KEITH Howell asserts that "independence in Europe" is a myth (SNP is conflicted over Europe, Letters, October 8). It is becoming increasingly apparent that out of the EU there will be little independence for the beleaguered UK either, as it becomes increasingly dependent on imports of bad food from the United States and exports of arms to authoritarian regimes. The SNP is no more "conflicted" over its relationship with Europe than the UK Labour and Conservative parties and any uncertainties emanate from the moving target presented by the Prime Minister and the Brexit negotiating team.
Mrs. May states that she is trying to get the best possible deal for the British people. Nicola Sturgeon and her ministers are trying to secure the best deal for the Scottish people, which is entirely appropriate.
As to fracking; the Scottish government has consulted scientists and others with expertise in this process and has also taken note of public opinion, especially in areas likely to be affected by fracking. It is well within the competence of the Scottish government to make a decision following such a process and has nothing to do with the fortunes of the Labour party (Scottish branch), as suggested by Martin Redfern. (Scotland must build a green future for all, Letters, October 8)
Andrew McCrae, Gourock
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here