IT’S bad enough when the BBC’s news broadcasts can always find something negative about every story which they pin on the SNP Scottish Government, but the decision to totally misrepresent a Police Scotland comment on tourism in Skye just highlights how out of control BBC Scotland has become (Police criticise BBC over Skye travel warning, The National, August 12).
Like many areas in Scotland, Skye relies on tourism to boost its economy and the outcome of the BBC’s report would be to cut that source of income.
It doesn’t matter if the BBC have now corrected their initial report, the damage has been done. It’s time for a clear out at BBC Scotland – a news broadcaster which can only be relied on to tell lies and fake news is a waste of public money.
Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley
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We should avoid playing Unionists at their game
WHILE I wholeheartedly agree with J F Davidson (Letters, The National, August 10) when he states that our opponents in the movement towards independence are nasty and vicious I completely reject his statement that we “play them at their own game”.
They own that game. They have hundreds of years’ experience in that game and change the rules to suit themselves. Anger, hatred, violence and fear are the currencies the Unionist trades in.
Do not let us be pulled into “their game”. It hasn’t worked for Northern Ireland and it will never work for us. Make no mistake that it is our positivity the Unionists fear most. That is our tool and our most potent weapon. That is what will free our nation from Westminster rule.
R J Bulloch
Glasgow
IT has regularly been stated by supporters of Scotland’s independence aspirations that the Westminster government cannot be trusted either to fulfil promises made in response to Scots, or to act in their best interest. I do wholeheartedly disagree with that view.
The fact is Westminster can be trusted to disavow any promise or policy assurance given to the Scottish Government when it suits the purpose of the party in power to do so. This assertion cannot seriously be refuted and no observer of the post-September 2014 situation needs elaboration.
It has also been suggested that Scots must not dwell in the past and should acknowledge that we are where we now are. While this is axiomatic it is equally essential to recognise why we are where we are. To suggest that any deterioration in Scottish life, sporting, cultural, industrial or sociological now being experienced by Scots, after 310 years of Westminster care, is the fault of the Scottish Government in Holyrood is not only ludicrous but insupportable, if post-1945 records are closely examined.
The very latest example of this is the refusal of Westminster to acknowledge the already agreed principle that powers to be repatriated from Brussels, if not reserved to Westminster, should be automatically devolved to Holyrood.
“Perfidious Albion” is an epithet well earned by London and certainly by the present Conservative government, only in charge after a truly shameful agreement with Northern Ireland’s DUP. The latter will in due course experience the nature and strength of their “alliance”.
John Hamilton
Bearsden
WELL said Robert Mitchell (Letters, The National. August 10). My wife (who is from Yorkshire) and I lived and worked in London and 10 overseas countries over 39 years. We never found anyone who had nostalgia in those overseas countries for former colonial rule nor many people from the South East of England who thought of Scotland as anything other than a remote, backward and sometimes annoying inconsequence.
The Scottish Enlightenment led the world into the modern era. The UK Government is leading us to a bleak and uncertain future post Brexit. It’s time to break free.
Hugh Dunnachie
Sanquhar
REGARDING the letter by Lorna Campbell (Letters, The National, August 1) I wholeheartedly agree with her about incomers living in Scotland and the independence vote. I have heard it myself a few months ago in a B&B on the west coast of Scotland. Some German guests were leaving after breakfast and were talking to the English owner about Brexit and how it will work out.
They then spoke about the Scottish independence vote of 2014 and when the next one might be.
The host then piped up saying that they had a vote on that and they lost and if they had another one they would lose that too, finishing off saying the country doesn’t want another referendum.
It made me think about this problem and the amount of people like this, mostly incomers, living in Scotland when it comes to the independence vote. It will have to be sorted out if you want to win it next time round.
I recommend that only people born and living in Scotland or living here for at least 10 years be allowed to vote. Time to get tough I’m afraid.
J McDonald
Dunvegan, Isle of Skye
WITH an increasingly hesitant and divided Tory UK government over Brexit, it is more vital than ever that Scotland should act as an independent nation.
While the NHS and social structures continue to decline for lack of funding, a Brexit debt ridden Great Britain, yearning for the glories of the past and squandering billions on a so-called independent nuclear deterrent to sustain its world status, beggars belief. It’s even more frightening to think permission to use this nuclear deterrent has to come from Donald Trump’s America!
The SNP-led Scottish Government has indeed got on with the “day job” and during a decade of recession and austerity good government has been maintained. With the magnificent new Queensferry Crossing Bridge construction and the massive A9 road duelling project we should be intensely proud two of the biggest infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history have been undertaken by an SNP-led Scottish Government.
Without any help from a crumbling Unionist establishment and continuing negative criticism from its biased media, this is surely a huge achievement for a vibrant and progressive Scottish Parliament.
Grant Frazer
Cruachan, Newtonmore
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