Readers' letters: Alba Party is in rude health, despite the naysayers

Conor Matchett writes off Alba as a “failed political project” (Scotsman, 31 October) even though it is barely two-and-a-half years old and depicts Ash Regan’s decision to join as “another attempt for Alex Salmond’s party to stay alive”.

I am guessing Mr Matchett wasn’t at the conference because having spent several decades attending all the UK party conferences (Conservative, Labour, Liberal, SDP, Lib Dem, and one or two Plaid Cymru and SNP conferences) I can tell him two things – that I never want to go to Blackpool again and that Alba is in rude strength!

The debates – on subjects which should be of concern to any progressive party – on housing and homelessness, energy and the crisis in heating our homes, land reform, enshrining workers' rights into a written constitution, proper income for mothers– were passionate, well informed and stimulating.

​Alba is backing a tenants’ referendum to challenge the Wheatley Group’s plans to “redevelop” the Wyndford Estate in Glasgow. Show me any other party empowering people like that rather than promising – as the Labour Party has – to do it for people only to repeatedly let them down as they have since 1997 when the working-class backbone of Britain was replaced by sharp-suited and vacuous careerists. It’s been many years since I have seen authentic working-class people in such large numbers given a platform to advocate for themselves.

Former SNP leadership contender Ash Regan with Alba's Westminster leader Neale Hanvey (left) and deputy leader, Kenny MacAskill during a photocall at the Scottish Parliament after she defected from the SNP, becoming the Alba Party's firstMSP. (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

​Finally, as Ash Regan said to Alex Salmond following the rapturous reception she was given by a packed hall “Alba seems much more diverse than other parties”. Women, young people, people of all faiths and heritages and genuinely reflecting Scottish society are all finding a new political home in Alba and under the leadership of Alex Salmond they are moving forward with a genuine strategy to achieve independence.

​Young Mr Matchett may be in for a surprise.

Marjorie Ellis Thompson, Edinburgh

Cheap power

There will be a lot of good cheer in the north-east at the “27 new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences that have been approved" by the UK Government (Scotsman, 31 October). This will guarantee many years of work for thousands of people in Aberdeenshire and it will also enable us to provide a measure of self-sufficiency in terms of both sources of energy and income. It is (of course) only to be expected that the Greens will howl and the very confused SNP to run around like headless chickens because they genuinely don’t know whether to celebrate this successful Government initiative or condemn it.

As the owner of a heat pump company has confirmed that they are “ugly and cumbersome” and that they can’t cope with the cold of a Scottish winter, nationalists and Greens are stuck with having to cuddle each other to stay warm this winter.

In the meantime, we can use our skills in drilling gained in the oil industry to use nature’s own, completely clean geothermal energy, which is what they do in Iceland. Agreed, it is at a much greater depth, but it is already being exploited and it would guarantee generations of clean, free power that doesn’t simply help the Chinese economy and it should have minimal impact on our stunning landscapes.

What are we waiting for?

Andrew HN Gray, Edinburgh

Public interest

Releasing Scottish Government WhatsApp messages to the Covid Inquiry isn’t straightforward. We seem to be assuming that if wrongdoing can’t be uncovered in emails and official records, we just keep digging until we find something.

The problem is that individuals, even politicians, are entitled to privacy. Private WhatsApp messages might contain information about their children, sex lives and personal relationships, family health, etc. We’re already seeing some of those technically irrelevant details leaking from the UK Inquiry, and indeed it’s hard to see how any public inquiry can guarantee their security once they’ve been passed over. Remember, too, that healthcare clinicians might be discussing the healthcare of others. Patients, too, are entitled to privacy; that alone might account for a healthcare professional routinely deleting messages on a daily basis.

Finally, let’s imagine that a politician defames someone in a WhatsApp message. I bet lots of users do that jokingly – “that referee in the Old Firm game clearly took a bribe”, say. Are they entitled to delete that? If they don’t, and it becomes public, can the minister be sued? It might be amusing to watch, but it would just be another example of the maxim that “the ‘public interest’ is not the same as ‘what interests the public’.”

