THE UK Government’s Autumn Statement was deeply depressing, with the only group benefitting being the banks. The cap on bankers’ bonuses was reduced from 8% to 3% as planned in 2021. This was and still is a highly controversial non-reversal of the previously announced relaxation in 2021.

Remind me who started these last 14 years of austerity? Yes, it was the casino banks that crashed the confidence in the global financial system in 2008. Yet UK Government borrowing has increased disproportionately in the intervening years, to fill in the financial “black hole”.

In a radio interview, the Chancellor claimed the UK economy has grown more over the last few years than other G20 countries. This is manipulation of information of the highest order, possibly even a statement of misinformation.

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Under the measure used, gross domestic product (GDP), this is probably true but the distribution of wealth below within the economy, is hidden by this blanket measure. I am reminded that measures which are “averages” can be damaging to health. A bucket of ice is near 0C and boiling water is 100C, so the average is 50C, a hot bath(48.8C).

Some folk are being frozen out, and a few are raking it in, with the increased number billionaires a better indicator of what’s going on.

A billionaire who made his money by working hard with the introduction of mobile phone tech, advised that his children have been told that they will not inherit his wealth, so they will need to “roll their sleeves up”. He admitted that high-net-worth individuals should bear the cost of tax increases, provided it was a worldwide change.

This seems something like what is needed for the climate crisis – everyone or none, with none causing a break-down of society.

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A young market trader from the East End of London, who made his money by “betting” that UK interest rates would not rise after 2008, talked through the causes and made an important comment covering this situation. He stated that “inequality is a cancer” in our society.

So, it’s clear, GDP is not a good measure, as inequality can occur and be masked by using this single measure in the assessment of our economy and society.

Alistair Ballantyne

Birkhill Angus

THE British Government’s attack on living standards should spur the nationalist movement to mobilise Scots to achieve independence.

The coming poverty is so drastic that the only way out is for Scotland to separate from England and the rest of the UK and its impoverishment of Scots.

Colin Beattie

via email

I HAVE bought The National almost every day since it was first published and only wish it had been available prior to the 2014 referendum. I particularly enjoy the Sunday edition with its Seven Days section.

However, I’m getting more and more frustrated with the constant carping about the SNP and their representatives at Holyrood and Westminster.

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If it wasn’t for the SNP there wouldn’t be an independence movement!

God knows, there’s plenty to criticise when you look at all the other parties opposed to our common cause. This constant negativity is not helpful. Have the individuals who attack the SNP not heard of “divide and conquer”?

Constructive criticism is healthy, but let’s not give the Unionists any encouragement. They already have all of the MSM on their side. Time for us to be united and fight for our independence together.

Angus Ferguson

Glasgow