Letter: Depressing view

Bill Jamieson's "Without hope, it's strictly for show" (Comment, 30 December) was depressing and incomplete.

The depressing part to all those people of vision who strove to have a devolved parliament in Scotland is to be told that the outcome of the forthcoming Holyrood election will make little discernible difference to our prospects as a nation, whichever party or coalition of parties forms the administration.

The incomplete part is that Mr Jamieson, aside from lamenting the failure of successive Scottish governments to use their tax-varying powers, does not go beyond this counsel of despair to suggest how matters might be improved.

He merely points to the areas of policy convergence between the SNP and Labour and compares their rivalry and forthcoming campaigns to a tawdry personality contest. We surely deserve better.

Had Mr Jamieson continued by proposing that we should either ditch devolution, or go for a federal UK, or take the step to national independence for Scotland his essay would have had some purpose.

However, as it stands it is an argument for not turning up to vote, and as such must be challenged.

The distinctive constitutional visions of the various parties should be scrutinised by all voters. What is certain is that the world economic crisis was caused by a mixture of greed and complacency inside and outside western governments, including our own in the UK.

The parties standing for Holyrood who best show their determination to build a sustainable modern Scottish state serving its people and communities in line with the fine words written on the Holyrood mace are those who should attract our votes in a few months.

Wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity would not be a bad start to any vision for our national future.

Lindsay Matheson

Largo Road

St Andrews