Letters: Will SNP sit back and watch more money being wasted?

Given the sums in excess of 600 million to get to Haymarket and more than 700m to York Place, my 1 billion figure to complete the project looks ultra-conservative!

What concerns me more is that from recent freedom of information disclosures TIE seems to have been reporting the true position to Transport Scotland from the outset.

Given this revelation it now appears the cover-up is wider than TIE and a few councillors. Transport Scotland, through the requirements set out in the financing agreement between it and Edinburgh City Council, is certainly aware of the true position of deteriorating finances and programme slippage and more recently the cost submissions received by TIE from Bilfinger Berger.

This submission outlined five scenarios, with costed completions from Haymarket, York Place, two other intermediate locations and to completion of the project at Newhaven.

The implication here is that if Transport Scotland is aware of this information then Finance Secretary John Swinney and Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson also know. Having squandered a large proportion of the 500m grant with no visible infrastructure to show for it, will Messrs Swinney and Stevenson still sit back and allow Edinburgh to expend further money which they clearly cannot afford on a court case they will surely lose?

John RT Carson, Kirkliston Road, South Queensferry

It's the city tram project, stupid!

AN American President famously replied to a question on what would be most likely to swing an election: "It's the economy, stupid!"

Jenny Dawe, the Liberal leader of our disastrous coalition council, blames the coalition's failure to win a local by-election on "It's national stuff which has maybe affected people's views" (News, September 11).

It isn't; it's the trams, stupid!

If the council did the honourable thing and resigned en masse, not one of those who support the tram project would be re-elected. When the next council election is called, it will be interesting to see how many of them suddenly begin to claim "It wuznae me!"

David Fiddimore, Calton Road, Edinburgh

Views on meat hard to stomach

A INNES' letter (News, September 13) is written in the jocular tone of one who would rip the entrails from a dying pig to fill his stomach.

This kind of attititude skates over the second type of cruelty involved in the eating of animals. Yes, there is the carnage that goes on in abattoirs and battery farms; there is also the cruelty implicit in taking the one and only life of some creature which has done you no harm.

We have the right to do this because . . . we're humans.

Mr Innes, though, is right in the hypocrisy of meat-eaters in being too faddish about what exactly they eat.

They salivate at the sight of a rare steak yet will turn up their noses at a plate of brains or testicles.

If you're going to eat your fellow creatures at least go the whole nine yards.

David Millar, Tytler Gardens, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh

Put dark days of bigotry behind us

LOOKING ahead to the historical visit of the Pope now would be an ideal time for the country to "carpe diem" and present an image to the world of a country that has moved on from the dark days of sectarianism and the problems that this cancer brings.

The reality, of course, may still be a little bit different, especially in the west of Scotland, but nevertheless the Papal visit could act as some sort of catalyst to once and for all banish religious divisions.

After all if Scotland, as small a nation as it is, is to be taken seriously on the world stage in every aspect of life, no way can it afford to live in the "dark ages" of religious division!

Angus McGregor, Albion Road, Edinburgh