THE Union is beyond resuscitation. Sunak and Starmer, on behalf of the British establishment, will disingenuously do their utmost to convince the public that CPR can revive the stricken patient, but they will simply be denying the stark reality that all UK politicians will eventually have to confront.
The continuing expansion of the House of Lords and the perpetuation of the corrupt first-past-the-post electoral system are evidence that the UK is going backwards by comparison with more enlightened democracies, both in progressing egalitarianism – as the wealth gap widens – and in advancing genuine governmental representation for its citizens.
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The UK economy is failing all save the rich and powerful, and public services, including local services as more councils are bankrupted, are on their knees and gasping for survival funding.
Of course some who support the constitutional status quo are in denial, many out of barely disguised self-interest, but it is only a UK mainstream media largely compliant with the wishes of the British establishment that is preventing honest debate about a future beyond the Union from emerging and the last rites from being administered.
The trials and tribulations of the SNP Scottish Government, as well as those of the Labour Welsh government, are not irrelevant but are mostly exaggerated to distract from openly debating whether any form of federalism can work in practice or whether independence for Scotland, and perhaps Wales, is the only rational governmental structure to enable real progress for our children, whose aspirations should not be confined by an island mentality.
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian
IN the Scottish Sunday Times, Alex Massie says that Labour is a national party or it’s nothing. Labour is an English party, headquartered in and concerned only about England. Scotland is an afterthought, and Scots know it. Massie shows his contempt for Scots when he claims a Labour win in England will make it respectable in Scotland, as though we can’t think for ourselves but must take our cues from our southern neighbour.
Massie is right about one thing. Boring and ruthless Keir Starmer has rooted out what remained of Labour’s working-class principles. He’s a willing shill for the British establishment and the City of London, which is why he’s Labour leader. He’s broken all manifesto pledges to attract Tory votes and money from the wealthy oligarchs who really run the country.
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Anas Sarwar, Labour’s Scottish supervisor, will agree with whatever his English bosses say. Wes Streeting putting a kilt on NHS reform, ie, privatisation, is like putting lipstick on a pig. Nevertheless, Starmer can count on Sarwar’s supine support.
Scots understand that the interests of the users and providers of public services aren’t divergent, but aligned. They know public services need to be well funded in order to function well, not sold off to private corporations who don’t care about the great unwashed public.
The way to revive our public services is to restore Scottish sovereignty and use our wealth to invest in the only real resource we have – our people.
Leah Gunn Barrett
Edinburgh
WE shall certainly see “more fire and guts”. I quote the headline to Peter Thomson’s excellent letter in Friday’s National in which he details the world’s current wars.
Climate change is shaping up to be the salient factor underlying tomorrow’s global conflicts. Water, food supplies and migration go together. Already big business is planning to tow and harvest icebergs from the Antarctic melt for selling water to thirsty areas of the globe.
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Scotland has no lack of valuable fresh water nor has Westminster any lack of stupid politicians, as The National’s report on Blair’s idea of sending migrants to Mull illustrates. He and Boris are only two examples. Don’t let such morons have a say in matters of life and death for millions. Ukraine and Middle East could become nuclear.
Scottish common sense must be on the world stage. An independent Scotland would rid our politics of useless ego-trippers and bring forward some practical thinkers to deal with critical issues both at home and abroad.
Iain R Thomson
Strathglass
I SAW the headline in Financial Times “UK quietly drops Brexit law to return to imperial measurements” with the subtext: “Jacob Rees-Mogg attacks decision despite public consultation that revealed little appetite for move away from metric system”.
Frankly, I doubt I could imagine anything more stupid and damaging than to leave the metric system, which is worldwide except for USA – and they do not even share the same size of pint or gallon! Prosperity for a small trading country like UK – or Scotland – depends on simplifying transactions, and taking away barriers to trade.
Already we have seen how England steamrollered over Scottish preference to remain in EU, and dragged us out against our will. The possibility of being dragged out of the metric system is frightening!
The sooner Scotland is in charge of her own destiny, the better.
Rod Dalitz
Edinburgh
ONCE again more SNP-bad comments but no “meat on the bones” from Alex Salmond (Salmond: Scotland ‘moving backwards’, Dec 30). So what’s your “coherent independence strategy”, Alex? Let’s face it, you’ve had nigh on 10 years to think about one.
Guid New Year to all. Aye Yes.
Ken McCartney
Hawick
GREGOR Young covered a story recently about a mini tornado that hit Manchester. In the article he referred to the “rooves” of houses. Please let Gregor know that the plural of roof is roofs.
Jim Robin
via email
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