Scotland Matters Letters

We hear a lot about the “Scottish cringe” these days, for example from Elizabeth Scott (Letters, 30 May). First used in 2004 by then First Minister Jack McConnell to berate our aversion to private enterprise, the term was reinvented by nationalists to characterise those – like me – who question the notion of independence. But it does exist. We see and feel it in every stumbled, scripted Holyrood “ministerial statement”- often in confected “Scoddish”, in the cross-party, tartan-strewed bonhomie of B-list politicians posing during New York Tartan Week, and Dougie McLean tribute acts whining Caledonia to a scatter of William Wallace, Flora McDonald and C U Jimmy wannabes at the fag-end of another AUOB trundle past the bemused pedestrians of our cities. The generation of Scottish youngsters Ms Scott imagines peaked 30 years ago. They harnessed the chips on their shoulders and excellent education to go out and succeed in sport, academia, business, science, medicine, engineering and politics. What we see now are the results of nation-alist exceptionalist hype and declining education: a trickle of outstanding young individuals outnumbered by those who have been told they can, and are entitled to be, anything they want – but not that they need to work, practice and want it hard enough. You don’t believe me? Just count the number of Sots playing in the English Premier league, or those gaining degrees in the hard subjects at our universities. Or ask employers who either can’t find suitably qualified youngsters or who have a policy of not employing them because they are unreliable. Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.

I think it is clear in Scotland that taxpayers are now paying more taxes but getting significantly less in services and support from the Scottish Government. There is obviously waste and mismanagement going on in the running of our country and I can highlight some of the issues that can back up this statement – two unfinished ferries at least £300m over budget and five years late, a dedicated minister for independence with a staff of 19, a green recycling minister who charters private ferries and has an empty ministerial car that follows her on a train to Aberdeen, and a recycling scheme that insists on glass but, the last time I looked, we had a glass recycling box outside our house. When is this waste and incompetence going to end and our taxes put to reducing NHS waiting times, improving education and fixing potholes to name but a few real priorities? Finally I would support free bus passes for all MSPs. John Godsman, Stonehaven.

I have read about mainly Green attempts to promote the “20-minute neighbour-hood” idea, and today have seen a photograph of Edin-burgh councillor Scott Arthur sitting in the sun and “enjoying a beer in my 20-minute neighbourhood”. Given Mr Arthur is a councillor for Colinton, Oxgangs and Fairmilehead, I’d have thought his neighbourhood covered an area that could not be entirely accessed in 20 minutes, even by car, and certainly not by cycling, walking or as the jargon has it. At least we now know what Edinburgh City Council’s agenda is: to return us to the Middle Ages, where villagers regarded those in neighbouring villages as ‘foreigners. I should have thought that, after the ravages of the pandemic, the council might have wanted to attract citizens to return to the city centre, to encourage businesses to establish themselves in the shuttered buildings that used to be a part of a thriving retail culture. But for many of us, there is no certainty that a bus would get us there from home in 20 minutes. Perhaps I should start a book on which aspect of modern living is to be the next to fall victim to the town planners and anti-technology brigade. I am aware my newish gas boiler is under threat. Perhaps, with the predicted water shortage, the council will shut down my plumbing. That really would be the end of civilisation. Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh.

SCOTTISH Government minister Lorna Slater spent £1200 of taxpayers’ money on a charter trip to the Isle of Rum when the Cal Mac return fare was £9.40. How can Humza Yousaf possibly keep her in office? Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.

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