Readers' Letters: Yousaf fails to answer the big questions

Humza Yousaf’s masterplan for a seceded Scotland looks to be focused on abolishing the monarchy, writing a constitution and abolishing nuclear weapons in the Gare Loch.

The SNP's latest prospectus for a 'New Scotland' - held by First Minister Humza Yousaf -fails to address the matters voters really care about, says reader (Picture: Robert Perry - Pool/Getty Images)

I’m not convinced that these policies are at the top of Scottish voters’ priorities. Do the nationalists not have any appreciation of the housing crisis, their deplorable administration of transport, the NHS staff shortages and waiting times or the widening attainment gap in education?

The SNP are failing Scotland as a devolved administration. Goodness knows what levels of ineptitude they would bring to the government of a seceded country. Where are the policies to eliminate the crippling fiscal and trade deficits? How would they plan to prevent an immediate, catastrophic devaluation of a new Scottish currency? How would the nationalists replace the annual £24 billion fiscal transfer from Westminster that pays our pensions and welfare payments?

King or no king, the Yes cult have no answer to the important economic questions.

James Quinn, Lanark, South Lanarkshire

Time to go

Nicola Sturgeon makes an appearance outside her home in front of the media on her return there a week after her arrest. She asks for some privacy and rightly confirms that she cannot answer questions about the ongoing police investigation. She returns to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday this week and, with a flick of her fingers, gathers the subservient media to hear her latest inconsequential musings.

It is clear that her desire to remain “relevant” and in the spotlight remains undiminished. It really is time for her to step into the shadows and for the media to try and break free from her “publicity spell” where she speaks and informs us of nothing.

Richard Allison, Edinburgh

Not the same

John McLellan refers to the spectacular downfalls of Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson (Perspective, 20 June). While things may change in the future, to compare a leader who retired while in office and was questioned about some undisclosed financial matter and released with no charge, with a leader who was forced to resign from office and then from Parliament for repeated lies and falsehoods, backed up by an independent inquiry whose results were crystal clear in proving the veracity of these lies and falsehoods emanating from that leader, is disingenuous.

Certainly, at this stage of the proceedings, the comparison is ludicrous.

Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Edinburgh

Rays of hope

Thank you for an interesting article about how we used to celebrate Midsummer (21 June). However, the heading about yesterday being the longest day is more traditional than factual. I checked three different websites and each had its own length of time between sunrise and sunset, with each of the three days, 20, 21 and 22, claiming pole position for this year. Of course, as solstice means “sun still” it’s wrong anyway, as it’s the earth which moves as its wobble reorients itself. When I become world dictator I will restore Hogmanay and 1 January to their proper positions: the winter earth still.

Tim Flinn, Garvald, East Lothian

Wind fail

The Scotsman editorial of 20 June on “the energy challenge ahead” fails to address the fact that currently 75 per cent of consumer energy is obtained from gas, which is four times cheaper than that from any onshore windmill. That means a ban on domestic gas will result in a massive increase in household bills – a fact that is never addressed by Holyrood politicians.

A second problem ignored by the media is that if the wind fails to blow then increasing the current 13GW of windmill capacity to 58GW is irrelevant as there would still be no output for the consumer! That is the reason the SNP proposes to build an additional 25GW of gas turbine units to keep the lights on in Scotland at enormous cost to the consumer – so much for the claim that “onshore windmills produce the cheapest electricity”. Why is there no debate over scrapping inefficient, unreliable windmills that fail to deliver affordable energy for the Scottish consumer?

Ian Moir, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway

Staying afloat

Our current administration at Holyrood has frequently lauded the Scandinavian model for what Scotland might aspire to as an independent nation. Shipbuilding is an industry on which Scotland has rightfully prided itself for a century and more, but the Scandinavians are putting down a marker that we have a long way to go to get anywhere near.

The Icon of the Seas from Royal Caribbean will be the largest cruise ship ever built. It is being built in Turku in Finland, a city of around 200,000 inhabitants (about the size of Aberdeen) in a country of 5.5 million (about the size of Scotland). The LNG-powered ship is 20 storeys high and can accommodate up to 7,600 guests in luxury, with seven swimming pools to cool off in. It has eight contrasting “neighbourhoods” to suit your mood. Construction began in 2020 and sea trials are planned to commence in 2023, with bookings now being taken for cruises starting in January 2024.

Compare this with the construction of the Glen Sannox, a small ferry, started in 2016 with expected completion in 2018. It is over five years late, way over budget, and will enter service in spring 2024 at the earliest – long after the Icon of the Seas is taking paying customers.

I apologise if this is seen to be talking Scotland down again, but there has to be a realisation of what we are up against if we want to be any kind of player in an industry where Glasgow once dominated the global stage.

James Edgar, Edinburgh

Glad tidings

Kate Copstick is right (Perspective, 21 June) to call out the discrimination and exclusion that bisexual and transgender people faced in parts of the early lesbian and gay rights movement. Scotland's current campaign organisations, though, have worked for bi and trans equality for over 25 years.

Scotland's Pride events also welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities who support equality and inclusion. That's why there are so many different flags now visible at Pride – it's about celebrating diversity, inclusion and mutual support, not exclusive tribalism.

I was 20 when Tom Robinson's 1978 song Glad to be Gay was released (the song is not about being glad, of course). I am still glad to be gay, proud to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and inspired and energised by our inclusive and diverse Pride events.

Tim Hopkins, Director, Equality Network, Edinburgh

Just transition

Humza Yousaf’s revelation that Labour’s green energy strategy launched on Monday is “dangerous” as it would move too quickly is quite a claim given that his Green partners carp on about moving too slowly towards climate targets. This came after it was revealed that the SNP missed its own climate emission targets for the eighth time in 12 years by going too slowly. The biggest share of emissions remains from vehicles, over a quarter of the total. This is hardly surprising given that electric cars are still around 50 per cent more expensive than petrol equivalents.

After reading the latest Which? report on EVs I was left wondering why anyone is buying electric in a cost of living crisis. Not only are they far more expensive – even the smallest models start at £30,000 – some are less efficient to run than many small petrol models. The most energy-efficient models listed cost about 10p a mile to home charge while my petrol car costs 11p a mile to fuel. This, coupled with a range of 300 miles or less for all but two of 40 models tested, and a lack of investment in a reliable charging infrastructure, mean that for most buying electric makes no economic sense.

The Scottish and UK governments must wake up and realise they need to support the transition to electric, and petrol plays a part in that. Initiatives to consider are scrappage schemes to promote efficient petrol vehicles in return for the highest emitting vehicles, restructuring road tax bands so highest emitting vehicles incur many times more tax than the least and expanding low emission zones into other cities. Only then will emissions reduce – but maybe it’s “dangerous“ to move quicker?

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

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