Gender balance

While your correspondent J Chalmers’ letter (9 February) is maybe “a masterpiece in incisive brevity” (according to David Hollingdale, Letters, 10 February) it displays a worrying naivety about the merits of many of our captains of industry.

They are not all endowed with intelligence and aptitude. Many are self-seeking, greedy and immoral and operate the system like a big boys’ club looking after their own at the expense of their employees and society in general.

Regardless of their sex, they are not always fit for purpose and gender selection will in no way remedy this.

Businesses in the UK should not be run to exploit the British public but if they wish to operate here they should treat the rule of law and the wellbeing of our citizens (not just the rich ones) as their top priorities.

As Peter Jones writes (Perspective, 10 February), until things change we are opening the country to the prospect of “revolution” whether that be government by the SNP or some other group.

This is not the answer – we need a government that will have the guts and the moral standing to fight for the rights of all our people.

Ian Ross

Eden Lane

Edinburgh

I certainly agree with Jacky Chalmers that a female nominee should have the intelligence and aptitude to be appointed to a board.

However, I hope that the same would apply to any male nominee as often I feel that family relationships or the old boys’ network have some part in the make-up of some boards.

M Swanson

Learmonth Street

Falkirk