Readers' Letters: Taxpayers need protection from council pickpockets

A hard decision, for example, would be to stop councillors enjoying their 25 per cent pension contribution on top of their already generous allowances. However, that would involve lifting snouts out of the taxpayers’ trough – now that would be tough.

It is high time councils learned to live within their means. Increases greater than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) continually take a larger and larger chunk of taxpayers’ income and that is simply not sustainable. Nor is the annual plea of poverty from CoSLA, an organisation that consumes money and one that could be abolished – but stopping that would be a tough decision as gravy trains have no brakes.

Much as I dislike central government control, taxpayers need protection. It’s time to require a local referendum when councils propose a tax increase greater than CPI. Councils in England are required to do so where increases greater than 5 per cent are proposed, but even this gives councils far too much freedom when inflation sits at 2 or 3 per cent.

Finally, let’s have no bleating about National Insurance (NI) increases and the impact on councils and the public sectors. Private companies have to cope and councils should too – even when everyone knows NI is a job killer. If the impact of NI is to be reduced, it should be by reversing Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s dangerous and economy-killing tax on jobs. But that too would be a tough decision. Mind you, as the furore surrounding expenses may yet show, it would more accurately also be a trough decision!

Brian Barbour, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

Life and death

It chills to the bone to be told by the non-political Royal College of Emergency Medicine the number of Scots waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments has soared by 100 per cent in the SNP's period in office. The administration running Scotland has been told that this situation has most likely led to more than 1,000 deaths since 2010.

The present First Minister – who has been in one ministerial office or another over this period – has acknowledged that too many people have waited too long. Oh, that is so kind of him. No doubt it will lead to him appointing another to his collection of myriad task forces to tackle the problem. They are all situated in the long grass outside Holyrood.

Scottish Government Ministers spend more time and effort on opening pretend embassies or sending cash to Gaza or sitting in a limo on their way to Hampden or Pittodrie or in debating flags on products than they do on literally life and death matters.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Not one to talk

Vice President JD Vance made a wide-ranging speech in Munich last week, covering many topics, some good and some awful. He is right in saying Europe must pay more for defence, but was totally out of order in attacking Europe for democratic faults. The Trump regime cannot attack others on democracy – the decision to pardon the January 6 rioters was a democratic disgrace. I do hope they will not sell Ukraine down the river with Russia!

William Ballantine, Bo'ness, West Lothian

Morality lost

To quote a former US President, “It’s the Economy Stupid”. Donald Trump and Elon Musk regard Russia and its satellites with their vast populations as fertile ground on which to further grow their business empires. Hence their willingness to cosy up to Putin and sell the Ukraine out. Musk relishing all those potential sales while also accessing the land’s mineral wealth. Meanwhile Trump daydreams of those almost countless “very very beautiful” high rise beach resorts just waiting to be developed. Greed replacing morals.

David Reid, Saline, Dunfermline

Shocking move

Most people would agree that both the leader of Russia and the leader of Hamas are directly responsible for starting the two wars that captivated the media attention for the last few years and could be called terrorists. What if Donald Trump had phoned the leader of Hamas to discuss the war in the Middle East before phoning Benjamin Netanyahu. What if Trump in that call had suggested the leader of Hamas visit Washington DC and that he would visit Gaza. After the call Trump phoned Netanyahu to keep him informed. I would imagine there would have been an even greater furore than we have witnessed!

What is the difference between these two scenarios?

Gavin Cargill, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Tough decisions

Given the sad state of our country’s finances our politicians are faced with making quite a number of difficult decisions and most of us are aware of that. One of the more difficult that we have been made aware of is whether to give away a small group of islands in the Indian Ocean named the Chagos Islands, along with a dowry of £9 billion pounds sterling or increase UK defence spending so that we at least look as if we could make some attempt to defend our interests should they be threatened.

Some might think that decision is a no-brainer, others may think that defence of our country and interests are paramount. Whatever side of the debate you may support one has to appreciate our government has a difficult few years to negotiate before we reach the point where we can have our cake and eat it.

Perhaps until then we can pray for divine intervention like the embattled Ukrainians and hope sense will finally resolve these dilemmas safely.

T Lewis, Coylton, Ayrshire

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