Letters: Green zealots should steel themselves for bridge woe

Zhenhua Heavy Industries, Shanghai, China, will supply the major part, 24,500 tons.

This is bad news for the UK and Scottish economies.

It is also bad news for the climate change zealots, since published data shows that a ton of steel produced in Europe involves a ton and a half of CO2 emissions.

The same ton of steel made in China involves four tons of CO2.

The EU and the climate change brigade love to talk about their “leadership” in climate policy but they have failed to notice that no-one else in the world is paying them any attention and are growing their economies and their CO2 emissions whilst the UK goes into freefall.

Steel production is just one example.

Now is the time to change the rules, use British/Scottish steel and send the pandas back to China.

Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow

City chiefs must walk after failure

IT has been reported that the total cost for the failed attempt to privatise various council departments was £4.2 million (News, February 2).

Why have the main architects of this failure not resigned their posts? They are now at odds with the elected members, who did not accept their recommendations, and also with the workforce they oversee.

How can they be expected to motivate a workforce that knows it’s not wanted on the council payroll?

If they do not have the integrity to resign, then our councillors should force them out.

David Black, Kenmure Avenue, Edinburgh

Hinds’ Labour put us on road to ruin

I WAS interested to read Lesley Hinds’ article (News, January 31) on transport policy in Edinburgh. The “Where to Now” panel flagged up six priorities that had been highlighted as important by the public.

The first priority appears to be action to address the appalling condition of our roads and pavements, which have been neglected since the mid-1980s. I well remember the Labour administration in the former Lothian Regional Council robbing the maintenance budget for various pet schemes.

The regular renewal and maintenance of our infrastructure was reduced to a minimum.

I would be delighted if Councillor Hinds could now tell us if her Labour group will apologise for this and indicate what it would intend doing about it in the unlikely event of being elected to run the city in May.

Councillor Allan Jackson, Conservative transport spokesman, City Chambers

English voters may cry freedom, too

THERE is debate about Scots voting on independence. Should English voters not be asked if they wish to remain with us?

D Holmes, Market Street, Musselburgh