Why on earth are CMAL and CalMac still so stubborn about catamarans?
One would have thought that the CMAL and CalMac representatives who attended the conference would have seen the presentation as a golden opportunity to explore this superior technology. Instead, they complained to the conference organisers that they had been denigrated and complained to Professor Baird's university principal that the paper should not have been presented.
Since then, CMAL has had several opportunities to commission efficient catamarans and rejected them on a series of fantastical grounds, not least in the case of Arran, where it could have had two for about a twentieth the cost of Glens Sannox and Rosa, and they would have easily fitted Ardrossan, with only relatively inexpensive linkspan modification. In fact, when you think about it, Arran could still have two such drive-through cats within two years plus the linkspan upgrade for about £45 million. In other words, much less than the proposed £80 million reconfiguration of Ardrossan harbour to accommodate the infamous Glens, for which CMAL could always, I suppose, recoup the scrap value.
Roy Pedersen, Inverness.
Read more letters
Second homes plan not the answer
I wonder which financial genius dreamt up the idea that the doubling of council tax on holiday homes would improve the stock of 'affordable" housing for local first-time buyers ("Local tax on second homes may double in tourism hotspots", The Herald, April 23).
This year's valuation of our modest cottage on Arran would suggest it is certainly not in that category. But consider what would happen if we did decide to sell up:
Caledonian MacBrayne would lose our near-monthly fare income. Local restaurants would lose our regular evening income. On short breaks, we eat out far more than any locals do. Children's attractions such as the petting farms and the crazy golf would lose out as my grandchildren would no longer use them. Janey's coffee shop at Duchess Court would certainly suffer (hope she appreciates the plug!). Food suppliers would lose our business on longer holidays. Golf clubs will lose vast amounts of money, which they can ill afford.
You get the idea. Affordable housing is the responsibility of local authorities and they must make the necessary provision. Driving out long-standing holiday home-owners will not solve the problem.
John NE Rankin, Bridge of Allan.
Don't blame religion
I read Carlos Alba's wide-ranging column ("So we may not be alone... now what does that do to religion?", The Herald, April 23) with interest. The debate about the possible discovery of life on other planets and how that influences arguments about the existence of God could be interesting.
However, his assertion that religion is central to 'many of the world's problems and to so much bloodshed and suffering' is a simplistic and lazy analysis of historic and current wars.
Nationalism, racism and religion are used as excuses for the bloodshed and suffering which are, in reality, caused almost exclusively by the greed for power and wealth which is the fundamental cause of the world's conflicts.
James Quinn, Lanark.
Would doubling council tax on holiday homes solve affordable housing problems? (Image: Getty)
Concrete evidence
Douglas Jardine (Letters, April 22) mentions the M6 Preston bypass being the first stretch of motorway in Britain. As a teenager in the late 1960s travelling with my parents down to family in Cheshire, my dad used to tell me that very same fact. Usually because I had asked him why the car had all of a sudden become very noisy. He would tell me how the Preston bypass had a concrete surface, compared to the newer M6 sections, and the rougher concrete surface caused vibration on the car.
Now don't get me started with the traffic jams down the old A6 at Shap summit and virtually every town en route.
Brian Watt, Edinburgh.
Say, where is Scotland?
On reading Willie Towers' letter (April 23) I was reminded of a conversation I had in a lift in Niagara Falls years ago when an American hearing my Scottish accent asked me if we had the internet and was Scotland in London?
Richard Beattie, Glaston.
The incredible sulk
Every time I see a photo of Donald Trump, wearing his normal expression, I am reminded of my childhood, when a scolding would end with the admonition 'and you can just get rid of that petted lip!' Is that a sign of my age, or his?
P Davidson, Falkirk.
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According to Ugly Mugs Ireland, crimes against sex workers almost doubled in the two years following the introduction of the law. A Medicins du Monde report found that similar laws in France have led to 42% of workers being more exposed to violence, and 63% experiencing a deterioration of living conditions. An Amnesty International report on the impacts of the Nordic model in Norway found that the police still primarily target sex workers for criminalisation, rather than clients. Clearly, the Nordic model does not work. Public policy should not be based on ideological positions, but on the evidence of what will truly help those in need. This is why Scotland for Decrim calls for further measures to help those in poverty, as we do not want anyone to have to sell sex to survive. We want to see the introduction of rent controls, further support for disabled people and an end to attacks on their rights and income, and the implementation of a Universal Basic Income. We want a reversal of the slashing of services designed to help those escaping abuse, and a complete overhaul of the immigration system to avoid keeping people in dire situations of poverty for long periods of time. These measures are what has been proven to effectively tackle exploitation according to academics at Dundee and Edinburgh Napier universities, not the further criminalisation of an already vulnerable group. Ash Regan (Image: Newsquest) Best evidence demonstrates that full decriminalisation is the most effective measure to ensure sex workers' ability to work in the safest ways possible. In New Zealand where decriminalisation was implemented in 2003, violence against sex workers has decreased, access to healthcare has improved, and relations with the police moved from being combative to collaborative. In Belgium, which decriminalised sex work in 2023, sex workers are now able to form trade unions and have won the right to maternity pay, which will decrease exploitation and child poverty. Bellatrix, a sex worker from Scotland, had this to say to you: 'No matter your personal feelings on sex work, the evidence shows that decriminalisation is the safest for us. Not all issues are made better by involving the criminal justice system. Focus on how to help us avoid poverty, how to not lose our housing, how to find jobs that will actually work around our childcare responsibilities, and our disabilities. Do not criminalise us for existing within the margins.' We call on the Scottish public to join us in the fight against this dangerous bill and for the full decriminalisation of sex work. Visit our website or find us on Instagram at scotland4decrim to find out more.
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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
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The email quotes a response from someone connected to the UCU fundraiser, who questioned the justification for banning the flag. 'I have never seen any literature stating that national flags are not permitted … If you could point me in the direction of any relevant literature, I would be grateful. 'I will also check with UCU as it is important not to have discriminatory situation where the Palestinian flag is the ONLY [sic] one that is not allowed on campus.' People close to the event told The Herald the Palestinian flag was allowed at the UCU fundraiser. The revelations come days after it was revealed that HWU agreed to a request from defence company Raytheon UK to monitor students for signs of potential protest activity targeting a career fair held last February. Raytheon UK's requests – which HWU staff agreed to in an email – included monitoring students' online chats before the event, actively monitoring CCTV and carrying out 'enhanced patrols' during the fair in order to spot signs of students gathering and 'act as a deterrent' to help safeguard the Raytheon UK employees. The university denied involvement in improper monitoring. 'Heriot-Watt University categorically denies any suggestion of improper monitoring of our community. These allegations completely misrepresent the way the University operates. 'For absolute clarity, our Safeguarding team does not have access to student chat rooms or online discussion forums, nor would they ever be expected or requested by the University to monitor them.
