I ATTENDED a recent fractious and bad-tempered hustings which was not in the least informative.
I had a question ready but I didn’t get the opportunity to put it, so I wrote to The National which has been a godsend to me. Before its arrival, I was becoming sorely depressed at the state of society as portrayed in most of the media.
I would have asked each member of the panel to advise if I may need counselling if I do the following: I have two great grandsons who benefit, just a little from the Bank of Dad etc. When my daughter makes the happy announcement that she’s expecting again and I reply that this child will receive no help from grandad, no birthdays or Christmases and she should strongly consider abortion.
Iain Hunter
Beith
SOME Tories (and others) in the past have toyed with theories of eugenics, so the family cap, which includes the so-called rape-clause did not surprise me greatly. Nor does the removal of free school lunches. The fact that people seem to accept such disgraceful policies, even vote for them, makes me despair at the lack of humanity in these islands.
Jan Smith
Greenock
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Elastic principles mean anything is a Tory victory
THIS is a difficult time for the print media: the day after polling when newspapers must publish hours before the full results of the election are known, while being aware that their readers will know the full outcome as they read this edition.
So they must tread a fine line between hopefully looking prescient with their prediction of the winner or looking extremely foolish when their prediction falls wide of the mark.
Let me suggest a guaranteed safe headline to resolve this dilemma.
Headline: Ruth declares victory!
Photo: Ruth Davidson (with or without large armoured vehicle) pumping her fist in the air with her laughing policeman’s grin at full beam.
This is a completely safe headline regardless of the election result in Scotland.
Why?
If the Tories win even one seat from the SNP she will declare that this is a victory for Unionism and take the credit for it in her own humble way.
If Labour win any seats from the SNP she will declare this a victory for Unionism and claim that it was her steadfast stance against the Nats that forced Labour to ape her position.
If the SNP retain all of their seats she will declare this a victory for Unionism and claim the credit, stating that she has halted the advance of nationalism.
If the SNP win more seats than in 2015 then she will declare this a victory for Unionism and claim the credit saying that she has exposed the true intentions of the Nats to take over the world.
So be grateful for Ruth and her elastic principles which can be stretched to fit any occasion and every headline.
James Mills
Johnstone
AS polling day arrived in this unnecessary and disruptive General Election I was reflecting on the criticism rightly heaped on Theresa May for being “feart” of taking part in any meaningful debate during the campaign.
However we should perhaps not be too smug in our criticism of “Mayday”, after all the real “fearties” here in Scotland are those who have opposed independence and wish to hang on to the coat-tails of the “precious union” regardless of the consequences for our people.
These are people who are “feart” to take responsibility for their own lives and the future of our children. The history of this “union” is littered with the callous treatment of Scotland and the Scots by our “partners” south of the Border.
We have been used and abused and our resources plundered time and time again and never to our benefit.
Anyone voting today for a Unionist candidate, all of whom will deny us the democratic right of self-determination, is betraying the nation they profess to love but are willing to surrender to the not so tender mercies of a cabal of power-hungry tyrants whose every action demonstrates the disdain they have for this nation and it’s people.
Shame on all of you for your fear and lack of courage or even self-respect.
John Murphy
West Lothian
IT’S no fun being right about these things (as I was about the 2015 election results) but I’ll wager, come the morning after the election, the hype about the neck-and-neck poll position of the two main parties was about flushing out the grey/right-wing vote and there will be acres of media “surprise” when May gets in easily, albeit with not the majority she wanted.
As for whether Corbyn will resign – even I cannot predict the actions of someone who is deluded.
Amanda Baker
Edinburgh
THOSE of my vintage will no doubt recall the days of “Margaret Thatcher – milk snatcher!”. History repeats itself in a way, and headlines may give some food for thought: “Take away school lunch and combat obesity!” and “Breakfast means breakfast (only).”
But that’s not all.
Theresa May’s Big Takeaway encompasses houses, pensions, benefits – and much, much more.
May’s Big Giveaway, on the other hand, includes special offers such as corporation tax reductions, while encouraging leisure pursuits like fox hunting. Yoiks!
But the biggest giveaway must be Mrs May’s modest reluctance to publicise her Big Takeaway and Big Giveaway in a Big TV Leader’s Debate.
Welcome to the Great British Back-Off! (Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I suppose).
James Stevenson
Auchterarder
ON June 6, you published a story with the headline “EU academics quit Edinburgh”, which was misleading in respect of the situation at the University of Edinburgh (EU academics quit Edinburgh, The National, June 6).
The news from the University of Edinburgh is that, happily, the net increase of 235 new colleagues from EU countries shows that many more EU nationals are joining our University than are leaving it for positions elsewhere.
Sir Timothy O’Shea Principal and vice-chancellor, University of Edinburgh JOURNALISTS visiting the islands: could they give the English meaning of the islands eg Barra, Eigg? The Gaelic names and meanings should be known by pupils – of the street names, etc, round their schools. A language carries a culture – and adds to UK culture too.
AC
Aberdeen
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