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The Herald Scotland

Thanks, Labour: your EU deal gives us the worst of both worlds

The UK Government estimates that material changes in areas covered, such as fisheries, food and energy, will increase GDP by 0.2 per cent by 2040. Contrasting with this, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates that Brexit will reduce the UK's long-term GDP by approximately four per cent compared to remaining in the EU. The deal shows the UK clearly moving towards a relationship with the EU that is the worst of both worlds, formally sovereign, yet locked in ongoing negotiations and deeply enmeshed in EU frameworks across the entire economy. Moreover, these conditions also mean the UK can't strike a trade deal with the US involving food and agriculture unless there is no trans-shipment of goods, or unless the EU signs a trade deal with the US that solves this issue. Trade deals with the likes of India, the US and the EU simply limit the immense economic damage of Brexit to the UK economy, rather than bringing any benefits. Alex Orr, Edinburgh. A threat to our security In a lecture at the Policy Exchange last week Jonathan Hall KC, the UK's independent reviewer of legislation on terrorism and state threats, said: 'If I was a foreign intelligence officer of course I would meddle in separatism, whether Scottish independence or independence of overseas territories or Brexit. I would ensure that the UK hated itself and its history. My intention would be to cause both immediate and long-term damage to the national security of the UK by exploiting the freedom and openness of the UK by providing funds, exploiting social media, and entryism." He also said that other issues useful to a foreign power would be environmentalism, immigration, trans rights, toxic masculinity, racial tension, antisemitism and anger over Gaza. All legitimate concerns, and all potential wedge issues 'to sow discord and hopelessness'. While his speech was on the topic of independence (which many people do suspect of being influenced by foreign powers) one of the other controversial issues he mentioned is environmentalism. Having read Ian Lakin's astounding letter (May 22) on Ed Milliband's ongoing destruction of the UK oil and gas industry could it be that those "foreign powers" have managed to infiltrate the heart of the UK Government? Just asking. Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven. Read more letters Transition is far from just On May 22 the Just Transition Commission published its fourth and final written briefing based upon a 'people-and-place approach'. The previous three papers focused upon Grangemouth, Shetland and Dumfries and Galloway. This fourth paper entitled 'A Just Transition for Aberdeen and the North East' makes for stark reading. Having conducted two days of reviews, interviews and group discussions the Commission concludes: • There is no just transition plan for Aberdeen and the North East, particularly for oil and gas workers. • Deployment of renewables needs to accelerate, and employment therein made more attractive. • Domestic supply chains are key but emaciated. • Retraining and skills are essential. • The Scottish and UK governments need to cooperate and work seamlessly together. • Most key players are in denial and therefore progress is glacial. In essence, if this was a report card it's a D. A solid D. This matters a lot because more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs are risk. And given Scotland's grim deindustrialisation track record it looks like our wheels are thoroughly stuck in the same old tram tracks as coal, steel, shipbuilding, refining. The report inevitably has several pages of recommendations. Regrettably these lack three key things: associated costs, a credible timeframe, any clear accountabilities. Even more curiously the report lacks three other key aspects: the realpolitik of transition if you like: • Any systematic examination of the key players' positions, needs and roles (this includes the institutional hostility between Edinburgh and London). • Any examination of the 'money side': costs, the underpinning economic drivers for the status quo and the desired transition. • Any appraisal of institutional capacity, especially capacity to retrain thousands of workers, build Scottish supply chains, reorientate whole complex systems. So we have deindustrialisation Groundhog Day. This report partly describes what's not working. But it elects to shy away from the 'why?' and has almost nothing to say in practical terms on how to credibly get our wheels out of the tram tracks. I had hoped for better. Aberdeen and the North East (and Scotland more generally) deserve better. There is plenty of expertise around to fill out the huge gaps here. However, I'm not sure there's any Scottish or UK political appetite or capacity to deal with the truth. That wouldn't matter were it not tens of thousands of jobs and a big chunk of our economy hurtling towards the scrap heap. This is negligence at best. Rank cowardice at worst. We can and need to do a great deal better than this. Neil Gilmour, Edinburgh. Frustration over tidal Stewart Lightbody (Letters, May 24) makes valid points about the Winter Fuel Allowance, but the elephant in the room is that we could have electricity coming out of our ears if the tides were harnessed. A 2021 paper to the Royal Society claimed that a Severn Barrage alone could supply 6-7% of UK demand, and slinging road-rail across any dam would be a double bonus. The problem is Big Energy doesn't want that, in the same way that Big Pharma doesn't want health. For example, you can't produce plutonium for weapons from dams, hence the ongoing, horribly expensive nuclear programme. George Morton, Rosyth. Working together for peace I refer to the heading to Murdo Grant's letter published on May 23, 'Support the many decent Israelis' with which sentiment I very much agree. Surely the most effective way of supporting Israelis who are opposing Benjamin Netanyahu's extremist ethno-nationalist government is by providing financial support to those organisations which are driven by Jewish values among which are social justice, promoting peace and preserving life. I suggest that your readers read online an article headed 'A Guide to Organisations Working for Peace and Justice in Palestine-Israel' which lists 'a number of organisations that work inside Palestine, inside Israel, across borders and internationally. These organisations show that people can work together to find a solution to conflict and demonstrate leadership and bravery'. May I take this opportunity to draw your readers' attention to the fact that at last week's General Assembly of the Church of Scotland the Commissioners backed a deliverance criticising the blockade of food and humanitarian aid, the ongoing forcible displacement of Gazans and the continued holding of hostages? The Rev David Cameron, Convener of the Assembly Trustees, said 'the churches of the world cannot remain silent in the face of such appalling inhumanity'. Surely the authentic voice of Christianity. John Milne, Uddingston. • Dr Gerald Edwards (Letters, May 24) asks if the current situation in Gaza isn't "what Hamas wants".' I am not sure whether Dr Edwards is a medical doctor or a PhD but I would be mortified if it is the former because I am not sure how any feeling human being, much less a physician who has taken the Hippocratic Oath, can countenance the tragedy that is the outcome of this "war" with anything other than sheer horror and disgust. Marjorie Thompson, Edinburgh. A precedent for Faslane? In the face of international opposition and the legal claims of displaced islanders, the UK has passed the sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago over to Mauritius while leasing back control of the (American) military base on Diego Garcia ("Starmer signs deal to hand over Chagos Islands after court bid", The Herald, May 23). This will cost the UK £101 million for a century, less than the cost of running an aircraft carrier according to Keir Starmer. An increasingly likely phenomenon is the elevation of Nigel Farage to the office of Prime Minister, probably with the support of the Tory party (though Labour cannot be ruled out). In that event the possibilities of Scotland recovering its sovereignty would be greatly enhanced. What then of the nuclear base on the Clyde? A similar leasing arrangement? I think the many questions over liability, control and sovereignty would probably rule this out. GR Weir, Ochiltree. John Swinney (Image: PA) Have a word, Mr Swinney John Swinney's favourite word appears to be "unacceptable", however the number of times he uses it is also unacceptable. I suggest he invests in a thesaurus and finds some that are equally acceptable, among which might be damnable; unspeakable; deplorable; disgraceful; unsupportable; indefensible and it then would become less intolerable. Isobel Hunter, Lenzie.