Sir, – I have just heard an SNP MSP proudly claim that Scotland will lead the world by banning new petrol and diesel cars in 2032, eight years ahead of the rest of the U.K.
Of course, he did not mention, nor I suspect understand, the crippling economic effect of this ruling on Scottish households. Some homework would have revealed the following.
Electric vehicles start by being up to 50% more expensive to buy and 15% more expensive to insure than petrol or diesel cars.
This may change but the killer is the future cost of a kWh of electricity.
Martin Lewis’s MoneySavingExpert website predicts electricity will cost 97p per kWh from April. That will power an average electric vehicle for about four miles so the energy cost is just under 25p a mile. A diesel-powered car achieving 50 mpg with fuel at £1.85/litre costs about 17p a mile. These figures mean an electric car will cost 50% more per mile to run than a petrol or diesel car. This will add up to a very large sum of money over even an average year’s motoring.
Alarmingly also these costs only apply to domestic electricity. Electricity bought at public charging points is two to three times more expensive than domestic supplies.
We all agree with the necessary transition from fossil fuels but it will not happen in Scotland until the SNP understand the cost problems and start taking them seriously.
Dr Richard Marsh, Bellabeg House, Strathdon.
Free wind so why the high costs?
Sir, – The latest Scottish Government annual energy report that I can find says “In 2019, Scotland generated over 19,000 GWh via onshore wind” and “This is the equivalent of powering all of Scotland’s homes for approximately two years”.
This doesn’t include offshore wind and windfarms built since 2019. Now as the wind is free and we’re told that onshore wind is the cheapest form of energy the Scottish layman would reasonably ask why energy bills have more than trebled? Is the government being disingenuous with its claims on wind power?
Geoff Moore, Braeface Park, Alness.
Strike action does not help situation
Sir, – In response to Ken Reid’s letter and his nationalist commentary (September 3), and his assessment of my own letter as “absolute tosh” because I found his analysis of the economic catastrophe was complete and utter balderdash (nonsense). The situation we find ourselves in the UK is shared by most members of the European Union to varying degrees. So, it clearly cannot be attributed uniquely to our departure from the EU.
A more rational, realistic, and sensible assessment is that the root cause is the dramatic fluctuations in the international price of gas which is being controlled by Russia as part of their tactics in the war in Ukraine. The price cap is unable to cope rationally with the consequences of the conflict.
Finding a fair solution for all will be very difficult. Strike action has unwanted consequences and does not help the situation. It merely demonstrates the power of unions, hence my comment. Sturgeon’s intervention and miraculous location of additional funds to enable a settlement with one set of unions will no doubt have unintended consequences for other workers who will probably be treated differently.
David Philip, Knockhall Way, Newburgh.
Population drop is worrying
Sir, – Dark days of winter lie ahead and the gloomy forecasts for the economy over the next two years do nothing to alleviate the grim despondency hanging over us.
But Scotland’s future presents an even worse picture than that of the rest of the UK with an estimated reduction in population from 5.46 million to 4.6m by 2070. The National Records of Scotland tell us that by 2045 there will be 22% fewer children to become workers and pay for pensions and care accommodation.
With plunging employment figures into the future, what kind of jobs will be on offer to those seeking work? Given the pitiful efforts by Holyrood to boost the economy, there seems little prospect of a migratory stampede up to Scotland in search of jobs and housing. Just what sort of inducements would bring migrants to fill a huge hole in the employment figures?
“Scotland is the only UK country with a projected fall by 2045” and, if we are already anticipating the lights going out, we are also being told that “almost half of our local authorities will decline in population over the next decade”.
Scotland has an appalling drug death record as everyone knows. However, drug death in deprived areas was 15 times higher than in the more affluent areas and alcohol-specific deaths five times higher than in better-off areas. Surely the answer to poverty is in well-paid jobs – as Boris our PM was at pains to point out.
Levelling up by Liz Truss must continue with Scottish freeports and boosts to the Scottish economy in the same way as is happening elsewhere in the UK.
Sam Coull, Lendrum Terrace, Boddam.
Has Euan got an SNP grudge?
Sir, – Other than his good fortune of having his articles published regularly in the Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, and this paper, I know little of columnist Euan McColm’s history or background.
However, considering his regular P&J columns rarely miss an opportunity to do some “bashing” of the SNP in general, and Nicola Sturgeon in particular, I can only conclude that at some point in his career he has been deceived or wronged by what he perceives as the Scottish “Nationalist” movement.
In his latest offering (September 2) he even can’t help himself, after initially describing Brian Cox as “hugely talented”, by ending up denigrating him as “Batty Uncle Brian”, presumably just due to disagreeing with Brian’s views that Scotland would be best governed by its own people, or maybe just due to Brian’s association with Nicola Sturgeon.
Like most unionists that comment in this paper, he seems to fail to understand that without the economic powers currently reserved to Westminster, there is a limit to what the Scottish Government can achieve. Does Euan believe a Scottish Labour government would have fared better trying to combat over 10 years of Westminster Tory austerity measures? Or would he have preferred a Scottish Conservative government?
“Get rid of all the freebies!” I can almost hear all the unionists shout. But what is the point of meeting desired wage demands if that money comes from charging for prescriptions or university courses? Would that not effectively cancel out the pay increases received by many families?
What is certain is that in my lifetime the UK has been governed by two lengthy periods of Tory governments (which Scotland didn’t vote for) and we didn’t fare well under either of them – and, if we were really being honest, neither did the UK.
Douglas Black, Kingsford, Alford.
Cut expenses and members
Sir, – With regards to the article about the pools and gyms being at risk of closure.
Perhaps the council should start first at the Town Hall and City Chambers and do away with all expenses.
Then, don’t bother to open Union Terrace Gardens as looks like a bomb site and, finally, halve the number of useless councillors as I believe they are not fit for purpose.
Norman Ross, Brighton Place, Aberdeen.
Concrete sandwich
Sir, – One would question the logic and common sense of preserving the Triple Kirk in Aberdeen only to be sandwiched like a triple burger in a concrete and glass sandwich.
Dennis Forbes Grattan, Mugiemoss Road, Bucksburn.
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