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Letter of the week
Dear Editor
The fire at one of the substations that provides power to Heathrow served as a reminder of the many hundreds of flights that the airport handles every day. Chancellor Reeves justified the recent Government announcement supporting a series of airport expansions by stating that ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ (SAF) was a ‘game changer’ that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70 per cent.
Currently, the UK is committed to a 2 per cent SAF content in aviation kerosene and is providing £63million to boost production. To date, this is predominantly derived from used cooking oil, 80 per cent of which is imported from China and Malaysia. It is planned that the SAF content will increase to 22 per cent by 2040, by which time it is forecast that passenger numbers will have doubled, equating globally to 200,000 flights a day consuming over 18million barrels of aviation fuel. This will necessitate the use of multiple sources of feedstock such as municipal waste, sewage and a vast area of land dedicated to growing bioenergy crops. These are already grown on a massive scale to provide the E10 element in the petrol, thus further reducing the area of land available for growing food. Alternatively, SAF could be produced in the form of green hydrogen, but this would require up to 3.4 times more wind and solar capacity than at present.
Clearly, the Chancellor has not taken the trouble to read the report from the Royal Society, which concludes that this course of action could be up to 69 per cent more carbon intensive than using standard kerosene jet fuel and could result in ‘unacceptable collateral ecological damage’. Airline operators may be keen to be seen as environmentally responsible but, in reality, they and the Chancellor are hiding behind another green smokescreen that fails to stand up to robust scrutiny.
Neil J Bryce
Kelso
Promises and pledges and pretty much nothing else
Dear Editor
My concern is that those in power are not applying any actual political philosophy. There is the seeking of power for power’s sake, but no intention of significantly changing anything. You cannot fault Lenin, or indeed Hitler, for not wanting to change things. At least they went into politics to do something!
Our politicians are not aiming higher than just getting elected. Where is the vision, a bringing together of the people? Where are the ideas, the imagination, the farsightedness, the inspiration?
This country desperately needs a (peaceful) revolution. The difference between the haves and have-nots is unacceptable. This is not some Marxist, communist rant; the population is not coherent as a nation. I am not advocating any sort of nationalism. I am advocating a fair and just society that is at ease with itself.
Politicians of all parties have completely failed us. At the last election, nearly half the people could not even be bothered to vote. There is absolutely no belief in the current political system. It is all promises and pledges and meaningless drivel. The Houses of Parliament are regarded with derision. The House of Lords existence cannot be justified on any grounds. The level of debate in the Commons is pathetic, and since all the members vote in accordance with party lines, what is the point of discussing anything anyway?
The current political system cannot and will not make the fundamental changes needed. The existing parties have no real concept of how a successful country should be administered. This is not success in a material sense, but success in the wellbeing of every single one of us. To achieve that, there must be a different outlook and political system. The gross unfairness must be eliminated completely, and the Government must represent the wishes of the people, not just exclusively their career interests.
Robert Worms
Totnes, Devon
A sour taste in a tourist’s mouth
Dear Editor
Keep up the good work. I am incredibly saddened by what’s been going on in the UK for the past few years regarding freedom of speech. The covid debacle seemed to just exacerbate the downward slide.
We have been to the UK (from the United States) so many times that I have stopped counting, and we used to hike almost every year in Scotland. I wonder if the Government realizes they’ve lost two visitors because of both those issues above. Surely, we aren’t the only ones? We did not take the jabs, and I had been concerned had I needed medical care of some sort while there, I couldn’t get it without submitting. Now, I’m concerned that an opinion I express in public might land me in hot water with the ‘authorities’. It’s both disturbing and disgusting to see this.
The UK and most of Western Europe are committing cultural and political suicide, but you know that. It breaks my heart to see it happening. Thank you for being a strong voice in the wilderness.
Sherry Charley
Florida
Whey, whey beyond insane
Dear Editor
Climate Derangement Syndrome has clearly infected the UK’s cheese-manufacturing industry.
Perhaps, ‘Mad Ed’ Miliwatt has shares in Ivy’s Somerset Cheddar Cheese company.
The attached picture was photographed in our local Sainsbury’s today.
Sadly, I suspect the producer was attempting to be serious and I doubt if it was meant to be a joke.
I hope I am wrong.
Roger Willbourn
Cheltenham
Acquiescence is a political stance
Dear Editor
The family of Sheku Bayoh, who died after officers restrained him, have settled their £1.85million civil damages claim against Police Scotland. The public inquiry, which is still ongoing, has so far cost more than £23million. How much has the family’s solicitor, Aamer Anwar, been paid? By capitulating to political pressure and agreeing to the civil damages claim, the Chief Constable Jo Farrell has betrayed her officers. The Scottish Police Federation reacted with fury and said, ‘The only person who can be said indisputably to have broken the law was Sheku Bayoh.’ They added that evidence showed Bayoh had taken illegal drugs, was thought to have armed himself with a knife and punched a female officer to the ground. It took six police officers to hold him down. Jo Farrell is merely a political puppet doing what she is told to do and is held in low esteem by those she should be leading. Hopefully, the 2026 Scottish general election will see a change in the Scottish Government and result in a new and independent Chief Constable.
Clark Cross
Linlithgow
A timely reminder
Dear Editor
In response to Daniel Jupp’s article on Conor McGregor this week, I was reminded of this famous saying about Edmund Burke, an Irish man and an MP in the English Parliament:
‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’
Raymond Wallis
