UNTIL today (January 2) I was always certain that Dollar was in Scotland. After reading the letter from Andrew Lockhart Walker of Dollar I have begun to have doubts. How is it possible for anyone resident in Scotland during the time of the initial period of the Scottish Parliament to describe Susan Deacon as ''the one forceful minister of independent mind and genuine ability''?
Ms Deacon was one of a trio of senior ministers in the first Scottish Executive - Alexander and Boyack were the others - who owed their ministerial status entirely to their gender and New Labour's total subservience to the great god of Political Correctness.
In her period as minister for health Ms Deacon did nothing to halt the spiralling problems of hospital services throughout Scotland and, when the desperate plight of the Beatson Oncology Centre was forced upon her attention, she tried to pretend that she had not known that the situation had become so bad.
The contrast with her successor is striking. Malcolm Chisholm earned the title of Scottish Politician of 2002 because of his determination to confront the problems of the NHS and not pretend that they do not exist. The problems he has inherited might have been fewer had Ms Deacon matched Mr Walker's view of her.
Graham Alison,
26 Underwood Road, Rutherglen.
Councillor Anthony Garrett is right to try to motivate people to become more involved in politics (Letters, January 2), but politicians have not done much themselves to encourage participation, especially when our MSPs are unwilling to engage with their constituents.
Take my experience, for example. In January 2002 I wrote to my Liberal Democrat MSP, George Lyon, to protest about the ongoing negotiations regarding police pay and conditions. Despite another three letters from myself by June I had received no reply. When I wrote to the head of the Liberal Democrats to ask why, I was informed by Jim Wallace that my letters had been passed to my Westminster MP, which is strange given that when I wrote to the home secretary he passed my letter to the Scottish Executive!
I later found out from my Westminster MP that Mr Lyon had not actually sent my letters to him. I again wrote to Mr Wallace to ask what was going on to be told that Mr Lyon would contact me to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter. Guess what? Over a month later and not a peep from Mr Lyon, despite the fact that he has my address, phone number, and e-mail address.
Am I hoping for too much to expect at least a reply when I take the time to write about an important matter? The process of engaging with the political system has left me feeling ignored and disenchanted. At least it has encouraged me to vote, if only to do what little I can to ensure that at election time Mr Lyon is replaced by someone who might be a bit better at communicating. Lord Lucan, for example.
Andy Fairie,
Police House, Kames,
Tighnabruaich, Argyll.
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