Readers' Letters: Activists who killed book festival sponsorship got it wrong

Attacking the arts is both utterly futile and carelessly stupid. The arts are in dire shape right now for all sorts of reasons, and I can confidently tell you that most artists, across all disciplines, are struggling. That’s definitely something worth fighting for. What is a much weirder hill to die on, however, is belligerently destroying the very few occasions we have left to celebrate such unique talent, not least our shared humanity.

Other than setting your cause back a decade, your immediate response should be a sincere public apology to the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Baillie Gifford and book-loving people everywhere.

Scott Lawrie, Edinburgh

Resist obsessives

A group of entitled adolescents pressured the Edinburgh International Book Festival into dismissing investment manager Baillie Gifford, known for its philanthropic work, as a sponsor. I say “pressured” because surely there must have been a credible threat to induce an established festival to cave in to this outfit? If it was just the prospect of a boycott by some of the usual suspects, why would anyone succumb? We need to know whether credible threats of violence, damage or disruption were made, and whether these might interest the police.

This is a serious matter, because appeasement does not work, as we know from history. The disruptive elements in society preen themselves as morally virtuous when all they threaten is thuggery. It is the duty of honest citizens going about their lawful business to repel these self-righteous obsessives. If you give in to one group of them, you can be sure other groups will follow. We already know about the activities of some of these self-styled environmentalists. They should not be encouraged by being indulged, as has happened in the case of the Book Festival.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Sorry state

I visit the land of my birth and upbringing from my home in London regularly throughout the year for spiritual renewal. I’m blessed by that, but I’m afraid my escape from the political and governmental travails of Westminster has long been thwarted by more of the same up here.

Scotland oft boasted it occupied a political and moral high ground. If that were ever true, then certainly it is no more. Ferries, highways, education are sunk in failure. Political dishonesty and sleaze go hand in hand with governing incompetence, just as they do back home. No better, simply on a smaller scale.

So very, very sad. But I still thank God for the countryside, the scenery and the friendly, sensible and decent ordinary folk which continue to draw me back and, hopefully, always will.

Rodney Pinder, London

The band played...

From the way Rishi Sunak is throwing promises to UK voters he has a new PR firm and, like Boris Johnson did, is spewing out almost daily temptations to his electorate that his Cabinet may or may not have discussed in any depth.

First it was National Service for teenagers, geared to wreck their plans for further education. Chutney Colonels have filled newspapers’ letters pages with “teach them some manners, wot?” I doubt teenagers or their parents are equally delighted, Then it was “an increase in pensions, a decrease in pensioners’ tax and a gold-plated triple lock” which followed an only too real statement about a skint government that would have to look at the triple lock again. Pensioners may be old, but they can recognise rubbish when they hear it. What I hear is a military band playing, “Believe it if you like!”

Elizabeth Scott, Edinburgh

Red is dead?

The Labour Party’s treatment of potential Westminster candidates Diane Abbott and Faiza Shaheen has shown that far from being a broad church, it is now a pale imitation of the Conservative party. Diane Abbott was the UK’s first black female MP and has been a respected parliamentarian for decades. Faiza Shaheen was one of few Labour candidates in 2019 to record a swing to Labour when she took on Iain Duncan Smith in her native Chingford and has spent four years working hard to turn the seat red. Yet her candidacy has been blocked at the last minute over a minor tweet in 2014 before she was even a party member.

This matters to Scottish voters as it demonstrates just how far to the right the Labour Party has gone. Labour was never a socialist party but Socialists were welcome in it. No more, it seems. Scots should think long and hard before giving their votes to a party led by an unpleasant clique who will do anything to appease the prejudices of middle England.

Gavin Fleming, Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross

Q&A and bee

With reference to the Readers Gallery photograph in The Scotsman of 30 May, one thing that any practising beekeeper will confirm is that the insect shown is not a queen honey bee.

It is the wrong shape. It is the wrong colour. Its behaviour of foraging on a flower is one that a queen honey bee never does, as a queen honey bee is both anatomically and behaviourally incapable of doing so.What is the insect then? It may be a queen or worker bumble bee, although it is not a species I recognise. The number on its back shows it is a specimen from a research project. Can any reader enlighten us?

June Peterson, Dunblane, Stirling

Write to The Scotsman

We welcome your thoughts – NO letters submitted elsewhere, please. Write to [email protected] including name, address and phone number – we won't print full details. Keep letters under 300 words, with no attachments, and avoid 'Letters to the Editor/Readers’ Letters' or similar in your subject line – be specific. If referring to an article, include date, page number and heading.