Local differences
Sir: Many people in Scotland do not appear to be as happy about the Wheatley Report as Mr Thompson seems to think they ought to, be ('Spectator's notebook', 4 October).
A short Scottish BBC kind of Talkback with principally local government heads, press correspondence, interviews which included a less than enthusiastic welcome from the Secretary of the Scottish -ruc, and articles, as well as editorial comment. in local, 'national' daily and 'quality' news- papers (with the strange exception of the Glasgow Herald, the one most strongly iden- tified with the Conservative party) all indicate a general consensus of opinion. This is, that while the regional concept is accepted, with many qualifications as to areas, Wheatley, if implemented as it stands, will mean a further erosion of democracy is SCotland, and a further, perhaps impreg- nable, strengthening of government by bureaucracy.
If the reaction of the English against Radcliffe-Maud is as strong as the initial Sc'ots reaction against Wheatley, we may indeed see, as Mr Thompson foresees, a rise of 'English nationalism'. Perhaps then we may hope for a hands- across-the-borders collaboration against bureaucracy!
Dorothy Usher
Drummains, Kirkbeau, By Dumfries, Scot- land
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