Letters: SNP should stick to the facts, not emotions, over Ukraine

If the SNP wishes to win over the hearts and minds of more Scots in a future independence referendum, its representatives would be better advised to stick with the true facts rather than indulge in emotional codswallop.

Bob MacDougall, Kippen.

STOP DENYING US FREEDOM TO CHOOSE

THERE is the Scotland we all live in; then there is the Brigadoon-sur-Styx of the arch-unionists. Jill Stephenson and Bob Scott (Letters, February 27) paint a grim picture of Scotland as an industrial wasteland. In fact, in the last year before the pandemic, Scotland’s GDP was among the top tier within the UK (London slewing the stats, being the wealthiest European region). With all normal state functions/spending relocated back in Scotland, we would start out OK.

Denis Bruce (Letters, February 27) complains that “education continues its downward spiral”. Eurostat reports that Scotland “continues to have Europe’s best-educated population”, with a high-performing tertiary education system. He also complains about the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, a hospital with one of the best records of patient safety anywhere in the UK. Mr Bruce should ponder the many reported scandals in NHS England, before he traduces the good staff of the QEUH.

New currency? Czechs and Slovaks launched new currencies quickly. The Baltic States went from “high inflation, high unemployment, low growth and high government debt” when controlled by Russia, to high-income economies now with independence. Boris Johnson and his fellow travellers should stop channelling their “inner Putin” and stop denying Scotland the same “freedom to choose” they claim for Ukraine. Ignore the nonsense of GERS and get the Treasury to open its books.

GR Weir, Ochiltree.

GREAT SUPPORT FOR SCOTTISH BUSINESS

JILL Stephenson’s letter regarding the Scottish Government’s alleged lack of business nous should be taken with a pinch of salt, when we all remember the demise of Scotland’s manufacturing industry in the 1970s and 80s. We had a proud manufacturing industry which was the envy of the world with the likes of Singer, Hoover, Timex, NCR, the vast shipbuilding and steel industry and of course the car industry. But sadly all came to an end under the watchful eye of Margaret Thatcher.

Regarding Ms Stevenson’s claim that no SNP MSP has any expertise in business, perhaps she should have done her homework; those claims are quite frankly wrong. In government the SNP has reached out to businesses with very generous business rates relief, and Scottish Enterprise has assisted many businesses in getting off the starting blocks, demonstrating that the Scottish Government is in no way opposed to private enterprise.

Regarding opposition to capitalism – sadly many have suffered and experienced the state of capitalism in reality, as demonstrated from 10 Downing Street.

Catriona C Clark, Falkirk.

* IN her ritual denunciation of Nicola Sturgeon, Jill Stephenson laments the absence of business experience in members of the Scottish Government. She must have been disappointed that no politicians were recruited from the people who managed British Home Stores, Carillion, ICI, Greensill or HBOS. With such a wealth of business talent, no government could have failed to take good decisions.

The Government's moral position might also have been enhanced if it had consulted the business experts involved in building the Grenfell Tower or running the Post Office. Even Robert Maxwell might have provided some useful guidelines.

Peter Dryburgh, Edinburgh.

HOW ABOUT AN OIL UPDATE?

EXACTLY seven years ago, the English Tory newspapers gloated that Scotland would have been bankrupt as the oil price had crashed in the months since the independence referendum.

In Scotland Lord George Foulkes piled in on the front page of some compliant newspapers.

With the oil price rocketing towards $120 a barrel, could either give us an authoritative update?

John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing.

WE MUST PROTECT THE VULNERABLE

I REFER to Neil Mackay’s online Newsletter headed “There will be no rest until Putin is dead or in the dock” (February 25), in which he asserts that “we must all be prepared for personal sacrifice. Destroying Putin’s regime will cost us and hurt us”.

While agreeing with him that the need for such “personal sacrifice” will be inevitable I suggest that as a consequence of more than a decade of Conservative austerity and recent benefit cuts such talk of sacrifice will be laughable for many.

