IN his recent letter Martin Roche (July 9) referred me me as "the late Lord Provost". While I always enjoy recalling the dynamic Miles Better days of the eighties, I hope the term "former" will be used for a while longer!
As far as the substance of his letter is concerned, in a piece I wrote for The Herald a few months ago, I fully rehearsed and endorsed the case for establishing a Greater Glasgow authority with economic and planning powers under an elected head.
On party duty at the polling station last week I had a discussion with a developer who was disgusted at the brusque, uninformed rejection of his housing proposal by the city’s planning committee which he described as ignorant of the simplest facts about his application - like the number of houses he was proposing to build. The new Government has sought to liberate planning in England. One hopes that Holyrood will follow this lead and get things built. Glasgow’s business community will be a ready partner.
Another suggestion from Whitehall which I welcome is for the Scotland Office to become a spending department allocating funds directly to Scottish organisations including our cash-starved local authorities.
Hopefully these funds will be welcomed by the Scottish Government as a stop-gap solution to the pressing problems of our city centre. However, the long term demands the establishment of metropolitan authorities - and Holyrood, not Westminster, can do that. Proposals to introduce these strategic bodies, while leaving local powers with the existing councils, should be introduced immediately. This should not be left as a disputed issue to be fought over at the 2026 Scottish elections. Glasgow cannot wait that long.
Michael Kelly, Giffnock.
Keep us apart from Glasgow
AS someone who has availed myself of the facilities provided by the City of Glasgow over many years, I have sympathy with John Taylor's comments (Letters, July 10). I accept that there is strong case for surrounding areas to make a contribution towards these services. However, fond as I am of the city, I am totally against their residents being subsumed into a Greater Glasgow once more.
Under Glasgow, my home town of Rutherglen was neglected to a great extent and was in danger of losing its own character. In some cases, Ruglonians whose families had lived in the Royal Burgh for generations were given no choice but to be rehoused elsewhere in Glasgow.
Rutherglen has suffered in the same way as many other small towns. However, since coming under the wing of South Lanarkshire, the distinctive town hall has been restored magnificently with a small theatre that features regular well-attended events and has a lovely cafe which is well used by locals like myself. Our adjacent library established in 1907 with financial support from Andrew Carnegie remains open, providing additional services such as IT facilities, entertainment and education for young children as well as Football Memories sessions for the elderly.
I definitely want to see Glasgow flourish but not at the cost of other nearby communities and I would be happy if our politicians could come up with a financial compromise with its neighbours in this regard.
Gordon Evans, Rutherglen.
READ MORE: Glasgow's surrounding areas should help pay for amenities
READ MORE: Glasgow badly needs an Andy Burnham to stand up for it
A fair deal for solo dwellers
I MUST take issue with Roddy MacLeod (Letters, July 11) when he advocates the abolition of the 25 per cent reduction in council tax for single occupants. To use Mr MacLeod’s phrase, I am one of the no-doubt countless others who have made the lifestyle choice to live alone throughout my adult life, a choice which I am, of course, perfectly entitled to make. Presumably the 25% council tax reduction which I currently enjoy is in recognition of my minimal usage of the utilities provided by the local authority, as opposed to the usage of burgeoning multi-children families.
Mr MacLeod should also recognise the penalties and prejudice which single people suffer in society such as excessive single supplement charges on holiday packages and full-rate prices for standard rooms in typical hotel chains.
Rather than abolishing council tax discounts, I would submit that what is required is penalties for excessive use of utilities to discourage profligate occupants.
David Edgar, Biggar.
Taking care of climate victims
CLARK Cross (Letters, July 11) makes a valid point when he points out that China is an enormous polluter, as well as other countries using coal. However, what is China producing with those 1,142 coal-fired plants? Mostly cheap plastic stuff that is exported - to the West. Oil-producing countries in the Middle East produce oil: for the West.
What all of us need to realise is that we only have one world, and we have to take care of it. That includes taking care of those who, not of their own fault, are displaced by climate disasters. It is not only the moral thing to do; it is also in our own interest.
Trudy Duffy-Wigman, Crook of Devon.
Honourable exceptions
MAY I remind Alan Fitzpatrick (Letters, July 11) that the Speaker of the House does not address Members by their names, nor do Members in debate. The correct appellation is to use the name of the constituency they represent with an Honorific, for example The Honourable Member for ...
Does that make his job easier or more difficult?
Robin Johnston, Newton Mearns.
Penalty clauses
IN the light of the penalty decision awarded in the Netherlands v England Euro semi-final ("Watkins leaves it late to clinch final place for Southgate’s men", Herald Sport, July 11), I would urge the football authorities to adopt the following new regulation.
New penalty rules: 1: Once a forward enters the opponents' half, all opposition defenders within the penalty box must stand motionless with their arms folded behind their backs.
2: These defenders may be asked to step aside if in the path of a forward in possession of the football.
3: If the forward then shoots the football past the goalkeeper and into the net, a goal will be awarded and defenders may then bring their arms forward in front of them and use their hands to clap in applause.
4. If the goalkeeper saves the shot, however, VAR may intervene if they believe the goalkeeper's arms were in an unnatural position (for example, if the arms are not folded behind the back).
There... sorted.
Roger Graham, Inverkip.
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