Whatever happened to our sense of moderation?

The Herald Scotland

2 days ago

Total independence is fought for and against without either side offering real changes to an antiquated system of governance based on an old English model which ignores regional and national issues. The House of Lords is the most undemocratic part of our present political system, unpopular and expensive, but only reluctantly tweaked to suit the "Establishment". It benefits very few and mostly people who do not need such a perk.
The Government tried to cut benefits to save money wasted by its predecessors but went to the extreme length of immediately not fully supporting families with more than two children. A more moderate approach would have been to limit it by cutting benefits to the third or more children born after 12 months of the passing of the relevant legislation – in other words, after a pregnant pause.
Young couples, sometimes married, buy houses with three bedrooms and two toilets before they need them. Builders and mortgage suppliers oblige them, so the result is too little economic housing. Older folk cannot downsize for the same reason. Good building land is wasted under the present conditions.
The business world has the same failings, closing various units to centralise – often with government grants – and so putting large numbers of loyal staff out of work. At sea, bigger vessels have docking problems, run into important bridges and block canals. Just like the big cars, it's a lack of moderation but with profit in mind. Has your favourite holiday venue been spoiled by the masses off visiting cruise liners?
We can definitely not accuse Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump or the Gaza opponents of moderation. Our PM however is moderate when under pressure, to the point of oblivion of promised changes.
We should all take a step back and reconsider if we are going down a path which will be detrimental to our successors. What will they think of the world we are leaving them?
JB Drummond, Kilmarnock.
Read more letters
NHS must improve openness
Many may be puzzled about the significance of the Information Commissioner's criticism of NHS Forth Valley:('NHS board could face court for FoI delays', The Herald, July 15). Making a freedom of information request (FoI) is one of three methods of finding out how your local health service is performing and with what governance. Having spent many years on the inside – as much as GPs are on the inside – and now retired, the NHS performance can be difficult to scrutinise. The same applies for any member of the public, patients, carers and indeed MSPs.
Other methods of scrutiny include observing health board and integration joint board meetings (health and social care partnerships). Thirdly, some health board websites contain a lot of information including minutes and reports of previous meetings, annual reports and services and clinical guidance. Board communications teams will send out news at regular intervals to subscribers, but this is of course always the good news.
Generally speaking, when I attend to observe a health board meeting, I will be the only guest or perhaps with one or two others. We are not allowed to speak and are presented on arrival with around 350 pages of reports and the agenda of the meeting. For years, I have been campaigning to have this information made available to the public three working days before the meeting. The centre, the Health and Social Care Directorate, has advised boards that they should do this, but for some reason there is resistance, including from my own board, NHS Forth Valley. Frankly, this is ridiculous. There seems to be a fear that journalists will write about reports yet to be discussed and approved.
It is 20 years since the legal right to FoI commenced in Scotland and around 1.4 million requests have been made to public bodies in that time, 80% by members of the public. There is a cost to meet this freedom, but the Information Commissioner reckons FoI 'has helped to shift the balance of power between individuals and organisations, while also helping Scotland's public bodies become more open, transparent and accountable to the communities they serve'.
The NHS in Scotland has a Duty of Candour, a legal requirement to be open and honest with individuals when something goes wrong. I suggest that this extends to FoI efficiency and health boards' openness.
Philip Gaskell, Drymen.
Road system needs rebuilt
John Jamieson's drive from Folkestone to Ayr (Letters, July18) was a bold undertaking in today's traffic. I am sure we have all made similar nightmare journeys. A contributory reason is certainly traffic numbers, but also the increase in vehicle sizes – particularly length – since roads were built. Cars are half again as large and long as they were, and commercial vehicles are of a size and length never imagined. Some articulated trucks make it impossible to read motorway signage. The basic space requirement for today's vehicles must have at least doubled, while that provided by our roads has basically remained the same.
Another aspect is the closure of roads for police investigation after any accident, however minor. They make a measurement and photographic meal of it.
Most of continental Europe's roads and motorways were rebuilt after the war, and bridges over junctions are numerous, meaning fewer stop/start movements on any journey. Speed limits are also widely ignored.
The UK road system needs to be rebuilt, and we should adopt road rationing to reduce traffic while this is done.
Malcolm Parkin, Kinross.
Are our roads no longer fit for purpose? (Image: PA)
It's all went wrong
What has happened to grammar?
I agree with Peter Martin's letter (July 18). Using them, they, their when referring to a trans person is grammatically incorrect. I imagine we probably belong in the same age group when grammar was drummed into us at school.
My recent experiences of incorrect grammar include:
A call updating an order –' it has came in'.
In a reply from an MP's office – 'you will know that it has went through'.
From a television interview with a government minister – 'I'm sorry it has came to this'.
Don't try to contact me as I have went for a lie down to recover.
Marion Donnachie, Lennoxtown.
• Thank you to David Miller (Letters, July 19). Him and me think alike.
Peter McKerrell, Kilmacolm.