Letters: City hasn't a prayer with latest Hogmanay price hike

The visit may well bring tourists to our city but I can't see a great deal of foreign viewers who were watching his procession through the city wanting to come here for an alcohol-fuelled rammy with thousands of people on a bitterly cold thoroughfare.

Mr Cardownie then goes on to point out that the increase in ticket prices will be vindicated by the Pope's visit. Once again, I baulk at this suggestion. I think we need to think about the bigger picture here. In times of austerity, people may decide against spending 15 for a ticket, perhaps opting for a more sanguine event at home.

To increase capacity - which, I suspect, increases the cost of organising the event - and the price of tickets seems ludicrous, and no amount of divine intervention will make me, or even the taxpayer, think otherwise.

Philip Graham, Groathill

Country must build its recovery

With the reality of recession in the UK here are a couple of suggestions for how the UK could build its way out of the financial hole that the banks and policymakers have created.

First, the UK has to encourage people to set up in business by relaxing the rules governing start-up loans.

Next the shortage of housing in the UK is obvious for anyone to see, with more than 250,000 houses needed to get the council waiting lists down by a good degree. Nationally the need for housing will not diminish if the current economic situation doesn't change.

This reality, as yet unrealised by the UK political fraternity, could be addressed by a national house-creation programme, which would help ease unemployment, create much-needed houses and re-invigorate the economy.

It is not good enough to let the army of jobless to grow and, at the same time, cut welfare and front line services. UK citizens must become politically active and send a strong message to the politicians that it cannot simply continue.

Trevor Swistchew, Victor Park Terrace, Edinburgh

Bin men still not getting fair deal

I MUST point out two errors in your opinion column on Friday regarding the bin dispute.

Firstly you state that there are 153 workers who will be affected by the proposed changes. There are in fact many more than that, the figure you give is the members of Unite who voted against the last proposal. Not included in this number are the bin men who are in Unison or are, like myself, not in any union. We have never been given a vote on the proposals despite the fact that it is our future as well.

Secondly you state that bin men are on an "enviable" four days on, four days off system. No bin men are on this shift pattern, only street cleansing staff. Their dispute was sorted out months ago. Bin men work a four days out of five shift between Monday and Friday.

You also fail to mention in your article that the council wishes to add 52 days to the working year and remove two public holidays from the bin men. No other section of the council is being asked to do this - so much for equal rights!

Name and address supplied

U-turn destroys Miliband's status

David Miliband is a classic example of running with the hares and the hounds on Lockerbie. In Government he stated the Scottish Government was right to release Megrahi. In opposition he has now taken the opposite view.

Unless you believe that Dr Jim Swires is a terrorist following his recent visit to see Megrahi the probability is that Megrahi is innocent of involvement in Lockerbie. A fresh inquiry needs to be held, along with fresh efforts to catch the real culprits.

As for David Miliband, his volte face completely undermines him.

Andrew JT Kerr Castlegate, Jedburgh