Minimum wage

I was interested to see that the SNP wants to make employers pay £7.85 per hour, rather than the actual minimum wage of £6.50, rising to £6.70 in October.

Of course, the term “progressive” used by the SNP and other left-wing parties who have never started a business of their own means making unrealistic demands of small companies.

This prevents jobs being created. Do they understand that?

Ignorance is no excuse, of course, as governments are expected to improve the lot of the people, not to limit it. Governments should encourage employment, not restrict it.

Equally, for reasons that only the SNP would understand, they wish to stop zero-hours contracts. Do they understand how useful these are to people who cannot commit to a full-time job?

How do they think that people with other commitments can fit in work (often at unsocial hours) when there are no office jobs, such as after 5pm, or at weekends? Were it not for such employment, aspiring entrepreneurs could not afford to create new businesses and tens of thousands of students would be unable to afford to study here.

Is that what the SNP wants? Is that what they call progressive?

What would be progressive would be to send SNP MSPs on a course about living in the real world and trying to pay your bills.

Andrew HN Gray

Craiglea Drive

Edinburgh

In the “Gold Standard” business pledge we have another example of the SNP “Big Brother” state. Nicola Sturgeon hopes that firms will sign up to the pledges in the scheme and create a “fair and equal” working environment.

There will be nothing fair about it because as sure as eggs are eggs all future tenderers for Scottish Government contracts will be left in no doubt that a pre-requisite of acceptance of their bids will be conditional on them and their subcontractors and suppliers conforming to the “Gold Standard” scheme.

Don’t believe me? Watch this space to see democracy in action – SNP-style.

Donald Lewis

Gifford

East Lothian