Crisis at home

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham is the latest politician in both Holyrood and Westminster to call for a greater effort by everyone to combat climate change. Very commendable, no doubt, but there seems to be a climate of denial from our political leaders about an environ mental scourge on our very doorstops, perhaps because it has been con signed to the“too difficult” file. I refer to the ever increasing amounts of litter strewn around the streets of cities and towns, on roadside verges, and even in remote and beautiful parts of our country.

Local authorities will, of course, plead a lack of money and resources to deal with the problem, although I note that the Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council, for example, receives a higher salary than the Prime Minister, which might indicate that a rearranging of financial priorities is required.

Urgent action is certainly called for, because the prob - lem is only going to get worse as tourist numbers increase, although I suspect that local residents with anti social attitudes and slovenly habits are as much to blame, if not more so, than our foreign guests.

BRYAN LINDSAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh