Inquiry needed into council's 'Gestapo' tactics to bin man

Is anyone surprised that City of Edinburgh Council has resorted to "Gestapo-like" tactics in order to "dig out" an employee and intimidate the rest of its staff? Does anyone doubt that this is a council which is clearly out of control?

Where is Mr French's councillor? Isn't this just another example of a councillor keeping his/her head "safely" below the parapet in a complete abrogation of a constituent's right to support from the very individual elected to represent his interests?

Like the trams and the city infrastructure we all see rapidly deteriorating across the board, doesn't the council's handling of the refuse dispute betray dictatorship rather than leadership?

Isn't the common denominator here that it is the council by its own actions which is bringing the city into disrepute, while we taxpayers have to pick up the tab resulting from its intransigent and bullying managerial culture?

Isn't sacking Paul French little more than the council abusing its power in order to intimidate others into submission, flagrantly breaching the fundamental right of free speech in the process?

Isn't it imperative that the Scottish Government now sets aside the concordat it agreed with Cosla not to interfere in council matters, and hold the public inquiry we desperately need into the conduct of this council's administration?

Jim Taylor, The Murrays Brae, Edinburgh

Knife crime policy just doesn't cut it

KNIFE crime has been a terrible blight on communities in Scotland and needs policies to tackle it that work and have the support of our police on the front line.

But Richard Baker's misleading campaign on "mandatory" sentences – he actually doesn't support making it statutory for judges to impose sentences – has reached farcical levels.

By continuing Labour's obsession with attacking the SNP for the sake of it, he has inadvertently attacked his own party. A classic example of politicians saying one thing on knives in opposition and another in power.

Since Mr Baker is so critical of 30 per cent of people being imprisoned for knife possession in Scotland, could he say what he thinks of the London Labour government which is so "complacent" that it only incarcerates 21 per cent of such offenders and also doesn't support mandatory sentences?

Maybe he would also like to explain why Labour's petition changed from saying "mandatory" to "minimum" sentences? Could he make clear why Labour are claiming they doubled knife carrying sentences when last in power? In actual fact, it was I who introduced this to the Justice Bill.

Finally, does he not agree that part of the battle against crime is to lift the fear of crime – to avoid needlessly making people scared of phantom epidemics and non-existent increases? Or has he become like those typical politicians south of the Border who will say anything to gain votes?

Stewart Maxwell MSP, SNP West of Scotland

Booze-buying law leaves a hangover

THE exceedingly unwise law that prohibits supermarkets selling alcohol before 10am has to be altered. Thousands of mums combine the school run with shopping. In the past, it was possible to complete all the shopping during the morning run. It is now necessary to retrace one's journey in the afternoon for the evening bottle of wine.

Extra mileage, extra congestion and extra pollution. Not bad for a government hell bent on saving the planet.

Colin C Maclean, Hillpark Avenue, Edinburgh

Lack of respect to the fallen French

JOHN Gibson's jibe about the French army was both ignorant and disrespectful (News, 17 March).

He is obviously not aware that the French lost 1.4 million men in the First World War, compared with 700,000 British and 100,000 Americans – most of the latter died of Spanish flu and not in combat. The major role of the French army was recognised by the post of Allied Commander-in-Chief going to Marshal Foch.

James Chisholm, Clifford Road, North Berwick