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The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Let's hope Nicola's book reminds us of her many achievements
Ruth Marr, Stirling. • Frankly I can see a screenplay of Nicola Sturgeon's Frankly start to write itself before my eyes. "We want the truth! You can't handle the truth! You have the luxury of not knowing what I know!" (A Few Good Men). "Facts may be coloured by the personalities of the people who present them" ("12 Angry Men"). And on the subject of the jury being out, I wonder how many people will be poring over Frankly to analyse if Ms Sturgeon has remembered to forget in the book that same evidence that she forgot to remember on oath. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Alasdair Sampson, Stewarton. Heading for Indyref8 Stan Grodynski (Letters, August 1) once again issues the weary demand of the separatists to insist on "Indyref2" due to recent selected polling – and queries the unionists' reluctance to accept this. The SNP consistently fights every election with the break-up of the UK overriding all other manifesto policies, referring to any potential [[SNP]] majority as "de facto referenda" and "mandates for independence". Yet, since 2014, there have been six general and Scottish elections – and what Mr Grodynski appears conveniently to ignore is the fact that not a single one of these has yielded a majority of votes for independence parties. Each and every one, in a "democratic manner" as he requests, confirmed that those who still think that Scotland should remain in the UK do in fact "represent the majority view of the people of Scotland". At the most recent election SNP support stood at 30% – just one year ago – having peaked at 49% in 2021 with the added, albeit minor, inclusion of its Green colleagues. In fact, no election has ever produced a majority of votes for Scottish nationalist parties. Given these election outcomes of 2015-2024, what Mr Grodynski is in fact seeking is not "Indyref2" but "Indyref8". The first seven are evidence enough – there are other, higher priorities on which our politicians should focus. Robin McNaught, Bridge of Weir. • Scottish nationalists continue to agitate, in the press and on social media, for another referendum on Scottish secession. They cannot, however, tell us which European countries have had repeat referendums on the same major constitutional question every few years. The losers in 2014 were indulged quite enough with the Smith Commission and the Scotland Act of 2016, which significantly extended Holyrood's powers – and not for the better. Now they want to impose their wishes in full on the winners. I have a question for them: having lost in 2014, you demand a new referendum. If there was one, and you won for the first time, would you accept the need to put the question again? Would you accept that winning once was not enough, and that a second referendum should be held, as you expect us to do now? I think we know the answer to that question. Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh. Read more letters We want parity with NI Alan Fitzpatrick (Letters, August 1) asks me to give the parameters required for a Scottish referendum, when all I had asked for was constitutional parity with Northern Ireland, where under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 a legal duty is imposed on the Secretary of State to hold a border poll 'if it appears likely that a majority of people... would vote for Irish unification'. Not hard is it? There is also the question of Scotland's status: Scotland was 'extinguished' in 1707 according to the constitutional advisors to the UK Government in 2014. So are we then a colony, in which case a referendum becomes moot, and a majority desire for de-colonising is simply recognised by Westminster? I was on a Royal Navy warship at Mauritius at the time of their independence. They had simply passed an Independence Bill in the Mauritian parliament in 1967 and were independent in 1968. Many others simply morphed into independence. Easy peasy. There is also the question of the media. How can a fair referendum be held in a country with a media which is totally partisan to one side? GR Weir, Ochiltree. Maximising the indy vote At last, at least some in the [[SNP]] realise that we now have a choice of independence-supporting parties to vote for ("[[SNP]] rebels launching challenge to Swinney's strategy on new Indyref", The Herald, August 1), but we do need to keep our options open. The task should be to maximise the votes, both for constituency and list seats, going to pro-independence candidates. This, of course, means that all pro-independence parties must have good policies, not just for the here and now, but for an independent Scotland. If this is done, then once the votes are counted, with MSPs in place, comes the discussion as to whether the people have spoken and independence is ours, or whether we need to attack Westminster's delaying tactics to gain control of Scotland. Patricia Fort, Glasgow. Trump is so unpredictable I find Ian Lakin's logic when arguing against Brexit and independence (Letters, July 30) sadly mistaken. Mind you it is based on Donald Trump's kind of logic (and his mercurial