Letter: Cut public sector

Leaving aside the issue that Scotland has provosts and not mayors, do we really need another snout in the trough (your report, 23 August)?

We already have six MEPs, 59 MPs, 129 MSPs and legions of councillors, all surrounded by hangers on, advisers and other drains on public taxes.

Add in the army of civil servant and local authority management on telephone number salaries along with their thousands of essential employees like diversity co-ordinators and the only growth industry is the public sector spending other people's money.

This large sector has proved neither efficient nor competent as anyone trying to negotiate the tram devastated streets of Edinburgh would be aware.

If the Scottish Tories really want to be relevant they should be suggesting ways of cutting the unnecessary public sector starting with the over abundance of elected representatives and their expensive entourage.

Perhaps suggesting cutting the number of MPs to 30 and MSPs to around 50 would be more sensible for a small nation like Scotland. Although it seems that the reason for the lack of circuses in Scotland is because all the clowns have found management jobs in the public sector, we should be pleased that as least the brewery industry is still privately run.

Bruce D Skivington

Strath

Gairloch, Wester Ross