Sir, – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has had her time.
The SNP are lying to the public.
If I had a parent who passed away in a care home where a resident was released from hospital with Covid I would be wanting an inquiry into who knew this was occurring.
And now for the extra £500 million the SNP want to borrow, how are we going to pay for that?
It would be more taxes or a cut in services, that’s how.
Given that we already pay higher taxes than anywhere else in the UK who knows what we would be expected to pay.
The health service is on its knees, there are less police on the streets and they claim their hands are tied.
It’s getting boring Nicola, we get more money back from Westminster than we send down.
As for free prescriptions, why?
I don’t mind paying if the money is ring-fenced for the NHS.
As for free university places, how many go to Scottish students and how many attending universities are foreign?
It’s time to get the door Frank, and keep wee Nicola in!
Neil Robertson.
Etive Place,
Glenrothes.
Master stroke from Sweden
Sir, – I seldom agree with Jenny Hjul, but she’s right about our two governments’ shocking mishandling of the Covid crisis (Perspective on pandemic, Courier, August 19).
I can do no better than quote Alastair Heath, editor of the Sunday Telegraph in an op-ed on August 13:
“Sweden got it largely right, and the British establishment catastrophically wrong.
“Anders Tegnell, Stockholm’s epidemiologist-king, has pulled off a remarkable triple whammy: far fewer deaths per capita than Britain, a maintenance of basic freedoms and opportunities, including schooling, and, most strikingly, a recession less than half as severe as our own.”
George Morton.
Hudson Road,
Rosyth.
Prosecute mask miscreants
Sir, – Reflecting on the news of a significant increase in coronavirus cases in Scotland, I wonder if poor or no mask-wearing discipline plays any role at all?
We are meant to mask up in shops etc.
But nothing happens to miscreants who couldn’t care less about fellow citizens.
It is past time that the police carried out random checks in shops, accessing CCTV, to prosecute a sample of the wrongdoers, pour l’encouragement des autres?
Mike Scott-Hayward.
Sawmill House,
Kemback Bridge.
Bleating loudly at Indyref2
Sir, – It is quite an event to be regaled by two anti-Scottish letters from Derek Farmer in the space of two days.
In the latter he attempts to present Ruth Davidson as a ‘wee lassie from Fife who has made good against all the odds’.
Instead she has proved a hard-nosed political opportunist who in order to get elected passed herself off as a moderate anti-Johnson Remainer.
She has quickly metamorphosed into a pro-Johnson Brexiteer thrilled to accept a place in the House of Lords where she can be as hostile as she likes towards the Scottish Parliament without fear of being held to account in a democratic election.
In the earlier letter Mr Farmer portrays himself as a Fifeshire farmer with a herd of Blacknose sheep who feels threatened by devolved parliaments. Anyone who has looked at Mr Farmer’s online profile will see a rather less modest picture.
He describes himself as a long-time long-travelled international banker and is managing director of Knightsward Farms Ltd.
His consultancy experience includes advising governments and organisations in a number of countries.
Mr Farmer is part of the London financial elite who have a vested interest in the status quo.
Both he and the future Baroness Davidson will be hoping there are sufficiently large flocks of Brownnose sheep ready to bleat loudly when the date is set for Indyref2.
Ken Guild.
Brown Street,
Broughty Ferry.
Retailers risking breaching order
Sir, – Is it possible that retailers, who allow non-exempt persons to enter their premises and make purchases without wearing personal protective equipment as required, currently, by the Scottish Government’s edict, are also in breach of a mandatory order unless said retailers take action by refusing to serve said persons?
Patrick Garthwaite.
Rattray,
Blairgowrie.
‘Do as I want’ attitude wrong
Sir, – I was disgusted to hear that the St Johnstone v Aberdeen game was going ahead with four of the disgraced Aberdeen players included in the squad.
These players, with their ignorant attitude to taking care of mixing with others amid the Covid-19 pandemic, have proved to be less than professional in their respect for the game.
Regrettably they appear to have been re-established as role models to their fans.
‘Do as I want’ appears to be their mantra.
This game should not have been going ahead and St Johnstone should have been awarded the three points following the postponement of the game .
It had nothing to do with them.
Roy Moffat.
Bollyglosh,
Gilmerton.
Texts often contain threats
Sir, – Humza Yousaf must have a care of the consequences of his Hate Crime and Public Order Bill.
Sacred texts often contain threats, abuse and insults against those who do not conform to their precepts.
But should the cloak of religion be used to excuse that which otherwise would be deemed illegal?
It’s hard to see how freedom of religion and hate speech legislation can comfortably co-exist.
For example, a leading Scottish politician during her political broadcast suggested quarantining England.
As a result a mob, painted in woad and wrapped in lengths of pub carpet, went to the border and menaced those driving north.
I wonder if the police would be able to differentiate between racist bampots arrestable under his new law and the SNP brothers performing religious rituals?
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.
