Iran for their misogyny laws or even illegal migrants crossing the channel!

Obviously these issues are not sexy enough whereas President Trump is!

Now that is a thought. Grow up people.

T Lewis, Coylton, Ayrshire

Silence speaks

When are those who think we should not be welcoming US President Donald Trump to Scotland going to realise that completely ignoring him would have the greatest impact of all?

John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing. Fife

Pricey round

On Monday my wife and I visited the Tall Ships in Aberdeen, to see off our grandson, crewing on The Gulden Leeuw on the next leg of its race to Kristiansund in Norway. We then went down to the beach esplanade to see his ship in sail in Aberdeen Bay. Suddenly, from the south, appeared a group of five Chinooks, flying north in loose formation, directly in front of the thousands of families gathered to witness this special event, adding a tinge of menace to the scene.

It transpires that they were USAF aircraft, sent to Aberdeen in preparation for the visit of The Donald. And the next morning, a massive USAF C-5 Galaxy aircraft flew directly over us en route to Dyce airport having flown from a base in the USA. There is little doubt this was also to service the imminent visit of Trump. It is thus clear vast US resources are being committed to facilitate his visit to open a second golf course at his family’s Menie estate, to allow him to have maybe the most expensive round of golf ever recorded.

So what? Well, apart from the expense to the US budget, Police Scotland, without any say-so, are having to commit huge resources to this extravaganza, at great cost to the Scottish taxpayer. Would that we were an independent country, to have the power to deny such outrageous misuse of public funds.

It brings to mind the tale of the eccentric laird of Pitgaveny, who, in 1932, having a dispute with Lossiemouth Town Council about the ownership of the town square, sent his ploughman and horse to plough it up, maybe to sow turnips. It’s a pity Menie was not in public ownership; we could then plough up the tees and greens and return it to its natural state.

Ken Gow, Bridge of Canny, Banchory, Aberdeenshire

Kind collar

Roger Meachem berates James Penrith regarding the use of electric dog collars (Letters, 24 July).

As a dog owner for 25 years, I have owned said collars for a few years, their use being limited to buzzing (vibrating) or bleeping. The rubber covers are still on the electrodes and will remain there.

This collar has proven invaluable in concentrating the mind of our Sprocker (mongrel spaniel). Having tried and used all my experience over the 25 years, nothing was working – after use of the collar, he has great recall, will not go through gates, doesn’t climb walls and most importantly, does not chase sheep anymore! And all that is required now is he wears it – it’s not even switched on.

The people who are cruel to dogs, or any other creatures, do not need a collar that can be used as a training aid – they bait badgers, dig out foxes and use their dogs to chase and kill cats (I will not describe how they train them to do so, it is not fit for these pages). This latest attempt to ban the collars (remember the SNP government once stated they were illegal – a fabrication) is nothing more than grandstanding on alleged animal welfare politics.

And should a ban be imposed, who is going to police it? These devices are 99 per cent bought in China or other non-European countries. If the police can’t attend a robbery of a house within 24 hours, what chance they’ll knock the door down with regard to a dog collar?

Cruelty is appalling and 99 per cent of pet owners would never hurt their pets. It’s the other one per cent that needs focusing on, not responsible owners who care about livestock and the environment and use the tools they need when at their wit’s end.

David Millar, Lauder, Scottish Borders

Smells suspicious

UK Environment Minister Steve Reed must have known his claim that “pollution levels in Scotland are worse than they are in England” would rouse outraged nationalists. They are all over social media like a rash, with Alex Orr and Jim Finlayson (Letters, 24 July) joining in.

In fact, it is difficult to know the position with Scottish Water because it monitors only about four per cent of all Combined Sewer Overflows, whereas in England over 90 per cent of these are monitored. As Surfers Against Sewage say, “This means the Scottish public are in the dark about the performance of the other 96 per cent of overflows”. Before the Holy Willies make their usual claims for Scotland’s superiority, let us note that the Marine Conservation Society reported that in 2022 “storm overflows poured sewage into Scottish seas for over 113,000 hours” at a minimum.

Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) said in September 2024 that sewage pollution of Scotland’s rivers and beaches is far more widespread than realised because ministers have failed to take the problem seriously. Because of treatment processes, this does not mean that water in our homes is polluted. Indeed, the UK is reckoned to have domestic water quality of over 99.9 per cent, and is rated fourth for the cleanest drinking water in the world. ESS’s view is that Scotland’s regulations – which date from 1994, with no revision since devolution in 1999 – are “too vague” and do not meet best practice in Europe. Achieving that would require more stringent regulations. Could the SNP regime concentrate on that instead of spreading manufactured outrage among its supporters?

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Cheeky cherubs

The recent Picture Gallery photo of the interior dome in the Waiting Hall at Waverley station prompted thoughts about the reconstruction of the 1890s that involved the building of the North Bridge and additional platforms.

A central feature of the investment by the North British Railway was the new main building that concealed a pier of the bridge and also housed an impressive booking hall. This would be topped by a stained glass dome and a frieze of classical design.

This caused the directors some concern as it would involve cherubs, and would garlands or ribbons be sufficient to ensure that there would be no offence to the travelling public? Today's passengers can judge for themselves.

​Ann Glen, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire

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