ON the one hand Andrew McKie concedes that the so-called bedroom tax is an ill thought-out policy, but on the other hand he excuses it by telling us that Tory ministers like Iain Duncan Smith didn't mean any harm by introducing it ("Difficult choices to be made helping those most in need", The Herald, May 13).
IT was refreshing to note the perhaps-unconscious humour expressed by Professor Donald MacLeod in his criticism of the Church of Scotland's commissioned report on the ordination of gay clergy ("Leading theologian condemns church for findings on same-sex relationships, The Herald, May 11).
YOUR obituary of Guilio Andreotti, long-serving and later discredited Christian Democratic politician in post-war Italy, might remind some cinema lovers in Scotland of one of his earliest misjudements (Herald Obituaries, May 7).
I NOTE with interest your report on the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) ("Hospice charity sets age limit on services for young people", The Herald, May 10).
LIKE Drs James A Begg and Ronald NC Douglas I worked with my colleagues in a one-in-five or four out-of-hours rota for more than 30 years (Letters, May 13).
London Mayor Boris Johnson has added to Prime Minister David Cameron's woes, along with Tory grandees such as Norman Lamont and Michael Portillo, in commenting that the UK should be prepared to pull out of the EU ("Cameron feels the heat from Tory 'pessimists' on Europe", The Herald, May 10).
Contrary to Dr Mathie's dismissive remarks that I am "too far removed from today's reality to comment meaningfully on current terms and conditions of service" (Letters, May 6), following retirement from general practice in 2000 I continued to work part-time with the Royal Navy at HMS Gannet, Prestwick, until 2007 and was subject to the same appraisal processes that he and Dr Martindale (Letters, May 9) mention.
Barbara Cummins suggests other correspondents have conflated the roles of Historic Scotland and the planning authority with regard to the proposed quarry in the World Heritage Site buffer zone at New Lanark (Letters, May 11).
There does not seem to me to be any substantive argument for the privatisation of Royal Mail ("This privatisation mania exchanges profit for loss", The Herald, May 11).
Nowhere was the war at sea followed more closely than in the Western Isles of Scotland ("Ceremony honours veterans of Arctic convoys", The Herald, May 10).
My late wife, on being diagnosed with arthritis in the mid-1990s, had it explained to her by the specialist at Falkirk Royal Infirmary that it was caused by being bitten by a tick, thereby contracting Lyme disease ("Scottish sufferer in Lyme disease Whitehall protest", The Herald, May 10 & Letters, May 11).
Yet another prominent businessman calls for debate and clarity on the issues affecting independence ("Sir Tom demands answers from the Yes and No camps", The Herald, May 10 & Letters, May 11).
Those urging Glasgow to apologise for slavery (Apology for slavery is not enough, Letters, May 5) should also ask the Westminster government to apologise for the transportation of boatloads of English and Scottish Jacobites as slaves to the West Indies, and also for the Highland Clearances.
Caroline Wilson reminds us of a fact many in government might prefer the public to overlook, the deaths of almost 15,000 Afghan civilians, with countless others injured over the past six years alone (Afghan casualties, News, May 5).
Is the expression about politicians who want to redefine marriage "in their own perverse concept of society" all that hate-filled (Revealed: the hate-filled face of UKIP in Scotland, News, May 5)?
We were extremely concerned to learn that the British Medical Association local medical committee in Glasgow has advised GPs not to respond to requests for reports to support benefits, saying doctors are not in a position to "administer nor to police the benefits system" (Sturgeon tells IDS: NHS now under intolerable strain, News, May 5).
Further to your recent coverage and letters, I wish to re-emphasise our commitment to protecting and promoting the World Heritage status of New Lanark.
Regarding Michael Gove's views on the Twilight novels ("Backlash after Gove criticises Twilight novels", The Herald, May 10): some children grow up with great literature, some children grow into great literature, and some children, if Mr Gove has his way, have great literature thrust upon them.
As a founding member of the Association of Letting Agent Professionals Scotland (ALAPScotland) and managing director of a property company, I take exception to the comments by Graeme Brown of Shelter ("Cowboy letting agents draw huge increase in complaints", The Herald, May 7).
Your story "Linguists ask: why would one talk posh in Buckie?" (The Herald, May 7) brought a smile to my face as I recalled the musings on the topic by the late Cliff Hanley.
In your article on Lyme disease your correspondent suggests the illness is related to syphilis ("Scottish sufferer in Lyme disease Whitehall protest", May 10).
The Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill that has just started its journey through Holyrood has the potential to be one of the most far-reaching and influential Bills considered in this session of Parliament.
Much has been written and broadcast in recent weeks about the monetary system Scotland might or might not be allowed to adopt should the electorate plump for independence in 2014.
I read with interest the highly emotive article by Richard Baynes regarding the feral goats which RSPB plans to cull on their Inversnaid reserve ("Backlash over plans to shoot goats of Inversnaid", The Herald, May 6).
The EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg has said he used to hope education would reduce alcohol misuse, but learning and reflection had shown economics were more important, hence his support for a minimum unit price ("EU commissioner backs minimum pricing 'in principle'", The Herald, May 8).
"Scots scientists find benefits of sunshine outweigh the risks" is a dramatic headline to publicise the international conference on dermatological research currently taking place in Edinburgh, but is not justified by research findings, important as they are (The Herald, May 8).
In its drive to encourage a vote for independence, the Scottish Government correctly cites the name Scotland as a worldwide brand, known for its contribution to, among other things, science, technology and engineering.
Letters Archive
ON the one hand Andrew McKie concedes that the so-called bedroom tax is an ill thought-out policy, but on the other hand he excuses it by telling us that Tory ministers like Iain Duncan Smith didn't mean any harm by introducing it ("Difficult choices to be made helping those most in need", The Herald, May 13).
