THE growing problems of our textile and allied industries have inspired George Foulkes, MP, to advise Scots to buy Scottish. This counsel should be heeded not only by individuals but also by organisations, national and local, public and private.
For example, football and rugby teams from the senior clubs to primary schools (and their many thousands of supporters) wear strips made anywhere but in Scotland. Our national soccer side will go into action next week clad in foreign shirts.
Historic Scotland at its castles and abbeys sells gear which may be emblazoned with ''William Wallace'', ''St Andrews'', ''Edinburgh Castle'', and the like but which will have been manufactured in England, Ireland, the US, Indonesia, and Morocco.
Goods offered at our national galleries and museums should be of Scottish origin. They come, however, from anywhere else. Worse, some items which are made in Poland, Hungary, or Italy carry misleading labels - eg, ''Edinburgh Crystal''.
Our police, traffic wardens, hospital staff, rail and bus crews, and many more are issued with uniforms and shirts which could be but are not made in Scottish factories. Shortly, because of a new contract, our Scottish soldiers will be clad in jerseys from Romania.
In the private sector, our High Streets are full of ''Mill'' and similar shops offering souvenirs (often in tartan) which do come from mills but those in the strangest places well away from Scotland.
And a lot of the above, especially the sports items, will have been made by child and/or very cheap labour exploited by middlemen (and women) some of whom are Scots.
It's not selfish to ''Buy Scottish''. It's common sense at a time when Scots are losing their jobs.
Jim Brunton,
7 Balderston Gardens, Edinburgh.
June 1.
I read with interest Ron Ferguson's open letter to the chairman of Nike (May 29). I too have a question concerning not only World Cup sponsors but also other companies which use the World Cup to entice us to buy their goods.
Do consumers in other competing nations get advertisements, competitions, and promotional gifts associated with rival competing nations? I very much doubt it.
Why then do companies persist in continuing this practice in Scotland? For example, Duracell give a free wall chart with purchases featuring a certain Mr Hoddle, Maxell offer free stickers of the England team with purchases of video and audio cassettes, McDonalds use Alan Shearer, possibly the England captain for the World Cup, to advertise their wares, and the BBC offer a chance to win tickets to see England play in this week's edition of the Radio Times which clearly has SCOTLAND emblazoned in the top right-hand corner.
It is surely in the best interests of companies to endear themselves to consumers. This is not the way they are acting at present. Perhaps a little more consideration to the Scottish consumer may encourage people towards their products.
Perhaps the significance of Scotland's overwhelming vote for its own Parliament was lost to some, but thankfully not all in the outside world. I cite Carlsberg's current advertisement as proof.
Derek Foy,
383 Clarkston Road, Glasgow.
May 31.
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