Scotland Matters Letters

AS many people in Scotland are well aware, Scottish Government decisions rarely, if ever, make much sense. The latest one being the increase in MUP (Minimum Unit Pricing) from 50p a unit of alcohol to 65p. I noted at the introduction of the first MUP scheme that the retailers and producers of alcohol reaped the benefit of this government-regulated pricing policy, and that absolutely no thought had been given to the health services gaining the extra money generated. So far, so Scottish Government. But this got me thinking about the ridiculous situation in Scotland where responsible drinkers are being penalised whilst the Government that introduced the policy actively wishes to assist drug users in being able to `shoot-up’ in regulated premises. Since when did the Scottish Government get into being a drug dealer? I don’t recall voting on that. Scotland is plagued with drugs and all the Government has in a way of a response is to actively assist users in obtaining their drugs of choice. Oh, and the producers and retail outlets still hold onto the extra profits from selling expensive alcohol. I hesitate to ask but will Holyrood be banning sales of alcohol on health grounds? No, I didn’t think so. Bryan Wright, Greenock, Renfrewshire.

A leading Scottish Green, Ross Greer, has described the Cass Review – the very epitome of science and evidence-based research and conclusions -as “a straight-up transphobic and conservative document”. Mr Greer is not known for his intellectual brilliance, that is accepted, but his recent remarks were nonetheless mind-blowing. To those of us who have to listen to the Scottish Greens continually lecture us on our approach to climate change, and scornfully inform those with a smidgen of doubt to “follow the science”, it is downright insulting. Basically, he is saying: “Fol-low the science and evidence but only when it agrees with our Green dogma.” In the meantime, don’t follow the Cass Review science and let the potential damage to our most vulnerable young people continue unabated. Alexander McKay, Edinburgh.

NEIL Mackay hopes that the woes of the SNP and the Scottish Greens will not harm the wider independence movement (“Nothing can save SNP, but Indy can still be salvaged”, The Herald, April 23). Yet surely Scotland as a whole is entitled to view the missteps. scandals, and failures of the last many years of this Scottish Government as an abject lesson of what damage they could do with the full powers they have argued for The SNP and Scottish Greens leadership teams truly deserve each other. Both bring a “we know best- attitude to their roles, with little aptitude. or it seems at times even interest, in ensuring that detailed implementation matches their rhetoric. In the case of the SNP. this has led it to favour headline-grabbing targets and promises without having meaningful plans in place to deliver them. Meanwhile, the Scottish Greens have preferred dogma over reason, giving up apparently on trying to bring the public with them on environmental and other initiatives. preferring instead to tell us what we must do. with no room for pragmatism or individual choice. The Bute House Agreement has proved to be more of a marriage of convenience than a genuine meeting of like minds. It has failed Scotland badly and has served to encourage these two political parties to bring out the very worst in each other. Keith Howell, West Linton.

Last week Rishi Sunak announced a “moral mission” to reform the benefit system for the 2.8 million people of working age inactive due to long-term physical and mental health conditions. It costs £69 billion a year and is one reason for our high net immigration and low productivity. The IMF will investigate the issue next month when it does an “article inspection” on UK finances. It’s unusual for politicians to be so blunt about benefits, not least because as the number of recipients rises, so does the number of voters who support them. I can only assume the PM has decided that since support for the Conservatives is in freefall anyway, he has nothing to lose and perhaps more to gain reputationally in the long term as someone who, by speaking out, made it easier for Labour. Reforming the system is only one part of the puzzle though – speeding up medical and mental health treatment is another, as is the reluctance of employers to take on people who can’t always turn up for work or are not motivated to do a good job when they get there. Another challenge will be prioritising spending, a chilling example being the likelihood of at least a new Cold War and the need to raise defence spending from £54bn (2.3% of GDP) in 2023 to nearer the 5% (nearly £120bn) we spent in the 1980s. As context, NHS Scotland costs £15bn to run. Something’s got to give. Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven.

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