We need a government that has the courage to increase council tax
And perhaps when owner-occupiers are exposed to how quickly rents are increasing in their area, they will be more supportive of planning permission for local house building, increasing government revenue, and allowing income taxes to be cut further.
Of course, the last attempt to increase council tax rates for the largest 28% of houses was bitterly opposed by the Conservatives, eventually bouncing Humza Yousaf into announcing the council tax freeze that led to his downfall. Deep down, do any of the Conservative, Reform or Labour parties actually want Scotland to be more like Singapore?
Alan Ritchie, Glasgow.
Read more letters
Rail capacity is a scandal
Alan Simpson ('The new electric rail line that hasn't got enough trains to run', The Herald, May 19) makes some highly pertinent points and raises valid questions on the upgrade to the East Kilbride rail line. One point that he does not mention is that the original plan to upgrade the line from Busby to East Kilbride from single to double track was dropped as being unaffordable. The result is that, even when there are new electric trains to run on the line, the frequency of services will be constrained because of the single-track bottleneck at East Kilbride.
A large part of the justification for investment in the line was founded on the need to increase capacity for commuters from the vast new housing developments being built around East Kilbride. The housing developments are being built but the capacity of the rail network is not being and cannot be increased sufficiently to match. This ought to be a major scandal but, alas, we have become so accustomed to wasteful public spending and ill-considered projects that it has gone almost unremarked.
Alistair Stewart, Kirkcaldy.
Selective with Scripture
Doug Clark, writing about the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (Letters, May 17), takes the opportunity to also criticise Christianity and indeed Christ. Of course, it is easy to criticise an organisation especially from outside it, although it is at least helpful when the organisation in question reports its own failings. Beyond that he uses a peculiar if not naïve hermeneutic to support his wider arguments.
It reminds one of the person who thought he might find guidance in the Bible by opening it at random and putting his finger on the page. At the first attempt he read 'Judas went out and hanged himself'. Not being satisfied with that he thought he would try again only to find, 'go and do likewise'. Lifting texts without regard for context is not to be recommended ether for guidance or argument. The Bible is an altogether more sophisticated document than that.
Now Christianity is indeed exclusive in one sense but inclusive in a much wider sense, witness John 3: 16 "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, (Christ) that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life", a better-known and easier-understood verse than those that were quoted.
J Spence, Airdrie.
Look, listen and learn
Anent recent correspondence about political buzzwords, my older daughter pointed out that politicians frequently begin their non-answers with "Look". Sure enough, my daily e-newspaper includes an interview with the Prime Minister, whose response to a question begins with "Look".
The practice spreads. The Rangers manager's answer to the first question in his post-match interview on Saturday (May 17) began with "Look".
"Listen" is another instruction often directed at interviewers by, in particular, football managers.
My impulsive response in my imaginary role of interviewer would be: " How dare you tell me to look or listen?"
Then again...
David Miller, Milngavie.
Give TV ads a miss
I agree wholeheartedly with the comments of Denis Bruce (Letters, May 19) regarding the utter crassness of many of today's TV commercials.
There is however a simple solution. Use a TV recording device. Whether purchased outright or as part of a subscription package, this device allows the viewer to record all TV programmes that they might wish to watch. Once recorded you can fast forward through those dreadful ads. Another benefit is that you can watch your favourite programmes whenever it suits and you can pause whenever you fancy that wee cuppa (or a wee hauf).
David Clark, Tarbolton.
• I completely agree with Denis Bruce about the abysmal state of TV advertising, regardless of the products being sold.
A quick look at any of the 1960s and 70s advertising compilations on YouTube will show how far TV advertising has fallen, from works of art by directors like Ridley Scott, which also essentially sold the product, to the artless, stupid and witless rubbish that fills the commercial breaks now, a great reason for recording and fast-forwarding.
Stuart Neville, Clydebank.
Britain's 2025 Eurovision representatives, Remember Monday (Image: PA)
What the hell was that?
Is it any wonder that What the Hell Happened?, the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest flopped ("Remember Monday say Eurovision gave 'lifelong memories'", The Herald, May 19)? It was so bad it wouldn't make the playlist in my local Co-op, and that's saying something.
The whole show is so bad Keith Richards sitting on stage smoking a Benson and Hedges would probably have won it.
Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven.
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