Robertson and Swinney have brought shame on Scotland

What do you think Palestinians who have had their whole families killed will think about that nice, smiling picture of the representative of the Scottish Government and the representative of a state that two international courts consider is committing war crimes?

Angus Robertson is damaging his own party and Scotland's reputation. John Swinney's support for him shows either a lack of backbone or lack of moral judgment. Either way, is this what we want in a First Minister?

Isobel Lindsay, Biggar.

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Currency plan is a fantasy

I FEEL obliged to comment on the Unspun article by Ian Stewart of the self-styled Scottish Currency Group in which he presented its case for the introduction of a Scottish currency immediately following separation from the UK ("Why an independent Scotland needs its own pound", The Herald, August 13).

In common with every nationalist proposal for the economy of a post-secession Scotland, his plan for financing a Scottish central bank is fundamentally flawed.

His expectation that “most people” will voluntarily exchange their stable currency GB pound assets for new untested Scottish pounds is spectacularly unrealistic.

The Scottish Currency Group’s fantasy estimate of a Scottish central bank’s foreign currency reserves of £50 billion would quickly be run down by having to support the Scots Pound value in currency markets unless it was allowed to devalue. Additionally, the current unsustainable trade deficit would also rapidly drain foreign currency reserves.

The comment regarding the introduction of the new currency “in conjunction with complementary fiscal policy” to allow borrowing is a euphemism for inevitable tax increases and cuts in public spending.

Nationalists have never made a coherent economic case for independence but these risibly unrealistic proposals from the Scottish Currency Group certainly don’t help their cause.

James Quinn, Lanark.

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Independence is affordable

IF Peter A Russell (Letters, August 14) could stick to speaking for those whose minds he knows, then perhaps his letters would contain at least some accuracy.

Let me assure him that neither I, nor any other independence supporter I know, think that "although independence is something they'd like, it's neither practical nor affordable".

In my opinion, and the 50% who support independence, it would be the best thing to happen to Scotland, is something we can afford to do, and would free us from the moribund hand of Westminster. The fact that there is a gap between support for independence and support for the SNP is a complex issue, worthy of analysis. Not something to just apply what one would like to be true.

Iain Cope, Glasgow.

• DOES the publication of the latest GERS report ("GERS: Increase in Scotland's notional deficit", heraldscotland, August 14) only confirm that since North Sea oil was discovered, Westminster has adhered to the George Best economic model?

“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.”

Alan Carmichael, Glasgow.

So who are the poor relations?

IT is good that the 500km (311-mile) Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project, costing £3.4 billion, will be buried or undersea from Aberdeenshire to North Yorkshire without desecrating the North of England countryside ("New electricity ‘superhighway’ gets nod to improve UK’S grid", The Herald, August 14).

It is just a pity that, when the Beauly to Denny line was run over a decade ago, it was too expensive to bury it, and Scotland had to have its beautiful countryside desecrated by ugly, massive pylons all the way from Beauly to Denny.

When it is going to affect the English countryside, they can find the money, but not when it affects only Scotland. This is just another example of money being no object in England yet, when it is Scotland, it is too expensive.

Who are the poor relations in this Union?

Sander Crozier, Dumbarton.

• MARY Thomas (Letters, August 14) states ithat the SNP has made several mistakes during its years in government. I looked up “several” in my Scots dictionary and the definition does not include “hunners”.

Michael Watson, Rutherglen.

A sad set of priorities

THE article by Rachel Ormston of Ipsos ("Think Scots are united on abolishing the benefit cap? Maybe time to think again",The Herald, August 13) highlighted public opinion surrounding the two-child benefit cap. Evidence from July 4, which I don’t think is about to change, would indicate that removal of the cap is not on Labour's agenda. It is a sad reflection of the priorities of government spending that an article highlighting public opinion on tackling child poverty is necessary.

Catriona C Clark, Falkirk.

Labour naive on immigration

ON Sunday more than 700 migrants arrived in the UK in 11 boats, this happening almost immediately after the Labour Party ditched the Rwanda plan.

Labour has been identified by the illegal smugglers as a soft option.

It's all very laudable being humanitarian and welcoming, but how do we process these desperate people and thereafter house and feed them?

Sir Keir Starmer has announced £84 million of funding for African and Middle Eastern countries.The money will go towards health and education, as well as humanitarian support to address the reasons people flee their homes in the first place.There's little chance that this money will go to tackle the migration crisis at source.

Many of these governments are corrupt and sadly this highlights the naivety of the Labour Government.

Labour can find money for this hair-brained plan, whilst we have our own problems with educational standards, underpaid medical staff, and according to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, a £20 billion debt left by the previous government.

How are these problems going to be paid for? Charging VAT for private education and ending the winter fuel allowance unless you're on benefits?

Is this the government we voted for to take our country forward?

Neil Stewart, Balfron.

Unfair attack on Christian schools

ONE of the meanest things the new Labour Government has done is to add VAT to all private schools from January next year, which is causing the closure of Cedars, a small faith school in Greenock ("Scottish private school to close next month as VAT plans push up costs", The Herald, August 14).

The reason that parents and particularly Christian parents choose to send their children to private and faith schools are not only because class sizes are smaller and educational attainment generally higher but they want their children educated in schools like Cedars “founded on Christian values and ethos” and not subjected to LGBT ideology and anti-Christian teaching. This has led to the growth of Christian schools like Melville Knox in Aberdeen and Glasgow, and also home schooling It is well to remember that it was Thomas Chalmers, an eminent Scottish minister, who started Christian schools and of course it was the vision of John Knox to have a church and school in every parish in Scotland. In England another clergyman, Dr Thomas Guthrie, started ragged schools in 1847 when children were receiving no education at all. In 1872 education was handed over to the state. Religious education and school assemblies were statutory and I remember at Queen's Park Secondary the day started with an assembly when a hymn was sung, a Scripture read and a prayer said. Sadly the secularisation of society over the past 50 years has led to the erosion of Christian values and morality. Christian schools seek to uphold Christian values and morality and for that they should be supported and not penalised by the Government.

Norman A Ogston, Johnstone.

The Cedars School in Greenock (Image: Google Maps)

True virtue

IAN R Mitchell (Letters, August 12) uses that most unforgivable of accusations, namely, “virtue-signalling”. Can he not accept that those he accuses may simply be humane individuals some of whom are motivated by their religious convictions or otherwise by their understanding of the oneness of all humanity?

John Milne, Uddingston.