Letters: Something must be done or our islands will be ruined

But none of the above is new news.

What should be of concern to this "new" administration under our new First Minister is the longer-term effect on the population levels of the islands off our coastline. Who in their right mind is going to be attracted to live in an environment where travel can be disrupted at no notice, food and provisions provision is unreliable, hospital appointments cannot be guaranteed, affordable housing is almost non-existent and jobs that depend on all facets of tourism are under threat because the tourists don’t come?

Unless something drastic and quick is not done, we are witnessing the beginning of a 21st century version of the Highland Clearances – this time, the Island Clearances. Why are not more citizens shouting loudly about this failure and demanding a plan of action?

Colin Allison, Blairgowrie.

Time to sack CMAL bosses

I SUPPOSE this letter should start with “It is beyond belief that…”, but, sadly, it is entirely in keeping with their previous records that the CMAL chiefs should be swanning off on a taxpayer-funded junket ("Ferry chiefs sail off to ‘fun’ junket on the Med amid crisis", The Herald, April 14).

Kevin Dodd’s ignoring of BBC Panorama’s investigator last year was simple rudeness and his management of CMAL beggars belief. Oh, sorry, no it doesn’t.

The real tragedy is that for the vast majority of Scottish voters, the ferry catastrophe is of little or no importance as it does not impinge on them.

Perhaps if the situation involved trains or planes, things might be different. If Humza Yousaf really wants to gain some credibility, he should sack the entire CMAL organisation and start afresh.

Perhaps I might get back to Arran soon, but I’m not holding my breath.

John NE Rankin, Bridge of Allan.

Read more: Anger as CMAL sends execs on £1000-a-night Med conference cruise

Is a motorhome office equipment?

I AM surprised that the current First Minister of Scotland knew nothing about the motorhome until a few weeks ago ("Luxury campervan seized by police does belong to the SNP", The Herald, April 14). Even if he wasn’t privy to the workings of the inner circle, if he were really interested in the workings of the party he could have accessed the Electoral Commission’s website, where he would have found it published in the SNP’s 2021 accounts on August 16, 2022.

While a one-page summary makes no mention of any motor vehicle being included in the party’s assets there is the opportunity to download a copy of the financial statements and this is where things get interesting. The balance sheet lists a motor vehicle with a value of £80,632 which is cross-referenced to a note in the accounts. Unfortunately the trail ends there.

Under note 1 of these accounts the SNP has disclosed how it writes off the cost of fixed assets over their estimated useful life. Interestingly, only two classes of assets are listed – “Computer Equipment, Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment” and “Leasehold improvements”. No mention is made of motor vehicles. Rather confusingly at note 18 of the same accounts the asset classifications appear to change to “Furniture, fixtures and fittings” (value of additions in the year £8,551) and “Office/computer equipment” (value of additions in the year £116,497).

Still no mention of motor vehicles, and leasehold improvements don’t appear to exist any more. Are we therefore to assume that a motorhome can also be described as office or computer equipment? In addition to explanations being asked of the SNP executive perhaps the auditors have questions to answer, as they provided a clean audit report after more than doubling their fees from £26,290 in 2020 to £57,235 in 2021.

Alan McGibbon, Paisley.

• I THOUGHT promises on the side of a bus were the reserve of the Tory Party. It seems that the SNP thought about getting in on the act with the luxury motorhome. It’s a shame it didn’t work out, but the party could always put it up for sale and pay for the upcoming legal fees and save the taxpayer the burden. Just a thought.

Johan Wilson, Tain.

Nicola Sturgeon signing her official resignation letter, from which the fallout continues (Image: PA)

How many regret Sturgeon support?

VIRTUALLY every day a new revelation comes to light about the cult-like regime of Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell. Professor Nigel Biggar of Oxford University wrote this week: “Many supporters of independence did so basically because they trusted Nicola Sturgeon.”

I wonder now how many of these people, the people who gave Scotland this so-called Government, have now changed their minds and regret support? They didn’t support Nicola Sturgeon and independence because of her economic case for a successful independent Scotland where Scots would be better off, but because they trusted her. There has been no economic case. Due to Ms Sturgeon’s magnetic personality, her support has been based on nothing more than emotion.

More and more we see that Ms Sturgeon and her husband have had a vice-like grip on the SNP with its politicians unable to voice their opinions or step out of line. Scotland deserves more.

