BUSINESS in the House of Commons on Tuesday included topical questions to the Home Secretary, and one of the questions posed was both interesting and timely, but also arrogant, because it came from a Scottish Conservative MP (John Lamont).
This MP was seeking an update to the Seasonal Workers Scheme (allowing migrant workers to get a visa to work in UK) for 2021. The scheme has huge implications for the agricultural and hospitality sector.
Timely, I’ll say, with Brexit looming. The uncertainty of Brexit has already had implications for Scottish fruit farmers in the last couple of years, with expensive harvests being left to rot as migrant workers were too afraid and uncertain to travel to the UK as a result of Brexit.
Arrogant, coming from one within the party and government that has brought about Brexit, imposing it on Scotland despite our vote to remain in the EU – quite breath-taking.
Perhaps when discussing such a crucial scheme, one that affects so much of the Scottish economy, an apology from the Home Secretary regarding her government’s handling of future migration policy and the ending of free movement for EU citizens would not have gone amiss. Instead we heard that UK workers will fill the vacancies – tell that to the fruit farmers!
This reply clearly shows how completely out of touch the Conservative government is with reality!
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
IT’S bad enough that commercial fishing by dredge, effectively ploughing up the seabed, continues to be permitted in most Scottish waters (please check that your scallops are obtained by hand-diving), but this nonsense is compounded by the fact that, according to The Ferret, these damaging operations are receiving public hardship funding (about £20,000+ per boat) to ensure that such business is not impacted by the pandemic!
I realise that the Scottish Government ministers have their hands full at present, but they have considerable ways to go before they can credibly claim to have a satisfactory record on the environment.
I hope the SNP’s manifesto for May’s election seeks to rectify this situation.
Roddie Macpherson
Avoch
JUST read a little gem on Michael Fry’s page in yesterday’s National: ‘’The English have been one people for 1000 years, and not a single part of the country shows the slightest taste for anything else’’ (There is nothing federal about the UK – and it’s a bit late to be starting, December 15).
His contribution about federalism concludes with further enlightening observations: “Whoever runs [a federal] parliament at Westminster would continue to regard themselves as masters of the whole Union, and a majority of the population would probably agree with them. But that majority would be the English majority in the entire UK”.
In his last paragraph he states that under devolution, Scotland already has a constitution and that Northern Ireland belongs in part now to the European single market and will deviate more so over time.
For once I enjoyed his article, and concur with the aforementioned items. Although I would hate to think that the whole of the English population regard themselves as English as Johnson, Gove, and Rees-Mogg.
Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife
JAMES Hogg’s book The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner is better known furth of Scotland (Mystery of the birthday of the Ettrick Shepherd, James Hogg, Sunday National, December 6). Andre Gide made much of it. How many in Scotland have come across the Polish film made in 1986? I have only found a copy in the original polish with French subtitles. Both languages are likely to be an obstacle to audiences here. Ability to function in foreign languages is less common than it was a generation or two back. For those interested, the film is Memoirs of a Sinner directed by Wojciech Jerzy.
Time to rise above parochialism and the Kailyard. Let us recognise that Scotland has an image internationally! And it is not just Walter Scott and Harry Lauder!
Hamish Kirk
Rothesay
I THOUGHT the long letter in yesterday’s edition from eminent researchers on the importance of Vitamin D in fighting coronavirus was extremely important. However I couldn’t understand a word of it. In layperson’s terms: how much of what should we eat to afford protection?
Ian Richmond
Dumfries and Galloway
I’VE been taking Vitamin D supplements during winter for a few years now. Since reading about Vitamin D deficiency as a factor in Covid-19 early on in the pandemic I have continued with it all year and increased the amount I take. I’m not in a risk category for Covid but taking Vitamin D is a little thing that may make a big difference if I contract it.
Jane Allison
via thenational.scot
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