I opposed Galloway National Park for very good reasons
My own opposition to the proposal stemmed from spending my teens on the edge of an English national park and experiencing first-hand the impact of increased tourism in an area without the infrastructure to support it. The impact included significant increases in house prices as a result of second homes/holiday lets forcing young people out, a problem exacerbated by the low-paid, seasonal work that increased tourism brought. Those who argue that a national park would help stem the declining population in Galloway perhaps don't have that experience.
READ MORE: Scottish Government scraps plans for Galloway national park
As for the environmental impact, Galloway already has the Biosphere, the Galloway Forest Park, the Cairnsmore National Nature Reserve, RSPB reserves etc etc – all without a national park. I cannot understand how increasing tourist traffic into the area will 'improve' an already protected environment.
Further, as a supporter of Scottish independence, I believe that the economic future of an independent Scotland will be far better served by growing our renewable energy resources than by increasing tourism. Norway doesn't depend on tourists, neither should we. You reported only recently on how much investment and jobs renewable energy will bring to the Highlands – significantly more than tourism and with high-skilled jobs and new housing built in.
It is very disappointing that none of those you quote in your report acknowledge that a clear majority of respondents to the consultation said 'no thanks'. I am delighted that the Scottish Government has accepted the majority view here.
Lisa Smith
Newton Stewart
IN his article 'Time to give McColl another crack at running shipyard' (May 26), Kenny MacAskill makes some interesting claims.
He states 'the failings at Ferguson Marine fundamentally rest with others', ie not Mr McColl. Well, Mr McColl was responsible for Ferguson Marine when the ferries contract was signed in 2015. He wasn't forced to accept its terms. He was still responsible in 2019 when the company went into administration with debts of £70 million, leading to its nationalisation. Trying to absolve Mr McColl of any responsibility is a bit like saying 'a big boy did it and ran away".
READ MORE: I do not share Kenny MacAskill's optimism about Ferguson yard
Mr MacAskill also claims that currently, 'the ratio of suits in the offices to workers in overalls is ridiculously out of kilter'. Does he have the figures to justify this claim – or is he making it up?
My understanding of the facts of this fiasco has been gained courtesy of our 'unbiased' media. However, I am aware that companies bidding for major construction/engineering/IT projects will sometimes submit bids which are at or even below cost. They assume that 'variations' will arise during the contract and negotiations on these will bring the contract into profit. I have no idea if this is the case here.
Douglas Morton
Lanark
IN his letter of May 28, James Murphy advocates that some of us lay down our lives for independence. That would certainly result in some interesting headlines around the world. To be honest, most countries have gone down that road in the past, including Scotland against England!
I've just celebrated my 70th birthday, so how does James expect me to fight a young, trained soldier? Yes, I could set booby traps but it is usually the innocent that get hurt, maimed, or killed by them. With guns you have other problems and again many innocent people get killed. How often have we heard of children being killed or maimed in a war zone, and it is a war zone that James is asking us to set up.
READ MORE: Shouldn't all of our efforts be focused on de facto referendum route?
Then it comes down to who do we attack first? The police are always in attendance at independence marches but they are not the enemy and many of them support our cause.
Another factor to consider if we take up arms, is that Westminster will surely send in Scottish and Welsh troops to quell any revolt. Again, many of them will be sympathetic with our cause. The powers-that-be will take a severe case of brown underpants about sending in English troops and our argument is not against the English troops.
There are certain Unionist factions who would love to have a bit of blood to be spilled, but most times we don't see any of them at marches and when they do turn up they're outnumbered by about 1000 to one.
