If you could turn back time. That is precisely where the SNP under Nicola Sturgeon find themselves. Stuck in a rut of independence and unpopular policies, manly courtesy of the Greens. Meantime in the real world the chaos mounts (“Nurses vote to strike for the first time in their history”, 10 November). The relentless focus upon “Independence” has highlighted just how difficult it is to run a country without adequate finances. Humza Yousaf has said there is no more money and gone cap in hand to Westminster to ask for more. This is just one aspect of a crisis that might have been avoided if SNP finances were being carefully nurtured but “free” hand-outs have created a monster that is beginning to bite back. Independence is rooted in the 1980s and “Scotland’s Oil”. It might just have worked then, but not now. The public’s eyes are being opened to the realities of what actually happens when the government’s money runs out and it is not a pretty sight. Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.
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Within the last few weeks, Nicola Sturgeon has been obliged to amend the Holyrood record after wrongly claiming that Scotland provides all of its energy consumption from renewables. Now her administration has had to admit that its representatives have been touting another false figure, namely that Scotland has “25 per cent of Europe’s offshore wind potential”. Ian Blackford made this claim recently in parliament. The correct figure, it appears, is between 4 and 6 per cent. The next time an SNP MP or MSP makes this, or another verifiable, fake claim, at either Westminster or Holyrood, should there not be some kind of sanction? Or is it only ministers who are supposed to be punished for lying to parliament? Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh.
You reported this week that Nicola Sturgeon has committed £5 million for “reparations” to poorer nations affected by climate change (“Sturgeon promises £5m to nations hit by climate chaos”, The Herald, November 8). There has been much debate about this, with accusations of attention-seeking, virtue-signalling, and concerns about using borrowed money to send to other countries. If she is this keen to avoid, or compensate, for harm to other countries, why did the SNP announce in October that it would spend up to £8 million to recruit 750 nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers from overseas? Surely, from Ms Sturgeon’s vantage point on the moral high ground, it should be obvious that this is harmful to the countries of origin. John Swinney attempted to defend this position when substituting for Ms Sturgeon during First Minister’s Questions today (November 10). He said that they would not recruit from the World Health Organisation’s “Red List” of very poorest countries from whom medical personnel should not be poached. Trained medical workers are unlikely to come to Scotland from well-off countries with equal or better pay and living standards than ours. They are more likely to come from poorer countries that have spent invested money on training and development for the benefit of their own people. Will we be compensating them as well? Mark Openshaw, Aberdeen.
The idea of using “Hybrid Air Vehicles” to deliver goods and passengers around the Highland and Islands is intriguing and very futuristic. If only Scotland had some sort of functional maritime transport vehicle to do this in the meantime. Perhaps with a metal hull so it could withstand bad weather and with windows so the crew could see outside. Is the Scottish Government’s plan C to consult with Chief Engineer Scotty to work on teleportation technology? David Bone, Girvan, South Ayrshire.
Not so long ago we were all out in the streets clapping for the nurses -but now the SNP is telling the nurses that there is no more money for their pay rise. It is understandable that the nurses are very angry at the attitude of the SNP administration as its appreciation of the work done by our nurses turns to rejection when it comes to reward for effort. It is not surprising that NHS Scotland is in meltdown, with the worst waiting lists and ambulance service ever, as staff are completely demotivated and morale has now reached its lowest point. Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen.