In reply to Peter Hill (Letters, 20 November), Winston Churchill also said: "The truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it; ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is." The truth is that the European Parliament chamber had almost emptied by the end of Tuesday's debate in Strasbourg, when the photograph Mr Hill mentions was taken.
The photographer was clearly not present when the debate kicked off with an almost full house to hear the French minister for Europe, president of the European Commission and front-bench speakers from the main parliamentary political groups.
It is
the European Parliament that first pushed for a Europe-wide response to the financial crisis with calls for better regulation on hedge funds, credit rating agencies and bank supervision. The proposals are being discussed and should become law next year.
JOHN EDWARD
Head of office in Scotland
European Parliament
Holyrood Road, EdinburghYour photograph (19 November) showing the number of empty seats in the European Parliament reinforces the saying that a picture is better than 1,000 words.
The section showed 65 seats and only one was occupied. This was when MEPs were supposed to be debating the world's financial crisis.
Recently, a TV crew filmed MEPs "clocking in" on a Friday to claim their allowances and immediately rushing out to go home early. They are all still riding the gravy train, so no financial crisis for them.
CLARK CROSS
Springfield Road
Linlithgow, West LothianThe full article contains 247 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
