Letters: Royal wedding late licence nothing to raise glasses to

Do you think there should be an extended licence to mark the royal wedding?

AS A democrat, I am ambivalent towards bars and pubs opening later to allow people to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton (News, February 23).

Now, if a late licence was granted to celebrate the end of our unelected monarchy, my ambivalence would disappear, tempting me to have a celebratory drink in the Capital.

Sadly, when excessive alcohol consumption and its resulting repercussions is a national problem, I can understand why some might think that the last thing we need is encouragement to drink more.

Instead of celebrating this, Edinburgh citizens should be questioning why their Government can remain silent about a guest list that includes the King of Bahrain when his henchmen have fired on brave democracy-seeking protesters.

Jack Fraser, Clayknowes Drive, Musselburgh

AV has raised the voices of many

KEZIA Dugdale is mistaken if she thinks that by voting "No" in the AV referendum she will hasten real reform of the voting system used to elect MPs (Mouthpiece, February 26).

If there is a majority against AV on May 5, that will be interpreted as a mandate for no change. And reform of the Westminster voting system will be off the political agenda for another generation.

Ms Dugdale says she wants "real electoral reform", by which she presumably means PR by a system such as STV.

But that reform is not on offer. And voting for "no change" will not change that any time soon.

There are just too many politicians opposed to real electoral reform, including many in the Labour Party.

Ms Dugdale says the smaller parties dislike AV, but she is wrong to say it will do nothing to increase their voice.

Some two-thirds of our MPs are now elected without an overall majority of the votes in their constituencies. To be elected by AV those minority members would need the second preference votes of the supporters of smaller parties.

There will be many Labour candidates who will find that AV has indeed increased the voice of the smaller parties.

James Gilmour, East Parkside, Edinburgh

Are sanctions the correct strategy?

IS President Obama using the right strategy by imposing sanctions on Gaddafi's regime?

I feel the best way forward in the short term, is to try and replace him with his Western-educated son Saif Al-Islam, with a view to Libya having democratic elections held in the near future.

John Connor, David Henderson Court, Dunfermline, Fife

Not impressed by ERI floor show

ON a recent visit to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary A&E department, I was surprised to note that the very large reception area of the building had carpet flooring.Surely a stone or linoleum surface would be easier to keep hygienically clean?

Carpeting is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria brought in on the feet of thousands of members of the public, to be trailed into every corner of the hospital and if left untreated by a decontaminating process will allow germs to breed and perhaps mutate into more dangerous forms such as MRSI.

The A&E area didn't impress me either.

I was visiting my brother whose bed was only a few feet away from a waste bin that seemed to be constantly clanging open and shut every few minutes.

Frank Ferri, Newhaven Main Street, Edinburgh

Mystery over my leaflet from MSP

I RECEIVED with interest the last leaflet from Mike Pringle MSP, as I am one of his constituents.

Nowhere in this leaflet does Mike tell us he is a Liberal Democrat MSP and nowhere does the leaflet say where it was printed and promoted.

I also wondered who paid for this leaflet?

Diana Mackenzie, Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh