The EU is not run by Germany

Sir, – Alan Bell (Letters, December 7) is wrong to say that the EU is governed by Germany. It is run by democratically elected MEPs from all EU countries, including six from Scotland.

It has little control over member states, confining itself to regulations that only make sense if they are applied to the whole EU (a Green principle called “subsidiarity”).

Contrast this with Westminster, which has complete control over every aspect of life in Scotland, except for those few areas that they have reluctantly devolved to Holyrood. Andrew Collins. Ladyburn House, Skinners Steps, Cupar. that Scotland’s police bodies are facing a £190 million deficit after years of “unacceptable” weak leadership.

Ms Caroline Gardner, the Auditor General for Scotland, accused the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) of deliberately concealing how Police Scotland’s annual budget of £1.1 billion was spent.

The botched IT system costing £19.3 million was written down to just £200,000.

Recovering the cost from the firm responsible seems unlikely.

Ms Gardner complained she had been forced to express a “modified opinion” on the SPA accounts in all three years since Police Scotland came into being.

The Scottish Government were also forced to give an extra £50 million for one-off reforms.

So there is a huge ongoing deficit and I am therefore at a loss to find any of Ken Clark’s £130 million savings. Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.