Scotland Matters Letters

On several occasions over the last year, I have tried to contact Police Scotland on 101 to try to report matters of community safety and crime but gave up as I simply couldn’t get through after 15-20 minutes of holding for an operator. The Scottish Government has allowed the closure of local police offices by the formation of Police Scotland but this has led to a failure in providing a service to the community and discouraging the public from reporting crime and community concerns of public order. Scotland deserves better. Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen.

Nicola Sturgeon has said that this was the wrong time to make a relatively small number of rich people richer”. How strange considering this is what she does day in, day out. Rich people in Scotland don’t have to pay for prescriptions or their kids further education or their use of public transport. They also don’t have to pay for early years childcare. High earners over 60 can also travel free on the bus to work. The typical salary for Scottish employees in 2021 was £26k. There is nothing “fair” about an income tax system where those earning this are taxed to finance the “freebies” those on six figures salaries can get. Jane Lax, Aberlour, Moray.

Regardless of what you think of Liz Truss, Nicola Sturgeon accusing her of ideological obsession is the pot calling the kettle black. William Ballantine, Bo’ness, West Lothian.

The letter from a reader from Aberlour (Mail) highlights exactly what I have been saying for years, that nothing is free. I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if the SNP even taxed the air to pay for Patrick Harvie’s unworkable and expensive plan for us all to have heat pumps installed in our homes. Every freebie equals less money for something else. Imagine if, for instance, prescriptions had a flat fee of 50p, how much would that raise for NHS Scotland? How about applying the same fee to bus journeys, a big boost for public transport? If Nicola Sturgeon and her motley crew made better use of taxpayers’ cash rather than using it to buy votes we would all be better off for it. Ian Balloch, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire.

Leah Gunn Barrett makes a great issue about the minuscule numbers that voted for the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss (23 September). Perhaps she could enlighten us by stating the numbers that voted for Scotland’s FM when she assumed her office after the departure of the previous occupant. It should be an easy question to answer- it was less than one. Alexander McKay, Edinburgh.

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