Sir, – Since the Holyrood election we have had a host of correspondents banging on about respecting the will of the Scottish people.
Two recent letters singled out your columnist Jenny Hjul and criticised her language.
They must be suffering from memory loss as we had similar offerings from two other contributors, Alex Salmond and Jennifer Dempsie, in The Courier in the recent past.
Thankfully they have now gone.
The will of the people of Scotland with regard to their voting decisions is a matter for individuals to conclude, based on the proposals put forward by those seeking election or change.
Now that the status of Scotland as part of the United Kingdom and the make-up of the Scottish Parliament have been decided, it would better serve us all if these people turned their attentions to ensuring that our politicians actually got on with some useful work.
And there is plenty for them to do.
Unemployment rose in Scotland by 8,000 recently and the European Union is set to impose a £125 million fine for the non-delivery of single-farm payments.
The roads throughout this country are in a deplorable state, the NHS is still floundering around looking for doctors to deliver health care and education is failing to deliver numeracy and literacy skills to our children.
We are all getting very tired of excuses; of passing the blame to somebody else or, worse still, nobody at fault; of there being no money in the coffers; of ministers pursuing their own agendas.
The Scottish people deserve to get a reasonable return on their investment in a parliament in Edinburgh but they are being short-changed at present so a message must be sent to them.
Put aside your petty squabbles, forget about decisions of the past and get on with some real work and demonstrate that all your promises are not just empty rhetoric.
Colin Young.
Meadowland,
Newton of Pitcairns,
Dunning.
Bold vision of education
Sir, – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney rightly aspire to closing “the attainment gap” by creating a world-class school system.
One proven method to achieve that is to require all local authorities, wherever reasonably possible, to enable close physical links between secondary school pupils and staff on one hand, and university and college staff and facilities on the other.
Such synergies are increasingly recognised internationally as beneficial for pupils considering further education and for school staff continuing professional development and, particularly in the UK, for narrowing or closing the gap with private schools in our globally-competitive world.
Both Angela Constance and Dr Alasdair Allan, now moved to pastures new, were strong advocates.
Let us hope Mr Swinney and his team are equally far-sighted.
John Birkett.
12 Horseleys Park,
St Andrews.
Golden days before EU
Sir, – I could not help but think that your correspondent Bob Taylor (May 18) must be quite young.
I do not remember any significant effect the EU had in resolving the Yugoslavian conflict.
It took NATO to sort that mess out. And, continuing on the peace theme, (but only if we stay in) I cannot see why Germany and France, or anybody else, would be at each other’s throats the minute the UK left the EU, as Mr Cameron predicts. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?
A more liberal Spain could, perhaps, be put down to the death of Franco rather than to the efforts of the EU, and advances in the Eastern Bloc more to do with internal political movements in Russia, encouraged, dare I say it, by the efforts of the Americans and Margaret Thatcher.
I am glad your correspondent finds the tourist resorts much improved, but travel was possible on the continent before the EU was created. I remember package tours to Spain, Italy and Greece.
We were allowed to travel and study abroad if we wanted to and foreign students could come here if they wished.
Before the EU I seem to remember a greater spread of nationalities, including Europeans, in our universities.
Your correspondent invites us to wait for a 100 years, or more, for the EU to become more democratic.
Actually, I would rather just put a cross in the leave box to regain what we had 40 years ago since I am over 70 now and cannot wait another 100 years.
E J Mitchell.
18 Croft Place,
St Cyrus.
SNP split vote for independence
Sir, – In response to MP Douglas Chapman’s letter, Independence not lost cause (May 19) may I remind him that the SNP, while winning 60 of the 73 constituency votes and three regional lists seats, let the Tories in to become the leading opposition party in Scotland.
It is impressive that the SNP won 60 constituency seats, including gains mainly from Labour.
However, losing five constituency seats, two to the Tories, two to the Lib Dems and one to Labour, resulted in SNP minority control of the Scottish Parliament.
The SNP instructed the electorate to use both votes for the SNP, whereas if people had voted tactically in the regional lists to support other independence-supporting parties, then they would have had a greater mandate for independence than shown by the election results
The Tories only won seven constituency votes, but took 24 seats in the regional lists.
A vote for the SNP was wasted in seven of the eight regions, even although they topped the voting in every regional list.
A total of 69 MSPs out of 129 may well support independence but that cause could have been made so much stronger by SNP supporters tactically voting in all regional lists apart from Scotland South.
James Marshall.
37 Mitchell Walk,
Rosyth.
SNP cabinet lacks talent
Sir, – Nicola Sturgeon’s new cabinet is a stark reminder of what one commentator called the “paucity of talent” in the SNP.
In John Swinney she has placed all her eggs in the education basket, and put Derek ‘Forth Bridge’ Mackay, in charge of the complex task of implementing the new fiscal arrangements.
Imagine him dealing with an independent Scotland’s £15 billion deficit, unknown currency and £130 billion share of the UK debt?
The rest are rehashed beans and the talent opposite will make their jobs extremely difficult.
Allan Sutherland.
1 Willow Row,
Stonehaven.
I hope I won’t need a visa
Sir, – Martin Foreman (May 19) took me to task for not mentioning in my recent letter that the SNP received less than half the votes cast in the recent election.
The reason I did not mention it is because it was totally irrelevant to the point I was making, which was that support for the SNP has not dropped.
He seems to believe I am a nationalist; I am not, I am not even a Scot.
I can assure him that I understand, perhaps better than most, that the majority of Scots do not want independence, for if they change their minds I will need to apply for a visa.
Laurie Richards.
100 Crail Road,
Cellardyke.
Pittenweem will miss Gordon
Sir, – A Pittenweem legend, Gordon Reekie, who for a good lot of years has kept the streets and alleys of Pittenweem clear of litter has laid down the brush and parked the barrow for the last time.
No more sunny days, howlers or wet slushy days to put up with and now Gordon can have a rest.
Gordon has given a lot of years’ service to the people as before tramping the streets of Pittenweem he was on the dustcarts.
Every good wish for the future to Gordon.
Roy McIntosh.
16 Wellesley Road,
Methil.
Politicians have a duty to vote
Sir, – I am continually disappointed and dismayed to note the number of times elected politicians abstain from participating in a vote.
This is wrong. They are elected to serve and, by abstaining, they indeed abstain from their duty.
If unsure of which way they should vote it is their duty to consult with their constituents and vote according to their wishes. This is indeed why they were elected in the first place.
Roy Moffat.
Bollyglosh,
Gilmerton.