temperament). It is true that we receive (or suffer) smaller tariffs than the EU – and many other countries – so at present we are in a better trading position than them this week, possibly because Mr Trump only speaks an English similar to ours and his mother was Scottish. What will he do next week? It was sad to see Keir Starmer and John Swinney running to beg/negotiate with him last weekend. However the truth is that we are still in a worse trading position than we were before [[Donald Trump]] was reappointed. Last week the bold Donald claimed to have stopped some wars and hoped to settle more. So far he has not stopped any conflicts and has stated his wish to take over Canada and Greenland, not to mention Gaza for leisure development. Perhaps Ian Lakin would be happy to have him take over the UK (or at least Scotland)? The real truth is that we do not know what he will do next and should fear our future. Europe, for all its problems, is still closer and more constant than the USA of today. JB Drummond, Kilmarnock. • Ian Lakin argues that the EU trade deal with the US with its 15% tariffs means that the UK is much better off with its putative 10% deal. He perhaps does not know that the UK doesn't have a trade surplus with the US, according to US figures which exclude money moving through the Isle of Man etc. The US calculates that the EU does. The EU is a much more important market for Scotland and the whole UK than the US. Non-tariff barriers are costing many Scottish businesses. The trade barriers between the UK and Northern Ireland caused by Brexit are also growing higher over time. Jackie Kemp, Edinburgh. A kinder benefits system The findings of a report commissioned by Scottish ministers into the performance of the Adult Disability Payment have been published. They embrace the ethos of Social Security Scotland: "Fairness, Dignity and Respect". The findings say that ADP is "kinder in tone and more dignified in approach" and was "significantly more compassionate" than the DWP system it replaced. Claiming benefits is not a lifestyle choice, it is a necessity for millions and should be made as accessible as possible, as noted in this report. While the Westminster Government is intent on reducing welfare costs which in many cases results in a false economy, with many claimants experiencing a decline in conditions and needing additional healthcare, the Scottish Government has committed to continuing its investment in the people of Scotland and Scotland's social security system. We must always invest in the safety net that defines the kind of society we are. Catriona C Clark, Falkirk. Keep Open away from Turnberry I agree with everything Andy Maciver has written today about junior doctors ("Doctors are wrong to strike but they are right that they deserve better pay", The Herald, August 1), but am astonished that his piece last week about Turnberry and The Open ("Swinney must help bring the Open to Turnberry", The Herald, July 25) attracted no comment. Having watched the BBC interview with Eric Trump, the overwhelming arrogance of this man, which is not surprising given his lineage, is a very good reason why the R&A should continue to give Turnberry a very wide berth. The revamped Ailsa course may well now be the best course in Britain, and many others have said it is, but that is no reason to rush into giving it back the game's premier tournament. Eric Trump did not say 'The Open deserves Turnberry'. He did not say 'Professional golfers deserve the chance to play Turnberry'. He said: 'My father deserves The Open.' The only thing Donald Trump deserves is a prison sentence. He finished with an expletive sentence which simply unlined his unfitness to have anything to do with this tournament. The Open is bigger than Donald Trump and does not need his golf course. John N E Rankin, Bridge of Allan. Donald Trump at his Turnberry golf course (Image: Getty) Glasgow's kindness Myself and five friends were in Glasgow to celebrate our 70th birthday year. We went to the King's to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, then to Sarti's for dinner. One of the 'girls' put '70' table centres on the table. The family at the next table wished us happy birthday. After they left the restaurant the waiter came across with a bottle of Prosecco which they had paid for. As if that kind gesture wasn't enough, the couple sitting behind us chatted and wished us well. As they left the restaurant they turned and put £40 on the table and said to take it off the bill. They disappeared before we could react. We were all shocked with the generosity of complete strangers but it did give us all great faith in Glasgow's kindness. Liz Morley, Strathaven. Comfort zone Brian Watt's story about a Newtongrange social club's bus party to Wembley to support the national team in the 1970s (Letters, July 31) reminded me of the story of the young mine worker from the Lady Victoria Colliery in Newtongrange, Midlothian, who had been admitted to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with multiple fractures after being caught in a roof fall. On his ward round the next morning the orthopaedic surgeon asked the miner: 'You comfy?' The Newtongrange mine worker replied: 'Nitten'. Stuart Swanston, Edinburgh.
