ANDREW Tickell asks the crucial question: ‘How do you persuade a wealthy nation to embrace radical change?” (Yes campaigners need to recognise Scotland is already a wealthy nation, The National, January 19). He refers to household surveys which show that most people say they are well-off and very few people say they are poor, which suggests that Scotland is a wealthy nation in those terms.
We do know it is a wealthy nation from the point of view of national resources, but how can we tell if the household surveys give a clearer picture of prosperity at the level of the individual?
There are other ways of measuring this, eg food bank usage and personal debt levels (loans, overdrafts and credit card debts). It would be very interesting to compare these figures over the last few years to see if there is any correlation between these and doorstep perceptions.
If, for example, these types of debts have escalated, as some suggest, it could be that Mr Tickell’s question is easily answered by the publication of such figures. This would probably bring home the realisation, at the level of the individual, that the house in which they live, and the car in their drive, are teetering on the edge of the same cliff edge as the hard Brexit bus?
Dennis White
Blackwood
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here