Letters: Don't believe the doom-mongers, we want forestry in Dumfries & Galloway

Here in Dumfries and Galloway 26 per cent of the area was already afforested in 1999 and now the latest figure, taken from 2014, is 31 per cent.

If the prophesies of doom given out by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association and climber’s organisation Mountaineering Scotland were true, tourists would have been deserting Dumfries and Galloway over the last decade-and-a-half, whereas the reverse is true.

They keep coming in ever increasing numbers for the history, the beaches, the dark sky park and yes, for the forest trails and the mountains – not so grand as the Highlands, admittedly, but still worth a visit.

So let’s ignore the self-interest of the huntin’ and shootin’ brigade and their acolytes.

The Dumfries and Galloway experience has shown the way in that more trees didn’t harm tourism and the same will be true for the rest of Scotland.
Alastair Witts
New Abbey, by Dumfries

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The EU can hold out the hand of friendship to us I REMEMBER one of the arguments during the referendum campaign was that if Scotland voted for the dissolution of the United Kingdom, Scotland would be out of the European Union. When the point was made that by the same criteria England would also be out, as the United Kingdom, the signatory body, would no longer be in existence, we were informed that England would inherit the position of the former entity that was the United Kingdom, as the successor state.

Surely it would beholden of the EU ministers after article 50 is signed by the Tory government in Westminster to inform the Scottish Government, First Minister and the Scottish people that Scotland would assume the position of successor state in the event of Scotland becoming once more an independent country.

I do not include Ulster and Wales in my deliberations as they cannot be described as ever having been countries in their own right, and if the people in the province of Ulster wish to remain in the EU they could vote for reunification with Ireland. The Welsh voted to leave the EU and the majority of the population are happy to be a province of England. So, the European Union, in their deliberations on the future inclusion of Scotland should, I hope, be inclined to hold out the hand of welcome and friendship.
David McKeen
Leven, Fife

HERE is a quintessential piece of English irony which appeared in an English newspaper on February 6 2017. Ian Birrell, Columnist of the Year and Foreign Correspondent of the Year, stated: “A single referendum is a snapshot of opinion. It should not turn MPs into robots, nor stifle the widest possible debate on the future direction of our nation.”

Except of course, when it applies to Scotland. When Theresa May refuses to allow another independence referendum; when the Unionists bleat about and criticise a second independence referendum; and when the English and Scottish Unionist media gang up against a second independence referendum, remember Birrell’s statement, and throw it back in their double-standard faces. Irony is a wonderful thing.

William C McLaughlin Thankerton I’VE just had my annual income tax statement, with a pie chart showing me where it all goes – and the smallest slice of all, maybe a third of the Overseas Aid next to it? UK contribution to the EU budget. Fake news, of course; must be.
Colin Stuart
Saline, Fife

LESLEY J Findlay’s admonition regarding The National’s alleged “cavalier” attitude towards president Trump raised questions for me. (Letters, February 16) According to Lesley, should Scotland become independent in around two years time, we will need “friends abroad”, implying that friendly relations with the big school bully is always a good career move. This belief, whilst arguably prudent, does not sit too well with me and assumes Trump will still be president two years hence; but it ain’t necessarily so.

Based on the fact his advisers and “people” appear even crazier than he is and impeachment remains in the US statute book, The Donald’s presidential tenure could be brief.

I live in hope.
Malcolm Cordell
Broughty Ferry, Dundee

TONY Blair’s intervention on the Brexit debate is the biggest gift the Brexiteers could ever have. His call for remainers to rise up is literally beyond parody.

On February 15 2003 on six continents in 60 countries over 30 million ordinary people marched in the biggest demonstration in human history against going to war in Iraq.

Blair dismissed the demonstrators as “millions of liberal-minded people taking to the streets to defend the most illiberal regime on earth”.

In a memo to George Bush he said people had a “wholly warped view”, a “ludicrous and distorted” view of America in Europe. He accused rational people of “behaving very stupidly” over Iraq.

