Letter: Tree cheers for workers who cleared up the city

I WAS very surprised to read some of Martin Hannan's comments (News, May 24). It is true that the roads around town are in very bad condition after an exceptionally hard winter, but this is true of most of Scotland.

With the SNP enforcing a council tax freeze for several years, and inflation eroding the real value of the council's income each year, it is no wonder that Edinburgh and other Scottish cities and towns are struggling to finance the cost of major road repairs.

It is time the new SNP government stopped blowing their own trumpet and found money to finance a major programme to repair the Scottish roads, and show that they can achieve something tangible.

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I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the council on its speedy response to the havoc caused by Monday's terrible storms, and how the toppled trees were cut up and removed so quickly.

M Gray, Craigleith, Edinburgh

Don't take voters for granted, SNP

IAN Swanson's crystal ball on next year's council elections was intriguing (News, May 26). He is right to pinpoint the SNP performance as the wild-card.

Until very recently, the SNP's 2007 result in the city was seen as a one-off surge secured on the back of Alex Salmond's government being elected for the first time on the same day.

Now, with the SNP holding five out of six of the city's parliamentary seats, there is speculation that an SNP-led council is a real possibility.

There is no doubt that the party's activists will have a spring in their step come next May; it is already clear the SNP will seek to make the council poll a referendum on trams.

But the public has a lot more nous than politicians and pundits give them credit for. No-one forgets that SNP councillors have been in power for more than four years now and take their share of blame for the way the tram project has been mis-managed. SNP councillors have voted to close schools and nurseries, slashed funding for frontline voluntary sector projects and generally been part of an administration that has seemed to be in office but not in control.

Voters will know that, whatever the personal appeal of the First Minister, they are not voting to install Alex Salmond as their local councillor or even leader of the council.

Gavin Corbett, Briarbank Terrace, Edinburgh

Brave booze plan deserves support

MOST of us recognise that something has to be done now that some alcoholic drinks are almost as cheap as water. As expected, Labour who courted the drinks industry in its quest to capitalise on cheap drinks offers, denies any responsibility for its part in the massive rise in alcohol abuse, not just in Scotland, but all over the UK.

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When studies from the World Health Organisation indicate that this worrying trend could be tackled on the basis of price and availability, the SNP'S progressive and brave plans for a minimum price per unit of alcohol are to be applauded and deserve cross-party support.

Jack Fraser, Clayknowes Drive, Musselburgh

Mutual respect of different views

STEUART Campbell (Interactive, May 25) is right to infer in his reply to my letter that the original article ("Concerned parent", News, May 12) focused mainly on religious observance in contrast to religious education. (Yes, I do understand the difference!) But it did argue for freedom from religion.

Mr Campbell argues religious observance is indoctrination. My key point was that a non-religion position is equally a world-view of its own. The assumption that freedom from religion is in some way a safe, neutral doctrine is flawed.

Indeed, to argue that religious observance demonstrates fundamental differences amongst children is to miss the point. There are differences both among us and among our children. We need to work towards a mutual accommodation of different views with respect. To eradicate legitimate differences risks the danger of being one-dimensional.

Albeit imperfectly, it seems to me that is what the Scottish Government guidance I quoted seeks to avoid.

Cameron Rose, City Chambers, Edinburgh

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