European influx includes a sizeable number who are simply unaccounted for

The Scottish Government, like the UK Government, has failed to account for the multitude of Europeans coming to live here.

There are likely around four million additional people unaccounted for in the UK, of which there are several hundred thousand in Scotland, with a multi-billion pound capital expenditure required to provide for them.Yet there has been not a penny budgeted for the capital spending needed for this additional infrastructure and services, estimated as being the equivalent of six cities the size of Newcastle.

Ordinary Scottish citizens in their daily lives particularly notice the lack of availability of health and education services and the appalling condition of our roads.

In respect of health services some medical practices are in “special measures”. Many people find it takes weeks to get a GP appointment and our hospitals are overwhelmed.

The Scottish Government simply cannot claim that the NHS in Scotland has been allocated enough resources or that any planning has ever been done to allow for this influx of thousands of additional people.

Primary schools are overwhelmed, there is a shortage of teachers and young Scots with good university entrance qualifications are now being denied their free place in their home university of choice because Europeans have instead been given free education.

Our roads are generally in a considerably worse state of repair than England’s and our capital city’s roads and pavements are in a worse state than those of Ancient Rome.

Is it too much to hope that the economy might be given priority? Capital provision might be made now to address our existing infrastructure problems – including perhaps the replacement of Longannet and Cockenzie power stations – before the Scottish government opens the doors to invite even more people in?

Elizabeth Marshall

Western Harbour Midway , Edinburgh

Team GB

It makes you proud to be British when you see the results from our athletes at the Rio Olympics with a record haul of medals in what is the best away performance ever.

Thank goodness we voted to stay within the strength of the United Kingdom as independence would have been like buying a ticket for the Titanic.

Dennis Forbes Grattan

Mugiemoss Road, Bucksburn.