Follow my lead: keep dogs on a short, safe leash
While chatting to fellow dog owners last week, waiting for a charity dog walk to start, the long legs of my greyhound, Percy, became entwined with the razorsharp extension lead of another owner’s dog.
Percy panicked, wrapping himself round my thighs and almost pulling me over while trying to extricate himself. i had to be rescued by two friends from what could have been a really nasty incident. A week later, i’m still black and blue.
i ask all dog owners not to use these dangerous devices. What’s wrong with a nice, soft lead made of cotton rope such as the one i use on Percy — harmless to humans and canines alike?
ANGELA HUMPHERY, London NW3.
Dangerous fireworks
As border collie owners for years, we are aware of the sensitivity this breed has to sudden noises and the damaging effect they have on their health and well-being.
setting off fireworks on November 5 might be acceptable, but uncontrolled use of fireworks throughout the year is not. in addition to the distress caused to pets and farm animals, there must be an impact on wildlife, too.
This year, in addition to injuries and damage to property, emergency services crews have been attacked when called out to deal with firework-related incidents. Then there must be a cost to the Nhs.
The sale of fireworks to the public must be banned, organised events must be managed by approved bodies and a system of licensing should be brought in.
HENRY BUSTIN, Lamesley, Tyne and Wear.
SNP’s game plan
The sNP game plan seems to have been to show the Nationalists are quietly capable and then try to persuade us that independence wouldn’t really be all that different.
Trouble is, from farm payments to the Nhs, Named Persons to education and Police scotland, the competence aspect is under serious question.
The international stage is just as bad, as the collapse of this mystery deal (Mail) with China shows.
JIM LEWIS, Johnstone, Renfrewshire.
Deal breaker
ONCe again the sNP has exceeded its remit, signing a deal with China only to see it all fall apart.
What an embarrassment. hopeless at home, the Nationalists are shown up time and again when they try to take to the world stage.
K. ANdREWS, Cowdenbeath, Fife.
Harry’s choice matters
PriNCe hArry should remember he isn’t a private individual: he’s a senior member of the royal Family, and the public will always be interested in any serious romance, particularly as Prince harry is a mere whisker from the throne.
if the Duke of Cambridge continues travelling together with his heirs, there’s always the risk of a catastrophic accident, leaving Prince harry as next in line.
if a future wife wasn’t thought acceptable to the british people, it could cause great damage to the Crown and trigger the kind of constitutional crisis that followed edward Viii’s decision to marry Wallis simpson, a divorcee.
George V and George Vi were second sons, inheriting through misfortune when it was anticipated they would never be king.
No wonder we’re concerned about whom harry marries: he has so far shown himself incapable of making a suitable choice of a future royal duchess. Great privilege and wealth bring with them great duties and responsibilities.
The public would be devastated if all the hard work and sacrifice of the Queen, her father and grandfather were destroyed by a petulant prince.
d. BLOOR, Leek, Staffs.
Paying the price
i ThOUGhT the scottish Daily Mail had some great essays and articles about Trump’s victory. Max hastings and other writers showed a great understanding of the events with their highly intelligent views.
richard littlejohn has never been my favourite writer, but he hit the nail on the head about our political cabal who treated the electorate like morons and are now paying the price. OLIvER CRAIG, Edinburgh.
Poor predictions
sPAre me all the pundits moaning about how bad President Trump is going to be. We had the same thing with George W. bush and ronald reagan. The dire predictions then proved wide of the mark.
F. dUNLOP, Ayr. iT is hilarious that so many scottish politicians are wagging their fingers at Donald Trump. The man will soon be leader of the last superpower and the whining of pygmy politicians here is utterly futile.
dON RICHARdSON, Glasgow.
Leader of fools
The election of Donald Trump reminded me of a quote by Us journalist, satirist and cultural critic h. l. Mencken.
Writing in the baltimore sun on sunday, July 26, 1920, he prophesied: ‘As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents more and more closely the inner soul of the people.
‘On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White house will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron.’ last week, that prophecy came true.
PETER HENRICK, Birmingham.
Keep the triple lock
iN 1999, the labour government gave pensioners a paltry 75p a week increase. Quantitative easing, introduced to counter the banking crisis, started in March 2008, and caused pensioners’ incomes to be slashed by artificially reducing interest rates.
The Conservatives promised to maintain benefits to defend older people’s incomes because pensioners can’t work harder to improve their incomes or, if they’re in financial difficulties, take a job.
They promised to protect the state pension with the ‘triple lock’ so it increased annually at the highest out of the rate of earnings, prices or 2.5 per cent. They have honoured this promise, and the annual basic state pension has risen by £800 since 2010.
My 97-year-old mother, like many pensioners, saved more than £20,500 and so had to pay for all her home help and social care. being old is very expensive! she went blind, so the free TV licence was of no value to her.
she ended up in a care home and needed her winter fuel payment to help offset care costs of more than £35,000 a year. she had to use taxis, not buses, but her £6,200 yearly state pension was only about onefifth of the average wage.
labour, liberal Democrats and some Conservatives now want to look again at the triple lock, free bus pass, TV licence and winter fuel payment, important and hardfought-for little extras which have been particularly important in overcoming loneliness, cold and the isolation of the elderly.
ROBERT BOORMAN, Cambridge.