Letters: Bringing Tour de France to city would be fantastique

Apart from being a great sporting spectacle staging the Grand Depart of the Tour de France would give Edinburgh’s economy a massive boost (News, May 17).

This truly international and classic sporting event generates interest right around the globe and if Edinburgh were to be involved, its status as a modern and cosmopolitan city would be all but cemented.

Not only that but cycling as a viable form of transport would receive a great advert and it may also be the ideal way in which to embrace the return of trams in Edinburgh if, of course, they are up and running by 2017.

As they say in France, vive Le Tour!

Angus McGregor, Albion Road, Edinburgh

Coalitions must rise above angst

As the dust settles on the city council elections there may be many who express surprise at the machinations behind the new Labour/SNP coalition.

The same inevitable machinations have taken place across Scotland, after the decision made by Jack McConnell and his then Liberal allies to introduce PR to Scottish local elections.

In Edinburgh, a detailed study of the Labour manifesto with those of the other parties revealed a surprising degree of common ground with the SNP. This contrasted sharply with those presented by the Conservatives and the Greens.

There will be very real difficulties as we move towards the referendum in 2014. It remains to be seen if the parties will survive the political differences and personality clashes.

Machinations have become a feature of the political scene in Scotland and the challenge to councillors is to rise above them to make the coalitions work.

Cllr Norma Austin Hart (Labour, Liberton Gilmerton), Craiglockhart Drive South, Edinburgh

Put own economy under microscope

I AM constantly bemused by the scaremongering commentary on the supposed “crisis” befalling the eurozone.

With the UK currently enjoying stagnant economic growth, latest quarterly economic statistics indicate that 11 of the 17 eurozone countries have higher growth rates than the UK.

This year the UK economy is forecast to grow by 0.5 per cent, an economic growth rate surpassed by nine of the 17 eurozone countries.

The issues currently affecting the eurozone need to be explored in context, and if we in the UK are critical of this situation, it is maybe time we held up a mirror to our own economic performance.

Alex Orr, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh

Scots keep tight grip of finances

No matter which of their own blunders they manage to blame on their predecessors, it wasn’t David Cameron who kept us out of the euro, it was a canny Scotsman.

I hope the Westminster governing party remember that when, as they will, they select a new Prime Minister and Chancellor at the end of the year.

David Fiddimore, Nether Craigwell, Calton Road, Edinburgh