DO party manifestos actually mean anything nowadays other than being wish lists? The Conservatives in theirs at the time of the 2017 General Election stated unequivocally that the pensioner benefits, including free TV licences then available, would continue for the duration of the Parliament until 2022. The free TV licence for the over-75s was introduced by Labour in 1999.
It is entirely inappropriate for the Conservative Party to try to pass the buck on this matter to the BBC ("BBC to means-test TV licences", The Herald, June 11). The current proposal by the BBC would restrict the availability of free TV to some 900,000 on pensioner benefits. How would this be administered and at what cost? If the Conservative Party pursue courses of action like this abandonment of the elderly, their chances of recovering their position with the electorate are not high. I cannot think that the BBC are looking forward to having to sue those of 75 + years for non-payment.
Ian W Thomson, Lenzie.
ON hearing of the BBC’s announcement about ending free TV licences for the over-75s (except for those receiving Universal Credits), I wondered how long it would be before the First Minister to declare that they would still be free for those of us who reside north of the Border.
Am I a cynic? Yes. Am I wrong? We shall see.
W.MacIntyre,
East Kilbride.
A seat of learning
RUSSELL Smith's reminder of “Kilroy was here” (Letters, June 10) takes me back to the 1960s.
Elizabeth Taylor was the guest on one of the late night chat shows. The host, Michael n I believe, asked her as to when she actually realised that she was now "famous".
“That’s easy!” she said. “Last year I was taken by Richard (Burton) to watch the Twickenham Sevens rugby tournament for the first time. We were naturally back again this year as he is a bit of a "rugby nut"! However, when I visited the Ladies toilet this year, there on the back of my toilet door was written 'Elizabeth Taylor Sat Here'.
“Now … that’s famous ... isn’t it?”
Robin Gilmour,
Glasgow G52.
ROUGHLY 50 years ago whilst in the gents in the Glasgow University Men's Union I spotted the usual drawing with the legend “Kilrex Hic Erat”. Being a physics student at the time in what is now Strathclyde University I allowed myself an indulgent smile.
Then, on the same door I spotted another grafitto which read as “Yossarian is alive and well and living in Sweden”, signed Yossarian. Underneath, in a different hand and ink colour someone else had appended “You think so ???” and it was signed “Nately’s Whore”. It only works if you have read the book (Catch-22). I do hope that toilet door has been kept in the Hunterian and saved for the nation.
John Maclean,
Glasgow, G42.
Hot for Frost
THE Poem of the Day is one of the first items I read each day, although I must confess with varying degrees of appreciation. What a delight to start today (June 11) with John Masefield’s Sea Fever; that’s what I call a poem. I think it was Robert Frost who said that reading a poem which neither rhymes nor scans is like playing tennis without a net.
David Waters,
Blackwood.
Motoring on
RECENT correspondence on shop slogans remind me of the great one at Peters Motors of Bishopton: “When your engine peters out, get Peters out. “
Alastair Macpherson, Alford.
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