LETTERS: SNP needs to be honest over its fracking policy

Unless, of course, they support fracking gas in America, drilling, driving, then shipping it to Scotland at huge environmental costs, just to avoid fracking here?

As the North Sea oil industry collapses we desperately need something to fill the black hole in our country’s finances.

The SNP should be honest enough to state that we desperately need to start fracking to avoid an economic collapse, like Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain.

Michelle Smythe, Dalry Road, Edinburgh

Nicola’s moratorium will last until elections

Nicola Sturgeon should check her dictionary before claiming that a moratorium on fracking is the same as a ban (News, March 4).

A moratorium is only a temporary prohibition or a ban for the moment, and one must assume that sticking to this word implies that the SNP is minded to lift the moratorium as soon as the election is out of the way.

Henry L Philip, Grange Loan, Edinburgh

Pothole patrol needs a better approach

I was excited for a moment when I read about the dedicated pothole patrol (News, March 3) Then reality set in. The potholes on East Preston Street alone would eat up the £180,000.

We have the pothole patrol on a regular basis. They go around shovelling cold tar into the broken road or pothole, hit it with the back of a shovel and drive away.

Five minutes later a Lothian bus comes along and lifts up the ‘new tar’, splatters it all over the parked cars and we are back to square one.

My wee car has more tar and stones on it than there are on the road. As a permit holder I pay for the privilege of having my car ruined. At the moment it looks like it has a severe case of black tar spot.

There are more stones under the parked cars than on the road, so when you step out of your car, you collect the sticky tar stones on your shoes and they become part of your carpet as you come through the door. If a cyclist made an emergency stop of this surface they would not be able to control their bike.

I hope the new pothole team will spend a bit more time and care and try to ensure the tar they are filling into the holes and uneven surfaces stays in and does the job.

Perhaps if they emptied out the water from the hole or surface it would last longer!

Lyn Blackhall, East Preston Street, Edinburgh

Scottish Six news plan is just a vanity project

The proposed Scottish Six News being pushed for by the SNP is just another expensive vanity project.

Anyone who watches Reporting Scotland at 6.30pm on the BBC must be well aware that the BBC in Scotland struggles woefully to fill the half hour slot as it is.

By about 6.45pm, having exhausted trivia from around the country, they treat us to 10 or so minutes of football. The programme is already lacking in any depth and goodness knows what drivel will be dragged up to fill an hour.

We already have Radio Scotland and BBC Alba, which could be expanded upon, but I suspect that apart from a few faithful SNP cult followers there would be pitifully few viewers.

I believe River City is one of Nicola Sturgeon’s favourite programmes. Enough said.

Thank goodness for digital and Sky.

Donald Lewis, Gifford, East Lothian

Scotland isn’t working with SNP policies

The latest issue of the Fraser of Allander economic commentary, supported by the University of Strathclyde, makes grim reading for Scotland and shows the UK is doing better by comparison.

Over the last year, unemployment in Scotland increased by 8.6% while in the rest of the UK it fell by 9.2%. The Scottish unemployment rate stands at 5.8% - above the UK rate of 5.1%.

Everyday we unfortunately seem to hear of more and more redundancies. With the report also making critical comments about Scottish exports and our important construction industry, it is clear that the SNP Government’s economic policies are not working.

We need a change.

Derek Johnston, Maxwell Street

Edinburgh

Government should reverse vaccine ruling

A PETITION calling on the government to extend vaccination against meningitis B to all children under 11 attracted 700,000 signatures, but has been rejected by the government.

Surely all children should be vaccinated against this potentially deadly health risk without delay.

Mrs June Fleming, Hercus Loan, Musselburgh

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