Readers' Letters: Politicians don't get impact of ferry fails on islanders

Brian Wilson is spot on (Perspective, 28 March). How can it be that no politician or civil servant has been held to account over the CalMac ferry fiasco?

Apart from the inconvenience to local island communities, the economic damage to these areas in terms of local businesses is immense and it seems that Central Belt politicians are totally unable to understand how the ongoing saga will have a long-lasting impact. We can but hope that a new understanding will emerge after the May elections.

D G McIntyre, Edinburgh

The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry fleet has been plagued by problems (Picture: Getty)

The answer

Ferry for immediate hire: recently retired, very reliable, Mersey Ferry, only 66 years service for immediate contract. CalMac take note!

Graham Smith, Edinburgh

Bad company

Regarding the discussion on the King’s visit to the US (D Mitchell, Letters, 27 March), I would suggest that by going ahead with visiting this odious monster, our king’s reputation of being a decent person would forever be tarnished, and the visit would become a historical aberration effectively written in stone, like the Munich Agreement, the ongoing appeasement of Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump becoming president of an otherwise great country.

On the flip side, whatever wrath Trump may hurl at us as a result of cancellation will only be a glitch in our Special Relationship that will last no longer than 2028, and hopefully no later than the US mid-term elections in November.

Brian Macfarland, Etchingham, East Sussex

Fuel time

Further to the excellent contribution from D Mitchell, may I add that Donald Trump is very free with his insults accusing Nato leaders of cowardice.

A rather more accurate definition of coward is someone who dodged the draft not once but five times to avoid service in Vietnam. It would have been great if some leader had the cojones to say so. There is, however, some satisfaction in knowing the US electorate will be unimpressed with the drastic increase in the cost of fuel.

Torquil MacLeod, Inverness

Boot out Trump

Donald Trump is on the brink of making the biggest mistake in his presidency, and there have been a few. By committing to North American boots on the ground in Iran he is showing he has not learned the cautionary lessons of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

In retrospect, war in Iran may well turn out to be the most costly mistake of them all. Given it's an illegal war, and very unpopular in America, young men and women may be reluctant to become involved. The stakes are high and there will be casualties and the question is, how many the American public will accept.

Iran is an immense landmass with a huge army which will dig itself in for, perhaps, years of attritional guerrilla warfare. Under Trump's erratic leadership, probable failure will almost certainly spell the end of his presidency.

Notoriously, he was a draft dodger, avoiding the disastrous Vietnam conflict. Time is running out for seeing sense in this equally disastrous war by coming to the negotiating table.

Very few have sympathy for an evil Iranian government, but that's a matter for the Iranians themselves. Trump, and even more so, Benjamin Netanyahu, have a lot to answer for and hopefully, sooner rather than later, they will have to do so.

Ian Petrie, Edinburgh

Script needed

There we have it, another political rant from a left-wing acting luvvie, in this case Mr Brian Cox (“Cox berates ‘deadbeat’ Trump and ‘hideous’ Farage”, 28 March). With his comments about Donald Trump and Nigel Farage he has shown himself to be nothing more than a foul-mouthed boor.

Why do actors think we have any interest in their views on political issues? Stick to what you're supposed to be good at Brian, acting, and leave the politics to the politicians.

Many decades ago my English teacher told us that if you have to resort to profanities then you have lost the argument. Wise words indeed. Pity Mr Cox hadn't been in my class.

David Donaldson, Polmont, Falkirk

Acting up

An expletive-ridden interview with Scottish separatist actor Brian Cox contained no real surprises. Perhaps Mr Cox figured that this colourful language might endear him to some of the people he would be rubbing shoulders with at Saturday’s Believe in Scotland rally?

A Champagne socialist who abandoned Labour because it was no longer radical enough for him, Mr Cox explained that he switched to the SNP following its violent lurch leftwards.

Having never watched any of his performances, it would be unfair to rate his acting ability. However, Dundonian Cox masterfully played the role of working-class hero made good by briefly jetting over from his home in the United States for the purpose of pontificating to the faithful on the benefits of breaking up the UK.

This wealthy thespian didn’t, of course, address any of the many awkward economic and strategic consequences of separation, instead delivering some simplistic but emotional soundbites to an adoring crowd in Holyrood Park. Mr Cox is one of several nationalist celebrities routinely wheeled out on such special occasions.

He said of the First Minister: “John is a really caring man and deserves to be given the respect he’s earned, quite frankly.”

How ironic, then, that beside Mr Cox’s prominent front page photo is the headline about John Swinney’s latest damage-limitation headache, the emerging Jordan Linden scandal.

Martin O’Gorman, Edinburgh

Life of Brian

Brian Cox is an actor, so how do we know when his performance is fiction or reality? He has arrived in Edinburgh to address a Believe in Scotland rally. If Mr Cox really believed in Scotland why does he not live here rather than London or the United States?

Better still, given his love of politics, why is he not standing for election in May's Holyrood election? Given his “star quality” he would win and could even end up as first minister. Now that would be a script to die for.

The only problem is that the reality of running Scotland is not going to have a Hollywood “happy ever after” ending, if we are independent. It will be a “Mission Impossible”.

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

Tax benefits

Regarding the correspondence on taxation of benefits (Letters, 27 March and previous) my recollection is that when payments to families with children were introduced they were taxable.

This meant that payments could be made to those eligible without having to enquire into their means

It would, therefore, not be something new in principle to tax cash benefits now. Probably a clause in the next Finance Act saying that all benefits paid in cash would be regarded as income for tax purposes would suffice.

S Beck, Edinburgh

A vote for all

The SNP are intent on using the forthcoming elections as an indicator for a referendum on independence for Scotland. However, there is another aspect that is being overlooked by everyone – what is really at the heart of this situation is the dissolution of the union of the United Kingdom created in 1707.

Should this referendum not be nationwide? It will, after all, affect the rest of the country, not just Scotland. Is the other half of the Union not entitled to voice its opinion on the dissolution? In reality, if this referendum is to be held it should be for the whole country to be part of the decision.

I have a feeling that if it were held across the whole UK, the SNP might unexpectedly achieve its aim.

Charles Lowson, Fareham, Hants

Remember when

Former Conservative councillor John McLellan predicts, apparently disapprovingly, that on May 7 the Lib Dems will end up with “enough seats for a confidence and supply arrangement with the SNP” (Perspective, 28 March).

Has he forgotten that his party had that kind of arrangement with the same SNP while under Annabelle Goldie's leadership?

Jane Ann Liston, St Andrews, Fife

Oscar speech

As the Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, had he still been around, might have said of Reform: “To lose one candidate might be deemed a misfortune. To lose five looks like carelessness.”

Michael Grey, Edinburgh

Short changed?

Neil Anderson is wrong in suggesting that the shortest route coast-to-coast in Scotland is Ullapool to Bonar Bridge at 36 miles (Letters, 28 March).

That honour belongs to walking from the Tidal Weir in Glasgow to Kincardine, which is 30 miles – albeit not a very attractive route – but may also be with Inverlael on the A835 to Dingwall cross-country and via Fodderty – possibly 34 miles.

Alasdair HM Adam, Dollar, Clackmannanshire

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