Steps must be taken at government and individual level to protect those at the margins of our society from the consequences of the actions we are taking to oppose Vladimir Putin’s threat to European democracy.

John Milne, Uddingston.

WHEN WILL WE MAKE A STAND?

JUST when are we going to make a stand against Vladimir Putin,s aggression? Sanctions will take time to bite and many more innocent lives will be lost before that as the Ukrainians fight our fight for what we claim to believe in.

They are pleading for Nato to provide a no-fly zone, which Nato is reluctant to do as it will draw it into conflict with the Russian air force, thereby creating war between Nato and Russia, the fear being that the war would then spill over wider into Europe and could turn nuclear.

We are watching nightly with horror the gradual destruction of a country along with the deaths and casualties of a population who are willing to lay down their lives against a ruthless tyranny.

It is tragic that we are witnessing this catastrophe without any direct input into helping to eliminate this awful threat facing this nation.

Nato is a defensive alliance designed to protect the freedom of its members. Ukraine is not a member legally of this alliance but it is a member in spirit. This brings into play the principle that, if a nation is being cruelly attacked because of its intention to remain free to choose its future, then other nations which share its values should be willing to come to its aid in every way without having to abide by the small print of the alliance they belong to.

What is under attack here is freedom, democracy and the way of life which comes with the first two. Nato will have to realise that if Ukraine falls, then Putin's eyes will be cast in the direction of the weakest of the Baltic States to bring them back one by one under rule from Russia with puppet governments in place.

There will be no alternative then but to confront him to prevent such an outcome. All options would then be on the table.

Better sooner rather than later to face up to this challenge

Denis Bruce, Bishopbriggs.

CLAMP DOWN ON OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS

WHILE London has been the focus for financial sanctions against Russians there has been no mention of the extensive Russian funds hidden in British dependencies in the Caribbean, namely the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands. There are reports that there is five times more Russian loot locked offshore in the Caribbean then held in London.

It is surely time for the UK Government to initiate controls and interference in the management of these questionable British-owned dependencies. There is too much unreported money being held in these secretive jurisdictions.

Thom Cross, Carluke.

WE MUST RETHINK OUR CLIMATE STRATEGY

NET Zero Watch, a well-respected climate watchdog, has reported that the Government's Public Accounts Committee has been misled by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) led by Lord Deben. The net zero policy was enshrined in law on the basis of the misleading cost estimates provided by the CCC. The actual cost is now £3 trillion and counting.

Lord Deben, the CCC and all those on the climate gravy train should be dismissed and the savings used to reduce energy bills and boost our flagging economy.

Craig Mackinlay MP wants a complete overhaul of the climate and energy strategy. He said: "For 20 years, policy has been dominated by ideological pipe dreamers, and to date they have succeeded in wrecking livelihoods and undermining national security. It's time to look again at fracking, at nuclear, and at adaptation. It's time to get serious about climate and energy." Wise words indeed.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow.

THE COLD FACTS ABOUT OUR TRAINS

CAROLINE Wilson’s piece about the disgraceful rolling stock on the West Highland line ("Call to get tourism asset back on the right track", February 27) mentions, amongst the other deficiencies, a lack of heating. Sadly this is not a problem exclusive to these train. Many Glasgow suburban trains have heating beside the seats which doesn’t work. Perhaps someone with an expert knowledge of train design could explain why something seemingly so basic is so difficult to do.

Stuart Neville, Clydebank.

DISRESPECTING THE ARCHBISHOP

I HAVE just read your article concerning the installation of Bishop William Nolan as the new Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow (“New Archbishop of Glasgow says ‘flame of faith alive’ as he praises abuse survivors”, February 27). Why is Archbishop Nolan referred to as "Mr Nolan" throughout your report? This shows ignorance of and total disrespect to Archbishop Nolan and the Roman Catholic community in Glasgow and throughout Scotland.

Joe MacEachen, Coatbridge.