Scotland Matters Letters

WITH the world possibly heading towards a period of extreme peril as Russia teeters on the brink of a second revolution, what is the Scottish Administration discussing? Well it’s not how the country can help guard itself against international instability in areas such as possible disruption to the energy market, and it’s not about getting the NHS fit for purpose. Instead Humza Yousaf and his collection of talking heads indulge in yet more navel-gazing, plotting how they can create political instability in the UK. Isn’t it time our governing cabal woke up to the reality of our survival being more important than how it can achieve its version of Nirvana? Current international machinations and threats are infinitely more important to Scots than the SNP’s dream. The mind boggles at how delusion has been allowed to usurp reality. Graham Wyllie, Greengairs, Lanarkshire.

Hurnza Yousaf clearly believed he needed to explain his detailed plan as to the route to independence to his acolytes early in his role as First Minister. Hence he addressed SNP supporters in Dundee at the weekend and it did not go well. His ideas were at best confusing and at worst vacuous. It comes to something when, following his declaration that an SNP “majority” at the next election would mean the granting of a Section 30 order to hold a referendum, he was then anything but erudite in his explanation around what the definition was of a “majority”. It is quite an achievement when he can leave well-read journalists in utter confusion! Yousaf showed his incompetency as Health Minister, Transport Minister and Justice Minister and, regretfully for the people of Scotland, he is maintaining that track record as First Minister. Richard Allison, Edinburgh.

Scotland has had an SNP minority administration in coalition with the Green Party to give them a majority vote in Holyrood for many years now, and they must be assessed by their performance at the next general election in 2024. The nation has devolved powers that the SNP are totally responsible for in education, health and the Scottish economy – and, in these devolved matters, Scotland has not performed well. Our education system has progressively gone down in standard and our health services are in almost meltdown with the economy just above recession level. Dennis Grattan, Aberdeen.

At his special conference, Humza You saf claimed that merely an SNP Scottish seats majority at the next general election means he’d press the UK government for powers to stage indyref2. This tweaks Nicola Sturgeon’s notion that a target of so per cent separatist votes secured should trigger independence negotiations. His approach is as likely to fail as hers. Why should the next (likely Labour) UK government say, “Let’s forget that 2014 ‘once in a generation or even a lifetime vote’, Humza old chap, how about you toddle off and have another bash at UK break-up?” Instead, Labour will likely respond by reiterating that a general election is self-evidently not about a single but multiple issues. Plus, anyway, the SNP may not secure a majority of Scottish seats. You saf hypotheses about making life “difficult” for Labour in a hung Westminster parliament if they don’t play ball on indyref2, though also insisting SNP MPs wouldn’t support the Tories in the Commons. Difficult? Just about possible yet highly unlikely. Keir Starmer has repeatedly told us “no constitutional deals with the SNP”. Labour would always seek Lib Dem support before that of the SNP, as their backing doesn’t come with constitutional demands. If I were a nationalist, I’d feel let down by the SNP. Yousaf, like his predecessor, appears strong on rhetoric yet woefully light on innovative, implementable tactics. Martin Redfern.

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