Sir, – I take exception to the way the recent Scottish Government budget was put across in your newspaper on June 1.
Unsurprisingly, the article was highly critical of the Finance Secretary Kate Forbes’ efforts and the headline focus was on the money set aside for Indyref 2.
If you actually look at the figures, the £20 million for the referendum is 0.01% of the total budget – in reality less than £4 per head of the population.
I can’t see that would make much difference to anyone as it’s about 0.25p per day over the four-year life of the budget.
Yet it is portrayed as gross mismanagement to contemplate using that £20m for something which was an important part of the SNP manifesto.
The budget was designed to stave off a predicted £3.5bn shortfall by 2027.
I’m sure your readers are aware that the Scottish Government, by the rules of devolution, must balance its budget – it is not allowed to run a deficit or to borrow.
Can you imagine the UK Government, or the unionist press, getting aerated about a £3.5bn deficit?
In present UK terms, it’s a mere drop in the ocean.
Lastly, it should be obvious that the cuts being trumpeted in your main article are the result of rampant inflation, currently approaching 10%.
The money simply isn’t there to offset that (the UK Government has the same problem, but of course they can borrow their way out of any crisis if they wish – what is their deficit now, £3 trillion?) and as I have already stated, the £20m for Indyref2 is loose change in the grand scheme of things.
If, as a Scottish newspaper, you aimed to present a balanced view of political matters, you might have considered some of the above points worth a mention.
Graham Bell, Allarburn Park, Kiltarlity.
Capitalism fuelling energy profiteers
Sir, – I am a simple man and I ask simple questions, such as why am I being asked to pay so much now for heat and light?
No reasonable answer has been given to me so far, so I have drawn a few conclusions. I look out over the River Beauly, dammed and damaged to produce hydro electricity.
On the other side of the glen, the huge pylons of the Beauly to Denny power line scar the landscape.
Within a radius of 10 miles huge wind farms produce massive amounts of power, and not far off the coast North Sea oil and gas and now offshore wind are being produced and sent south for processing and sale.
Huge amounts of energy produced right here.
None of this is unique, in fact the whole of Scotland is and has been very richly-endowed with energy resources – so why are we paying so much?
It was always the case that my sister in south-east England pays less for electricity than I did but surely now people can see that this present hike is a massive rip off and once again Scotland is subsidising areas of the UK which are reliant on imported energy?
Production costs have not risen by much if at all but we hear that “volatility” in the wholesale gas market is the driver. It’s actually blatant profiteering within the supply chain, pushing up prices, and the root cause is barely-regulated capitalism.
It’s not hard for a simple man to see that taking control of energy assets on a national and even local level and consequent distribution of benefits for communities and citizens is the way forward.
Other countries do this very successfully and I look forward to the day when Scots take back control of energy and stop filling the pockets of others.
Peter E. Smith, Aigas, Beauly.
UK population is too over-governed
Sir, – Plans are afoot to increase the number of Senedd members in Wales from 60 to 96. Seems excessive for a population of 3.17 million.
Even Scotland (pop. 5.15m) has 129 MSPs and this number was set to be reduced after the Holyrood parliament was well established but – guess what – MSPs voted to retain all 129 seats.
Mongolia (pop. 3.28m) has 76 members in a unicameral government and the state of Nevada (pop. 3.24m) has 21 Senate members and 42 Assembly members in its legislature.
One thing is certainly true of the UK, we are over-governed – 650 UK members of Parliament and 782 unelected peers in the House of Lords.
So can Wales really justify a 96-member Senedd as well as 40 MPs or might electors be better served by a more efficient and streamlined government?
Bill Maxwell, Mar Place, Keith.
Taxpayers picked up partygate tab
Sir, – One question which hasn’t been answered by Sue Gray, or anyone else for that matter, is this – who paid for the copious quantities of booze quaffed by Boris Johnson and others at the various “events” in Downing Street over the last two years?
I think we know the answer – you and me. After all it’s unlikely that the junior staff, who seem to be bearing the brunt of the police action, would have done so and Johnson famously never puts his hand in his pocket for anything if he can avoid it.
I doubt whether we’ll see our money again but fear not. The prime minister is taking decisive action to ensure this kind of scandal is never repeated as long as he is in office. He is rewriting the ministerial code to stop such “vexatious” complaints and to make sure that no investigation can happen without his explicit agreement. I really am not making this up.
I don’t know what sort of person could possibly vote for this man but your opinion pages are regularly full of letters from those who did at the last election.
Graham Davidson, Birse, Aboyne.
Have you needed the responders?
Sir, – I sure everyone across the Highlands will welcome the good news that our pre-hospital immediate care and trauma team (Pict) has received additional funding to allow them to continue to operate seven days a week, rather than the four days that would have resulted from the proposed budget cut.
This team takes doctors to the scenes of accidents, allowing vital treatment to be given to patients before they are taken to hospital.
Often this treatment will be life-saving and sometimes it will even mean that a trip to the hospital is not required.
Sadly the additional funding will only keep the team fully operational until September this year.
I am committed to ensuring full funding to keep our Pict team operational seven days a week and it is in all of our interests to do so – for no other reason than we don’t know when we might need them.
To help the campaign to keep our Pict team it would be really helpful to hear from anyone who has experienced the high-quality care it has provided.
If you are able to share your experience with me, you can contact me confidentially through my regional office on 01463 230777 or my parliamentary office on 0131 348 6143.
I really need to hear from you to build their case so please do get in touch, your support could result in saving someone else’s life.
Edward Mountain MSP, Drummond Street, Inverness.
Christian beliefs improve societies
Sir, – The conclusion of Alistair McBay (Letters May 31) that “humanity’s progress has been in spite of Christian belief and ethics rather than because of them” is narrow-minded. There is a mass of evidence to the contrary.
In the 18th Century the abolition of slavery came about due to the single-mindedness of the evangelical Christian William Wilberforce. He campaigned tirelessly in Parliament. His single-mindedness was driven by the Christian conviction that every human being is made in the image of God.
In the 19th Century the Earl of Shaftesbury, another evangelical Christian, fought for the rights of the those who had no voice.
Through his endeavours Factory Acts were passed that limited the use of child labour, most memorably banning the use of boys as chimney sweeps. Another great work was in fighting for the care of the mentally ill. The Shaftesbury memorial in Piccadilly Circus bears testimony to his great work.
In the 20th Century more than 65% of the Nobel prize winners identified as Christian. In the scientific disciplines, Christians made up 64% of those receiving physics and medicine, while the figure was even higher for chemistry at 74%.
The winners understood that God’s world does have order, thus allowing it to be studied and improvements made for the good of mankind. Even a brief overview of history shows Christian beliefs and ethics, derived from the Bible, have improved societies we live in.
Paul Coxall, Rosewell Park, Aberdeen.
Sturgeon showing up Boris Johnson
Sir, – How low can this prime minister stoop? Heralding freedom from Europe, he has used the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to call for a return to the imperial system. How ludicrous – another smoke screen to cover up his many fraudulent failures.
The utterly-discredited Boris Johnson clings to power as his Brexit disaster unfolds.
Anglo-British nationalism is now breaking up the United Kingdom and promoting the independence movements in Scotland and Wales along with Irish re-unification.
In contrast, the calm and steady leadership of Nicola Sturgeon has made her the longest-serving and most successful first minister of Scotland.
With Indyref2 promised next year, the break-up of the UK is inevitable with perhaps a snap general election called by Boris?
At any rate Scotland must focus on creating a social democratic society, where the people who live in Scotland decide the future government of our well-endowed and highly-regarded nation.
Grant Frazer, Cruachan, Newtonmore.
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