Alexander Potts
Kilmarnock
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Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Arm prison guards to crack down on Islamist inmates, say Tories
Specialist prison officers should have access to firearms in jails to combat the rising threat from Islamist gangs and violent criminals, Robert Jenrick has said. The shadow justice secretary has proposed that secure armouries to hold lethal weapons should be introduced at high-security prisons, claiming: 'Islamist gangs and violent prisoners in our jails are out of control.' His proposed moves, which mirror similar measures in US jails, would also involve specialist teams of officers in category A prisons being armed with Tasers, stun grenades and baton rounds. This should be accompanied by the immediate provision of high-collar stab vests to front-line officers, said Mr Jenrick. The shadow justice secretary said the proposals were recommended in a rapid review he commissioned from Prof Ian Acheson, a former prison governor who advised the previous Conservative government on extremism in jails. On Friday, a prison officer at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire was seriously injured when he was stabbed by a violent inmate with a knife that was believed to have been flown into the high-security jail by a drone. Last month, Hashem Abedi, the Manchester Arena bomber, who is serving life for 22 murders, attacked three officers in a separation unit at the high security Frankland jail, in County Durham. The Islamist fanatic threw hot cooking oil over them and stabbed them with two makeshift knives he had fashioned from baking trays in the kitchen. Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, has ordered a review into whether to issue front-line officers with stab vests, as well as a trial of Tasers, and the suspension of prisoners' use of kitchens in separation units used to segregate Islamist terrorists. However, Mr Jenrick accused ministers of dithering in the face of a national security emergency. The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has said it is only a matter of time before an officer is murdered, while the prison watchdog has warned drone drops are so endemic, they will be used to deliver guns and explosives. Mr Jenrick said: ' Islamist gangs and violent prisoners in our jails are out of control. It's a national security emergency, but the Government is dithering. If they don't act soon, there is a very real risk that a prison officer is kidnapped or murdered in the line of duty, or that a terrorist attack is directed from inside prison. 'I commissioned Ian Acheson, a highly respected former governor, to conduct a rapid review to come up with the answers the Government should adopt right away. We have to stop pussy-footing around Islamist extremists and violent offenders in jails. 'That means arming specialist prison officer teams with Tasers and stun grenades, as well as giving them access to lethal weapons in exceptional circumstances. 'If prison governors can't easily keep terrorist influencers and radicalising inmates apart from the mainstream prisoners they target, then we don't control our prisons – they do. We must take back control and restore order by giving officers the powers and protection they need.' Separation centres too small to cope Mr Jenrick said the Government should also expand the current three separation centres, of which only two are currently operational. These 'prisons within prisons' can house up to 28 Islamist and other terrorists to prevent them from radicalising other inmates, and to allow closer supervision. However, there are 257 prisoners now in custody for terrorist offences, of which Islamists account for two-thirds and neo-fascists 27 per cent. A number of Government reports have warned of Islamist gangs running prison wings and radicalising other inmates. Mr Jenrick said the Government should reintroduce solitary confinement for gang leaders and remove access to kitchens and appliances such as kettles, until prison wings are back under control. Earlier this month, Axel Rudakubana, the Southport killer, allegedly threw boiling water from his kettle over an officer at HMP Belmarsh. Mr Jenrick proposed that all radical Islamist imams working in prisons should be removed and counter-terror security clearance should be retrospectively applied to all pastoral officers. He also demanded compulsory quarterly releases of data on religious conversions in prison, and faith-related incidents. He also said the Tories would legislate to overturn a court ruling that requires prisons to take account of any representations by a prisoner placed in a separation centre. And he proposed a law change to prevent terrorists claiming compensation under human rights law, and delaying their segregation. Prof Acheson said: 'The threat to officer safety is now intolerable and must be met decisively by the Government. The balance inside too many of our prisons has shifted away from control by the state to mere containment, and the price is soaring levels of staff assaults and wrecked rehabilitation. 