WHERE on earth does Boris dredge up the garbage he spouts? For a start, he should ask the men who lost their jobs in the mines, at Ravenscraig etc, how they feel about being what Boris would regard as pioneers of green energy. Or perhaps ask their families, if they are still living in poverty because the men died without ever working again.

Then there is the mirage of wind turbines I must have been seeing much longer ago than six years. There was also the carbon capture pilot project that was blocked, the subsequent competition for it which was cancelled when only a Scottish option was left standing, and our potential world lead in that given away. Now he talks of the “fantastic transition” to green energy. Would that not be helped immensely if the promise made by David Cameron to “sort out” the punitive rates charged for connecting that to the Grid had been honoured? Does he even know that Scotland PAYS excessive charges to send renewable energy south, whereas such power produced in the south-east receives a SUBSIDY? And the now-planned subsea cable from Peterhead to Yorkshire – will we still pay to use it for exports to England?

It’s high time an independent Scotland was SELLING what we produce to cover England’s shortfall.

L Mc Gregor,

Falkirk

Is anyone really surprised at Johnson’s latest verbal gaffes about Margaret Thatcher’s pit closures? He supposes that his ill-judged and insensitive remarks are amusing. Despite being constantly embarrassed by remarks he has made in the past, Johnson has yet to realise that words have consequences. The blond buffoon’s naivete is staggering. I can only come to the conclusion that no- one can save Boris Johnson from Boris Johnson.

Sandy Gordon

via email

I was very interested to read Robert Ingram’s article in Saturday’s National, ‘How can we ensure fairer land ownership after independence?’ I must object, though, to one point.

Ingram says that Scotland “is unique among developed nations in not having a complete register of land and property.” This is incorrect. For example, according to figures from Her Majesty’s Land Registry, who handle land registration in England and Wales, something approaching 15% of land south of the border is unregistered.

As for Scotland, we in fact have a very long history of registration of land rights. We actually have two registers of land rights. The older one, the Register of Sasines, dates from 1617. This is now being progressively replaced by a newer register, the Land Register. It is true that the Register of Sasines is very imperfect. It is not particularly transparent, and is generally not a resource that the non-specialist can readily use.

This is largely a product of its age, and is a large part of the reason why it is being replaced. The point, though, is that any land in Scotland that has changed ownership since 1617 will be in one or other of those registers. This statement requires some qualification in relation to Orkney and Shetland, whose Nordic influences for a long time meant that unregistered transfers were permitted, but that is no longer the case there either. In the rest of Scotland, only land that has been in the same ownership since 1617, for example land continually owned by the four ancient universities, will be unregistered altogether.

In addition, in many countries, it is possible in some circumstances to become owner of land without being registered as such. In Scotland, this has long been seen as undermining the ability to rely on the registers, and is entirely disallowed. Nobody can become owner of land in Scotland without first having their name entered in the register.

I am very far from saying that our system of land registration is perfect. However, let us not talk ourselves down where that is really not justified.

Dr Craig Anderson

Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

Does Sir Keir Starmer have to come to Glasgow to find rubbish? I would wager he would not have to walk far in London or any other city in England to find an equivalent. Do English party leaders only come to Scotland to look for problems so they can criticise the SNP? Of course, Johnson believes in democracy and wants Scotland to have another referendum but not until the recovery from Covid is undertaken. I ask how long is a piece of string.

I would have thought they would have plenty to worry about in London – what about the people who lost their homes in the Grenfell disaster who still have not been rehoused or about the number of people being shot in the capital or the racism experienced every day by many.

Or indeed the problems of Brexit which are being covered up at the moment because you can blame anything on Covid – I would suggest he deals with the problems closer to home before coming here to criticise the governance of Scotland.

Winifred McCartney

Paisley