IT was refreshing to note the perhaps-unconscious humour expressed by Professor Donald MacLeod in his criticism of the Church of Scotland's commissioned report on the ordination of gay clergy ("Leading theologian condemns church for findings on same-sex relationships, The Herald, May 11).
YOUR obituary of Guilio Andreotti, long-serving and later discredited Christian Democratic politician in post-war Italy, might remind some cinema lovers in Scotland of one of his earliest misjudements (Herald Obituaries, May 7).
I NOTE with interest your report on the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) ("Hospice charity sets age limit on services for young people", The Herald, May 10).
LIKE Drs James A Begg and Ronald NC Douglas I worked with my colleagues in a one-in-five or four out-of-hours rota for more than 30 years (Letters, May 13).
London Mayor Boris Johnson has added to Prime Minister David Cameron's woes, along with Tory grandees such as Norman Lamont and Michael Portillo, in commenting that the UK should be prepared to pull out of the EU ("Cameron feels the heat from Tory 'pessimists' on Europe", The Herald, May 10).
Contrary to Dr Mathie's dismissive remarks that I am "too far removed from today's reality to comment meaningfully on current terms and conditions of service" (Letters, May 6), following retirement from general practice in 2000 I continued to work part-time with the Royal Navy at HMS Gannet, Prestwick, until 2007 and was subject to the same appraisal processes that he and Dr Martindale (Letters, May 9) mention.
Barbara Cummins suggests other correspondents have conflated the roles of Historic Scotland and the planning authority with regard to the proposed quarry in the World Heritage Site buffer zone at New Lanark (Letters, May 11).
There does not seem to me to be any substantive argument for the privatisation of Royal Mail ("This privatisation mania exchanges profit for loss", The Herald, May 11).
Nowhere was the war at sea followed more closely than in the Western Isles of Scotland ("Ceremony honours veterans of Arctic convoys", The Herald, May 10).
My late wife, on being diagnosed with arthritis in the mid-1990s, had it explained to her by the specialist at Falkirk Royal Infirmary that it was caused by being bitten by a tick, thereby contracting Lyme disease ("Scottish sufferer in Lyme disease Whitehall protest", The Herald, May 10 & Letters, May 11).
Yet another prominent businessman calls for debate and clarity on the issues affecting independence ("Sir Tom demands answers from the Yes and No camps", The Herald, May 10 & Letters, May 11).
Thank you for the first real salvo in the debate about independence (A new blueprint for an independent Scotland, News, May 5).
Those urging Glasgow to apologise for slavery (Apology for slavery is not enough, Letters, May 5) should also ask the Westminster government to apologise for the transportation of boatloads of English and Scottish Jacobites as slaves to the West Indies, and also for the Highland Clearances.
Caroline Wilson reminds us of a fact many in government might prefer the public to overlook, the deaths of almost 15,000 Afghan civilians, with countless others injured over the past six years alone (Afghan casualties, News, May 5).
Is the expression about politicians who want to redefine marriage "in their own perverse concept of society" all that hate-filled (Revealed: the hate-filled face of UKIP in Scotland, News, May 5)?
We were extremely concerned to learn that the British Medical Association local medical committee in Glasgow has advised GPs not to respond to requests for reports to support benefits, saying doctors are not in a position to "administer nor to police the benefits system" (Sturgeon tells IDS: NHS now under intolerable strain, News, May 5).
Further to your recent coverage and letters, I wish to re-emphasise our commitment to protecting and promoting the World Heritage status of New Lanark.
Regarding Michael Gove's views on the Twilight novels ("Backlash after Gove criticises Twilight novels", The Herald, May 10): some children grow up with great literature, some children grow into great literature, and some children, if Mr Gove has his way, have great literature thrust upon them.
As a founding member of the Association of Letting Agent Professionals Scotland (ALAPScotland) and managing director of a property company, I take exception to the comments by Graeme Brown of Shelter ("Cowboy letting agents draw huge increase in complaints", The Herald, May 7).
Your story "Linguists ask: why would one talk posh in Buckie?" (The Herald, May 7) brought a smile to my face as I recalled the musings on the topic by the late Cliff Hanley.
I write in response to your article "Hospital warned over visits of therapy dog" (May 9).
Sir Tom Hunter speaks for us all, as far as I am concerned ("Sir Tom demands answers from the Yes and No camps", The Herald, May 10).
In your article on Lyme disease your correspondent suggests the illness is related to syphilis ("Scottish sufferer in Lyme disease Whitehall protest", May 10).
The Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill that has just started its journey through Holyrood has the potential to be one of the most far-reaching and influential Bills considered in this session of Parliament.
Much has been written and broadcast in recent weeks about the monetary system Scotland might or might not be allowed to adopt should the electorate plump for independence in 2014.
I read with interest the highly emotive article by Richard Baynes regarding the feral goats which RSPB plans to cull on their Inversnaid reserve ("Backlash over plans to shoot goats of Inversnaid", The Herald, May 6).
The EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg has said he used to hope education would reduce alcohol misuse, but learning and reflection had shown economics were more important, hence his support for a minimum unit price ("EU commissioner backs minimum pricing 'in principle'", The Herald, May 8).
"Scots scientists find benefits of sunshine outweigh the risks" is a dramatic headline to publicise the international conference on dermatological research currently taking place in Edinburgh, but is not justified by research findings, important as they are (The Herald, May 8).
In its drive to encourage a vote for independence, the Scottish Government correctly cites the name Scotland as a worldwide brand, known for its contribution to, among other things, science, technology and engineering.