Scotland Matters Letters

“Once independence is achieved, it is unlikely that either [Nicola Sturgeon or the SNP] would be in exclusive control of the government of Scotland beyond the subsequent Holyrood election” writes Stan Grodynski (Letters, 2 January). Leaving aside the question of when and whether independence will be achieved, I can assure Mr Grodynski that neither Ms Sturgeon nor the SNP is in charge of the country under the existing arrangements. It’s the Greens that are calling the shots these days, whether it’s the moves to restrict cars from cities, the delays improving death-trap roads through the North of Scotland, setting up impractical bottle deposit schemes or the postponement of the abolition of Air Passenger Duty. And does anyone think that Ms Sturgeon would have pressed ahead with the ill-considered Gender Recognition Reform Bill if it had not been that the Greens had held a gun to her head. Without their votes at Holyrood, she has no majority and they could bring her down at any time. So we don’t have to wait until after independence to see power shift from the SNP to other less widely supported parties. Peter Fish.

Sir, – Why is it is often suggested that the UK Government needs to make a positive case for Scotland remaining in the UIQ A car dealer hoping to sell us a new model does not insist on us having a detailed analysis of the familiarity, advantages, flaws, running costs and service history for our old family car. They assume that having driven and maintained it for many years we are well aware of these factors, and it is up to them to convince us that they can offer us a suitable alternative deal Scots live in the UK, and already know the many advantages, opportunities, and several flaws that this brings. We know the service history, the historical running costs (taxes), and that there are several things needing to be fixed while maintenance costs are escalating. However, if the SNP dealership want to sell us a new model, they will need to advertise a deal good enough to lure us into the IndyRef showroom. As it stands, their Special New Year Sale offer would look something like this: Trade in your old UK union for a new SNP Indy – the purchase price and trade-in value of your old model is to be negotiated with Westminster – but not until after you have signed the agreement. Road tax on your Indy will no longer be paid to the UK. New tax and running costs are unknown – but don’t worry, the finance package will allow you to borrow unlimited amounts at an unknown interest rate to be repaid in a currency yet to be decided. Your Barnett formula insurance and roadside assistance policy will end immediately – possibly replaced by an EU policy – but don’t hold your breath, as it will take years, if ever, and would mean that after all that effort, your so-called Indy will once again be a union subject to EU policy rules. If this is the best deal on offer it shouldn’t take a de facto family referendum to decide to stick with the trusty union and put some money and effort into repairs and maintenance. Mark Openshaw.

I doubt that it is contentious to say that the condition of the NHS is one of the crises, if not the pre-eminent crisis, afflicting Scotland and causing great popular concern. Yet there seems to be no urgency on the part of the SNP administration to debate it at Holyrood. Instead, MSPs spent the last two days (and evenings) at Holyrood before Christmas having the non-urgent Gender Recognition Reform Bill pushed through with unseemly haste. That served neither the NHS nor those debating the merits of self-ID well. In addition, the ruling party has planned to have, as its first debate in the New Year, the subject of Scottish secession. Why? What is urgent about this? We all know what the SNP thinks about it, even if it can’t produce a convincing prospectus. It is clear that Holyrood is not fit for purpose, entrusted only with the candyfloss issues of interest to minorities, while the major business of health, education, housing, transport languishes in ministries that do little and achieve less. Is this how democracy is meant to work? Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh.

There must be a profound sense of foreboding within the SNP as the First Minister’s iron grip on the Nationalists starts to loosen. Even so, Nicola Sturgeon has been quick to dismiss notions of schisms within the party as ‘complete fiction’. Yet the sense she runs a tight and disciplined ship is beginning to unravel. Miss Sturgeon is no closer to securing an independence referendum. Her plan to turn the next UK general election into a ‘de facto’ referendum is only fuelling divisions within the SNP The election of Stephen Flynn as the SNP’s Westminster leader can also be portrayed as a blow for her authority, given he is now seeking more freedom from Holyrood. Miss Sturgeon also suffered a rebellion amongst a number of her own MSPs over the SNP legislation to make it easier for people to legally change their gender. Will this lack of unity lead to the demise of the First Minister? Andrew Hogg.

As someone who had to resort to self-medication over the Christmas break, I was interested to read about the dire situation of NHS Scotland. The Health Secretary, Humza Yousef, apparently says that the Government’s remedy is a £60 million winter resilience plan to recruit more extra staff, alongside pumping £45m into the ambulance service and expanding home care capacity. Perhaps he can explain to us how he will find all these extra staff? From what I’ve heard, NHS staff are already leaving their professions, it’s extremely hard to recruit home care staff and what will the £45m do to ease the ambulance waiting times outside our overstretched A&E departments? We need a bit more detail. Fiona Garwood, Edinburgh.

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