Douglas Cowe, Newmachar.

Indy prospects are now dead

BIT by bit the truth is coming out over the massive problems of the SNP which were kept secret by Nicola Surgeon and which may now explain why she resigned so abruptly.

Poor Humza Yousaf was kept in the dark over the issues of the party being dumped by their auditors last year and the £100,000 motorhome which it transpires was owned by the SNP. He must be wondering what other bombshells are going to hit him as he desperately tries to conduct a damage limitation programme. The SNP's problems have ended any hope of Scottish independence.

Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen.

The question of principles

HUMZA Yousaf, the bargain basement First Minister, is quoted as saying that he did not know the full costs of the legal challenge on the Section 35 decision regarding the Gender Recognition Reform Bill. He went on to say that "spending taxpayers' money on defending the will of the Scottish Parliament, on defending devolution, for me that's important". Mr Yousaf said he did not "know the full costs" that would be involved in taking legal action but insisted that it was an important principle.

I can’t help but think back to the discussion on the dualling of the A96 & A9. When Jenny Gilruth stood up in Holyrood in February this year, she announced that the anticipated cost of the Tomatin to Moy construction contract was £115 million, significantly higher than expected. Where was the principle of saving lives then?

Jane Lax, Aberlour.

Murray should have a rethink

AS a constituent, I receive Ian Murray's modestly titled “Award-winning newsletter”. I don’t read it because whatever fine words he uses to try to convince people that Labour cares about them conflict with the evidence. Sir Keir Starmer’s English Labour Party has lurched so far to the right that it should just merge with the Tories, ending the charade of a two-party state.

Here’s the evidence that Labour is a fraud. It’s firmly behind the Tory hard Brexit. It doesn’t support striking public sector workers, wants to jail protestors and criminalise desperate migrants. It opposes electoral reform and taking public services back into state ownership. It promises to deliver more austerity and accelerate NHS privatisation to satisfy its corporate funders, yet will continue to splash out on nuclear weapons.

Scotland has no veto over English decisions, we have no control over our land and resources and our MPs are overwhelmingly outvoted by English MPs. The Union is a sham and Scotland no more than a colony within it.

If Mr Murray, Scotland’s only Labour MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, supported Scotland’s right to choose whether or not to remain in this so-called "voluntary" Union, then Labour’s fortunes may revive in Scotland. But breaking from London would take political courage that I don’t believe Mr Murray possesses. I hope he proves me wrong.

Leah Gunn Barrett, Edinburgh.

Read more: SNP own campervan seized from Peter Murrell's mum, says Humza Yousaf

Why the fuss about donor question?

I STRUGGLE to understand the fuss about the standard form for blood donors which asks whether you are pregnant, offering a “Yes” and “No” option (“Male blood donors asked if they are pregnant”, The Herald, April 13, and Letters, April 14). I understand the form even goes to the length of advising the form-filler to tick “No” if the question does not apply to them. I would not have any difficulty in answering the question with a simple “No” (thinking “Thank God men don’t get pregnant” while I did it). OK, I might be mildly offended were the question posed by someone staring at my waistline, but even then I would lose no sleep over it.

Having a standard form not only keeps things simple, it also avoids the gender definition minefield in which we now live. Having just a “male” and “female” form would cause rather more understandable offence.

But there seem to be gentlemen who cannot, for reasons that bemuse me, answer “No”, despite this being 100% correct. For them there is a solution. Just add a “Not Applicable” box to the “Yes” and “No” boxes.

But the real question is why, in a world where we face a myriad of real problems, are people complaining about such a trivial matter?

Alistair Easton, Edinburgh.

Getting the springtime blues

I HAVE no quibble with spring cleaning in moderation and annually check the bedroom for empty cans, crisp packets, and failed betting slips, always to be disappointed, such is my austere life. Likewise my trusty tool box and DIY accoutrements, rarely used.

I draw the line at loft and garage – one should always prepare for a nuclear winter, and I have always felt more comfortable in a car with a long-acquired patina of dust, rather than the tyranny of maintaining pristine freshness.

However, I am less comfortable with Susan Swarbrick's encouragement for a good cerebral scrubbing ("Why we all need to spring clean our minds", The Herald, April 13 ).

If I recycle my blue jokes will they become green – and less funny?

R Russell Smith, Largs.