The Chilcot report provided conclusive proof that Blair has the blood of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, on their hands.

According to the investigative journalist Tom Bower, after he had left office Blair was offered a job at JP Morgan with a seat on the board, and a salary to go with it of $100,000 (£72,000).

Mr Blair responded that he wanted a “proper job” and expected $5 million (£3.6 million) a year, a five-year contract as an adviser and a percentage of every contract he initiated.

Within weeks, he’d bagged almost all he asked for. Tony Blair is an unindicted war criminal whose only destination should be the dock in The Hague.
Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee

I RECENTLY had occasion to visit Marks and Spencer in search of something to wear. In their menswear department I found clothing made in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan, Romania, Turkey and Vietnam.

There was nothing on display from Scotland or even the rest of the UK. I found this surprising and disturbing from a national retailer, which not so long ago preached to us the benefits of being “better together”.

It is little wonder that British clothing manufacturers are feeling the pinch, when stores such as this prefer far-flung sources to home-grown quality.
Joseph G Miller
Dunfermline

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Don’t let the Unionist army meddle with your head any more

PROFESSING to be “pro-independence”, wooly thinking, cannot be left to stand.

Compare Mr Ross’s “Scots face another kick in the teeth from Europe” of your Valentines day edition to “EU is willing to do a deal with Scotland”, (The National, February17).

Poles apart yet this SNP voter, apparently, does not appear to understand that the abject negativity of his view gives powerful aid to the Better Together lobby.

The Unionist army, a member of which Mr Ross professes not to be, is huge and extremely powerful. It has been playing with the minds of us all for donkeys years but more and more of us are shaking that drug off; however the same incantations that produce the drip-drip-drip of SNP baaad have also proclaimed EU baaad.

Mr Ross, massaging his earlier message, suggests: “In voting for independence pre-brexit, we cannot remain!”

Mr Ross’s confusion pours out in that sentence alone. He thinks we can vote to stay in after we’ve been forcibly removed from the community by Brexit, does he? The “uncertainty” that he feels needs to be explained, doesn’t exist!

As we stand, there is absolute certainty that Scotland will be removed from membership of the EU against its will.

Will Scots vote to rejoin the EU? I don’t know but I suspect they will; however, commerce and industry have to contend with prevailing conditions with contingencies for the future; they don’t go into hibernation until spring comes!

The currency Scotland uses is of little interest to the EU or the wider world. Scotland’s ability to trade has been assessed as, probably, AAA by the top world assessors so the only factor for consideration is the exchange rate.

The EU would like us to use the Euro. I would too. There would be no great upsets in the change over like there was from £sd to decimal!

I am truly disturbed by Mr Ross being unaware of the rising xenophobic mood in parts of England and yes, in parts of Scotland too, clearly in America. It has to be addressed.

The pound sterling has declined for almost every single year of my long life, much of which can be seen in any examination of the currency but the IMF is there to help with short term fluctuations and has no agenda regarding the rise or fall of a currency outside that brief.

Greece is introduced. A spurious argument and not relevant to the discussion.

Greece probably managed to fiddle figures to gain entry to the EU, its fiscal discipline was lacking, it is having a hard time, it has been lent more money than it can actually afford to borrow.

The rest of the world is unlikely to get that back.

Your headlines today are promising for those of us that believe the way forward is to be an active member of a trading block.

It could posited that a good enough trade deal for England could persuade them to relinquish their death grip on Scotland: only time will tell.

Mr Ross, I’m pleased you support Scottish independence and don’t doubt your heart is in the right place but ask you to be wary of what the BBC tell you, what the mainstream media have told you.

President Trump has brought the issue of “fake news” to the forefront and the media, which we have learnt to rely on throughout our lives. Mr Ross, feigns surprise and reports it. That is a warning in itself.

Fight for independence in a positive way. Only after that can you fight for whatever else you want.
Christopher Bruce
Taynuilt