The Herald Scotland
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Labour's 'sunlight of hope' is now the darkness of despair
Well, a lot of things were supposed to be different under Labour; the problem is though that they are not. Voters who were promised "Change" are increasingly feeling conned. The "sunlight of hope" which the Prime Minister promised in his General Election victory speech has become the darkness of despair, and anyone hoping that Sir Keir Starmer might show some respect for the voters of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and turn up to explain himself will be sadly disappointed, with Labour's own sources admitting that the Prime Minister is "not playing well on the doorsteps and is not considered an asset at this point in the electoral cycle". And those are the truest words we've heard from Labour for a long time. Ruth Marr, Stirling. An electoral disaster beckons The way things are going, it does not look as though Labour could win a second term in office. It came in with big ideas about growth and investment to rescue the UK from the yawning chasm of inequality only to find that there was a shortage of funds despite the highest level of taxation for eons. Out of fear of catastrophic headlines, Labour tied its own hands by ruling out increasing taxation in important areas, thus leaving itself little wriggle room for its manoeuvres. In its desperation to show that it could be steely in its determination, it hit targets which were clearly going to provoke vociferous public outcry destined to damage its standing in opinion polls and to test the strength of its resolve. The reduction in numbers of those eligible for the winter fuel allowance has left an indelible imprint in the minds of many voters which will backfire on Labour at the next election while the National Insurance increase on employers' contributions has put a squeeze on Labour's much-vaunted ambition to boost business growth. Read more letters Labour must have hoped that the electorate would understand that Labour's project to reform the economy would take time, but it had not factored in the the fragmentation of society where individual groups and institutions do not see themselves as members of the larger national community but are interested only in protecting their own members' interests and devil take the hindmost. Where Labour needs every business, public service and trade union to realise that a sinking ship needs all hands to the pumps, it faces demands from all sides for a restoration of parity with the economy prior to 2010 and additional funds to put into operation the about-turn Labour advocates for the economic betterment of the UK. Unless patience and belief in the efforts of community action replace the selfishness and impatience of individual entitlement, Labour will be in the position of Sisyphus, condemned never to succeed in the task it has taken on. That will just spell out electoral disaster when the burden of blame rests elsewhere. Denis Bruce, Bishopbriggs. By-election opportunity For the last few weeks, the environment in the UK has been particularly stressful: widespread anti-government protests have swept the country, whereas the approval ratings of Sir Keir Starmer have hit a record low of 22%. Such an outcome is a response of the population against rising taxes, withholding social safety net programmes and healthcare reform. But despite the growing frustration of the public, the PM has been building up multi-billion aid to Ukraine from already shaky budgets with no concern about internal problems. Taking into account the reluctance of the Government to scale back its ambitions that are affecting the population, the victory of Reform UK in the English local elections seems to be no surprise. Even Nigel Farage is regarded as a worthier candidate than any member of the Conservative or Labour parties that left the public disappointed with their unpopular policies. As people didn't manage to get through to the Government by ordinary means, they resorted to drastic measures. 'Change your political course, otherwise we'll replace you with the opposition' – that's what the population wanted to say by voting for the right. The by-election in Scotland on Thursday is one more opportunity to show the Government that Reform UK's big win in local elections was no accident. People can't put up with the fact that their problems are being put on the back burner, they are now in a serious mood to struggle for their welfare. And in this struggle every single voice is badly needed. Iain Brocklebank, Glasgow. • The Hamilton by-election seems to be an opportunity for all mass media outlets to be showing images of Nigel Farage grinning. This is a little disturbing because of the uncanny resemblance between Mr Farage and Joe E Brown, the actor who stole scene after scene from Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, as the useless millionaire Osgood Fielding III in Some Like it Hot, Billy Wilder's 1959 smash-hit comedy. Given that the film's two male actors pretended to be women throughout and the trouble we're having in Scotland with the issues of gender identity, seeing the final scene in which Joe E Brown, with his trademark wide, wide grin announces that "Nobody's perfect" is quite comforting. Nobody is, but I still can't quite imagine Nigel Farage adopting such a magnanimous position – on anything. AJ Clarence, Prestwick. Joe E Brown and Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot (Image: United Artists) Existential crisis for the NHS I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed by Dr Andrew Docherty (Letters, May 29) regarding the parlous state of the NHS. It is perhaps going too far to say that the NHS, which is supposed to protect us from danger, has become the danger in the same way as Frankenstein's monster turned on its creator, but long waiting lists and lack of adequate resource (both human and material) mean that people are dying needlessly. The truth of the matter is that the NHS has become a huge, bloated, costly monster with an insatiable appetite for cash on which it gorges but with no consequent improvement in patient outcomes. This is hard to accept as it goes against everything we have been taught as believers in the 'national religion' and the myth of the NHS's saintliness. I would emphasise that this assessment does not apply to the doctors, nurses and other medical support staff who are generally excellent, but the organisation they work for, which is well past its sell-by date. The problem is simple but difficult. Unlike most other business entities, the NHS does not exist to make money. It exists to spend it and so, because it is taxpayers' money it is spending it has to be monitored by a committee to ensure there are no financial shenanigans going on behind the scenes. As that committee is a public body it has to be monitored to ensure it meets all its sustainability and diversity targets. Then the body set up to do that will need an HR department to ensure that the mental health issues are being properly addressed. Then all these bodies, panels and committees will need to be housed in offices which will have to be financed. Then suddenly there is a need for a CEO who will need some supporting staff, and they will need an HR department too, which means a private finance operation will have to be started which will in turn need an oversight committee which will need another HR department. And then from way down the food chain a doctor will say that he could do with some new PPE and there will be a massive outcry about buying medical supplies. This means a procurement committee will be necessary and the Chancellor will announce she is spending enough already so Labour will be accused of underfunding the NHS. No private company would allow this to happen. It would concentrate on the core business and house the HR department in a Portakabin in the car park. Private companies exist to make money, not to waste it on meeting mindless irrelevant targets Of course, you can't just shut the NHS down for six months to do the required reforming and restructuring followed by a grand reopening ceremony but accountability and good governance completely focused on patient outcomes is the only way out of this existential crisis. Keith Swinley, Ayr.