'Broken officers can't help fix broken people, or protect the public from violent extremism.' Mark Fairhurst, the chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said: 'We are asking for Tasers and the use of non-lethal options. If we ever needed firearm support, we have an agreement with chief constables to provide mutual aid. 'If the Tories think we need this level of protection, we need to exhaust all other options first, including adequate protections for staff and supermax facilities.' A Ministry of Justice (MOJ) source said: 'The last government added just 500 cells to our prison estate, and left our jails in total crisis. In 14 years, they closed 1,600 cells in the high-security estate, staff assaults soared, and experienced officers left in droves. Now the arsonists are pretending to be firefighters. 'This Government is cleaning up the mess the last government left behind. We are building new prisons, with 2,400 new cells opened since we took office, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to violence and extremism inside.' MoJ sources also warned that introducing firearms to jails was likely to increase the risk to prison officers rather than decreasing it. They said Ms Mahmood had already commissioned a review into separation centres which could lead to an expansion and a tougher approach to segregating dangerous prisoners. One day, a British prison officer won't come home By Robert Jenrick Last week, I visited HMP Wandsworth to speak to officers. How was it inside the prison, I asked. 'Look at my boots,' the officer responded. They were covered in blood. It wasn't even 10am and a violent assault on his colleague had already taken place. The worst bit? He shrugged it off, because it wasn't unusual. It's only by a stroke of luck that an officer hasn't been killed. The situation in our prisons is now a national security emergency. On Friday it was reported that a prisoner had used a knife – delivered to his cell by a drone – to stab an officer at one of our top-security prisons housing terrorists and murderers. Organised crime groups have now effectively established Amazon Prime for prisoners, with drones delivering whatever weapons they want to their cell window. Guns on drones are a matter of time Hashem Abedi, the sick Manchester Arena plotter, recently used hot oil to disfigure officers – just imagine what terrorists like him could do with serious weapons. It is only a matter of time before a drone brings in a gun, ammunition and explosives that a prisoner uses to kidnap, kill or even plot a terrorist attack. The Government is dithering, hiding behind multiple 'reviews'. They refuse to give officers stab vests immediately. They won't fix glaring security flaws that enable drones until the middle of next year. After the Southport killer used a kettle to burn an officer, they withdrew it – only for him to be rewarded with access to the prison shop so he can buy sweets and chocolate. It's a disgusting insult to the victims. This appeasement must end. The Government must give the officers the capability to take back control of our prisons. They need to give highly trained officers tasers, baton rounds and, yes, access to firearms in exceptional circumstances. They must legislate to disapply the Human Rights Act so governors can place terrorists and radicalising inmates in isolation without judicial interference – and terrorists can't use lawfare to get compensation. When they move them, it must be to solitary confinement, with every single luxury taken off them. But even that won't be enough to restore order. Prison officers have always had to deal with killers including ruthless IRA murderers, and exceptionally violent organised crime gangs. They now have to contend with Islamist gangs that have taken control of some wings. Muslim converts a cause for concern Their grip is so strong prisoners have reportedly been placed in isolation to protect them from the Islamist gangs who target them. There are accounts of sharia law courts and floggings and beatings. Some prisoners convert to Islam for their own protection. Why is it, for instance, that analysis by The Telegraph shows 19.9 per cent of Muslims in UK prisons are white, nearly three times higher than the rate in the general Muslim population? The response from the Ministry of Justice has been pitiful. Prison imams have been found unable and sometimes unwilling to promote British values and take on violent fundamentalism from Muslim prisoners. It was even reported sniffer dogs have been banned from Hashem Abedi's unit after complaints it would offend the Muslim faith. Labour's prisons minister refused to even utter the word 'Islamist' after I asked a question about the threat from radicalising inmates. We have to stop pussyfooting around Islamists. Remove the radical imams. Isolate the self-appointed 'emirs'. And release quarterly statistics on religious conversions in prison and faith-based incidents so we know the truth. Our front-line prison officers are lions led by donkeys. Ministers and senior officials must act now to prevent disaster. If they don't, one day an officer won't come back to their family.
