Letters: Not for us to help

It is reported that Portugal will be the next member of the PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain) that the UK will be required to assist in bailing out (your report, 8 April).

How long before the last member of the group, Spain, also requires loan funding?

Rather than giving Spain a loan, should we not be using the money to return some of our banks, airports and power companies to British ownership?

Michael N Crosby

Muiravonside

By Linlithgow

As we see yet another European country (Portugal) going cap in hand to the EEC for help to avoid bankruptcy, questions must be asked as to how many more countries are to follow.

It is not unreasonable to predict that the EEC, which does not have a bottomless pit of money, will eventually say "no".

We are lucky that the UK never joined the Euro club, but it is difficult to accept that we have to pay towards the cost of bailing out Portugal while we are painfully embarking on paying back our own debt.

Dennis Grattan

Mugiemoss Road

Bucksburn, Aberdeen