Gordon Lawrie, Edinburgh

Deletion culture

Humza Yousaf's admission that deleting WhatsApp messages “was policy” (Scotsman, 31 October) is astonishing! Who instituted such a policy? Is it still policy? If it has been discontinued at what date did this occur? Specifically, did it continue to be policy after April 2020 when the then First Minister acknowledged there would be a public inquiry and after August 2021 when she gave an assurance that all messages would be handed to the Covid inquiry. These questions must be answered by the relevant ministers in public in attendance at the Inquiry, accompanied by an explanation as to why messages have been deleted or not handed over as requested. And those ministers must be held to account.

Assertions that hundreds of documents have been handed over already are irrelevant. What is at issue is what is missing. Nicola Sturgeon was returned to power at the last election largely as a result of her claims to have led Scotland through the pandemic. Those claims are already looking dubious and perhaps the practice of deliberately deleting crucial information entails we will never know how well or badly she might have handled issues of life and death. We may just have to rely on her memory and take her word on it. And we saw how well that worked out at the Salmond inquiry!

Colin Hamilton, Edinburgh

Painful treatment

The increasing waiting time for dentistry appointments is highlighted in Joseph Anderson’s article “Crisis unfolding in Scots dentistry as waiting times soar” (Scotsman, 31 October).

One critical factor is the number of dentists leaving the NHS because the fees don’t cover their costs. While it has become more apparent since the Covid pandemic, this has been an increasing problem since the introduction of austerity economics by the UK Lib Dem/Conservative coalition government in 2010.

The recent strikes have brought to attention the reduced value of NHS wages by about 25 per cent over that period. This is one reason why so many staff are leaving the NHS while it is being increasingly privatised, particularly in England. Keir Starmer has indicated a Labour government will use private providers to support the NHS, with no indication to stop austerity economics and increase public funding of the NHS. Yet according to recent research, increasing spending on the NHS, resulting in a healthier population with higher levels of workforce participation, would result in an economic benefit of four times that investment.

These ludicrous austerity economics policies must be stopped.

Jim Stamper, Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire

Step to it

Following up Bill Cant’s letter (31 October) on Scottish country dancing, I can evidence its worldwide following.

A few years ago, while on a foreign cruise, Burns Night was marked by the ship. Haggis was on the menu and a few non-Scots performed the traditions. As Scots ourselves, but very much in the minority, we had asked ahead of the cruise for the on board band to provide some music for Scottish country dancing on Burns Night. The cruise line declined, saying the band didn’t know any of the tunes (and obviously weren’t prepared to learn any).

Once on board, we asked the Social Hostess if we could have some Scottish dancing on Burns Night. Eventually, she agreed that one of the ballroom dance teachers, also Scottish, could be the caller for a one-off class, to taped music, immediately after lunch – ie the graveyard slot, when most passengers disappear to their cabins.

Over 100 folk of all nationalities turned up, having heard a whiff of the Scottish dancing class. They were of varying standards, but all full of enthusiasm. The allotted half hour turned into an hour, before the dance band shuffled on to the stage for the afternoon ballroom dancing session.

We asked again for Scottish dancing later in the evening, even to taped music. The hostess agreed we could have a 15-minute slot while the dance band took its break (hardly time for Strip the willow) but she refused to allow the dance teacher to do the calling “as she’d exceeded her hours with the afternoon class”.

A pretty miserable response to an enthusiastic group of Scottish country dancers. We were pretty disgusted by the reaction.

Fiona Garwood, Edinburgh

Panto season

Life’s great certainties: death, taxation, and John Beaton giving as many penalties as are required to save Rangers’ miserable skins and keep the blue and orange t half of Glasgow's Ugly Sisters relevant in the pantomime of Scottish professional domestic football.

No wonder most Scots kids born in the 21st century run around in English Premier League tops instead.

Mark Boyle, Johnstone,Renfrewshire

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