PEOPLE are becoming rightfully resentful of the growing profusion of false news, unattributed briefings, anonymous press releases and political leaks. They have come also to realise that much conventional history has been deliberately falsified. However, we still tend to ignore the insidious effect of euphemisms.

When financial institutions swindle their customers, it is misselling; when a senior civil servant lies to a court of law, he is being economical with the truth; when 39 per cent of the electorate vote for Brexit, following a campaign of unparalleled mendacity by a pressure group, it is the will of the people; when the nation’s resources are made available to be looted by plunderers, it is privatisation; if an organisation employs an incompetent conglomerate company to disconnect itself from responsibility or liability, it is out-sourcing.

If we accept these euphemisms, we are unconsciously assisting in the erosion of honesty.

Dr PM Dryburgh, Edinburgh EH10.

Green and blue

SO the tiny Morvern peninsula in Lochaber (population 250 pre-Covid) is to have yet another hydro scheme foisted on it to add to its other 14 ("Scotland's largest locally-owned hydro scheme lands funds boost", The Herald, June 23). No doubt someone will make a great deal of money out of the deal, but it won't be the local community that will benefit – it never does despite an injection of public money.

A much-needed care home for Morvern's ageing population would have been a far better thing. Instead a lovely little glen is being spoilt, river ruined, fishing gone, pure wildcat, otter and heron habitat and archaeology destroyed. What price so-called green energy?

Iain Thornber, Morvern.

Down to earth

I AM not surprised that the topic of new potatoes continues to feature on your Letters Pages. Three aspects appear today (June 24) – variety, soil type and fertiliser, two of which I have covered over the years but to no avail. Despite using Epicure seed and a load of cattle dung delivered from a local farmer I have never been able to replicate that elusive flavour, leaving me in no doubt that the soil type that exist in coastal areas such as Ayrshire, Wigtownshire and Bute is also a critical factor.

Duncan Miller, Lenzie.

I AGREE with Murray Gowie (Letters, June 23) wholeheartedly. The delicious Ayrshire new potato of old is gone. Epicures, as that is the variety, are now largely grown under plastic, thus robbing them of salt from the prevailing sea winds which greatly enhance the taste. In fact, back in the day if a storm caused deposits of seaweed (rack as it was called) to collect on the beaches of south Ayrshire, farmers were quick to collect it and spread it on the newly planted furrows.

Growing under plastic obviously gets potatoes to the market much earlier and ensures good returns for the grower. Sadly, it is only they who profit as the plastic potatoes have very little flavour.

Celia Judge, Ayr.

Covid covers

PROMPTED by Alan Fitzpatrick’s suggestion of a comeback for Rosemary Clooney’s 1950s Come On-a-my House, My House A-come on as restrictions on socialising are eased (Letters, June 25), what better to cover Covid-19 lockdown travails than the 1948 Life Git’s Tee-Jus, Don’t It” (Walter Brennan, actor and singer, 1894-1974)?

To quote only the last verse:

“Grief and misery, pains and woes.

Debts and taxes, yea, so it goes.

I think I’m gettin’ a cold in the nose.

Life gets tasteless, don’t it.”

R Russell Smith, Kilbirnie.