Letter: Cut what instead?

If the group of lecturers led by Dr Carlo Morelli (Letters, 15 November) wish to have education left out of the cuts exercise, then, in the words of Scottish Labour's finance guru Andy Kerr, "they must tell us what they wish to have cut instead". The problem is that they, and Labour, have their heads in the sand over this. It was Labour's mismanagement of the economy that caused the crisis, yet they are in denial about that.

The question is: how did the plethora of academics and intellectuals, who must have observed the profligacy of Labour spending on the back of stealth taxes, delayed payments via PFI projects, increased tax take from excessive availability of credit in the high streets, and through excessive borrowing, not see the disaster coming years ago?

The lecturers' protests, and requests for a solution, should be directed at Labour's headquarters, but I reckon they will have to do more than batter down the door to get any sense out of them, because they have shown none so far on the issue of their deficit, in their manifesto or since.

And why are the lecturers getting so excited about the Scottish education situation before we have proposals from any of the Holyrood parties?

Douglas R Mayer

Thomson Crescent

Currie, Midlothian

When Carlo Morelli writes of a "magnificent show of strength" by protesting students in the courtyard of Millbank in London, was he referring to the effort needed to throw a fire extinguisher from the roof in the direction of the policemen gathered below? Carlo Morelli's cant was an Orwellian Ministry of Truth abuse of the English language.

Alexander McKay

New Cut Rigg

Edinburgh