Belfast Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Farage has brought ‘racism and hatred' to Hamilton by-election, says Swinney
The Scottish First Minster hit out at the Reform UK leader, claiming he was a 'real threat' ahead of voting in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election on Thursday. Criticism has been levelled at Mr Farage's party after a Facebook ad claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was prioritising Pakistani people over Scots and included a section of a speech in which he encouraged more people from south Asian backgrounds to enter politics. Addressing activists – including a number of MSPs, former MPs and candidates for the 2026 Holyrood election – in Hamilton on Saturday, Mr Swinney contrasted Reform UK with former minister Christina McKelvie, whose death prompted the by-election. 'This is a by-election that none of us wanted to be fighting, because it meant that we'd lost somebody we loved, Christina McKelvie, who was an individual that represented generosity, tolerance and inclusion,' he said. 'That was how she went about her work in this constituency and in Parliament, and that's the antithesis of what's been brought into this by-election campaign by the politics of Nigel Farage, who's brought racism and hatred right into the heart of this community, and it is repugnant. 'We are going to stand up to it in every way we can.' In response to journalists, the First Minister said he was not concerned about defamation claims stemming from his allegations of racism against Mr Farage. When the by-election was called, it was widely seen as a two-horse race between the SNP's Katy Loudon and Labour's Davy Russell, but recent weeks have seen a surge in fortune for Mr Farage's party. Speaking to the PA news agency after his speech, the First Minister said it is 'very clear' that Labour is 'out of this contest' and it is now 'between the SNP and Farage'. 'I want to make sure that Farage's politics don't get any hold in Scotland, they are damaging,' he said. In his speech, the First Minister repeatedly referenced Mr Farage, but when asked if he was increasing the chance of Reform gaining a foothold by paying the party's leader so much attention, Mr Swinney said: 'I've just got to make sure that people in this constituency are aware of the threat that Farage poses in this election. 'If Farage gets in here, then you know the agenda of NHS privatisation is what will follow, the agenda of undermining the Scottish Parliament will follow, because that's what he believes in.' Elsewhere in Hamilton on Saturday, Reform UK's candidate Ross Lambie gathered activists ahead of a canvassing session, including some bussed into the constituency from the north of England. Speaking to journalists, Mr Lambie was asked why the parties believed to be the frontrunners at the beginning of the campaign were spending so much time on Reform. 'They're doing their canvassing and they're getting the same results as we are, that's why,' he said. He added: 'We are super proud that we're not being pigeon-holed with any particular voter and we're not being boxed into certain aspects of the community. 'We're getting votes from across the area. 'If you were to chat to these volunteers, you'll find some of them were SNP voters in the past, many of them were Labour voters, Conservative voters. 'So that's the thing we're most proud of, that we're breaking down those old barriers in Scottish politics.' Mr Sarwar said Labour is still in the race for the seat in Thursday's vote. 'It's between ourselves and the SNP, every single vote is going to count,' he told PA on Saturday. 'That's why, if you want to beat the SNP, if you want a local champion, if you want to start that pathway to a new direction, the best way of doing that is to vote for one of your own – vote for Davy Russell.' The Labour leader also accused the First Minister of 'talking up Reform for a very, very long time', an assertion Mr Swinney rejects, while saying he would 'call out Nigel Farage's poison'.
Belfast Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Trade Secretary to meet US counterpart in bid to secure steel tariff exemption
The meeting will come after Mr Trump said he was doubling tariffs on imports of steel from 25% to 50%. The UK struck a deal with Washington for import taxes on its steel to be removed weeks ago, but its implementation has not been finalised. Trade officials and negotiators are planning to speak to the US as soon as they can to understand the implications of Mr Trump's latest steel tariffs. They want to secure a timeline for the UK-US deal to be implemented as quickly as possible in the coming weeks. Jonathan Reynolds will meet US trade representative Jamieson Greer to discuss timings for the deal to be in place when both attend the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) meeting in Paris next week. Earlier this week, a federal court blocked many of the sweeping Trump tariffs imposed on imports from countries around the world, but left some in place, including those on foreign steel and aluminium. On Thursday, a federal appeals court said it was allowing Mr Trump to continue collecting import taxes for now. On Friday, Mr Trump announced he would double the tariff rate on steel to 50%, starting on June 4. A Government spokesperson said: 'The UK was the first country to secure a trade deal with the US earlier this month and we remain committed to protecting British business and jobs across key sectors, including steel. 'We are engaging with the US on the implications of the latest tariff announcement and to provide clarity for industry.' The agreement, known as the economic prosperity deal, is expected to be presented to Parliament before it comes into force.
