Readers' letters: Cuts in funding to scientific research must be reversed

Climate change is on the rampage. Even if we have closed our coal mines, have bings as the only reminder of our shale oil industry, and have depleted their reservoirs so much that North Sea oil and gas are inexorably going the same way, we cannot escape guilt as greenhouse gas generators because of our role in starting the industrial revolution, thanks to Scottish entrepreneurs like James Watt.

Assuaging it, and pure self-interest, mean that mitigating its effects must be a top priority. So it was very disappointing to learn in Katharine Hay’s report (Scotsman,10 August) that instead of fully supporting the James Hutton Institute, which is doing world-class work in developing food crops resilient to climate change, its funding is being cut.

A Scottish Government spokesperson blamed devolution. But devolution means that the Scottish Government can spend its budget any way it likes. Clearly, it puts scientific research into how to better respond to the burning planet low on its list of priorities.

Hugh Pennington, Aberdeen

The James Hutton Institute is researching the development of food crops resilient to climate change

Stop being lazy

I was recently travelling from Singapore to Scotland and before I boarded my plane I had a quick look around the many shops in the International departures area.

I couldn't help but notice Bill Gates’ new book, How to Avoid A Climate Disaster. What a total waste of money, I thought. Anybody with a tiny wee bit of common sense can see what has to be done.

Do we really need to have a neon sign inviting us to review how the toilets were during our visit? Speaking of toilets, why can’t we flush them manually – are we so useless than we can't press a button ourselves? In Singapore, a land of young and mainly fit people they can’t even climb stairs anywhere – you have to go on the escalator. When you enter any building the air conditioning is so freezing cold you need your coat and once outside you take it off.

Back in Edinburgh, I can’t help thinking of the number of stores I visit where the door opens automatically. I may be 64 but I can still open a door by myself and hold it open for someone who might not be able to. Where I am staying my trusted scales are flung out and replaced with battery-operated scales. All these operations require energy and power. If we want to be independent of fossil fuels and save our beautiful planet we need to stop being so damn lazy and do things for ourselves. I don’t need to read Bill Gates’ book – it’s as simple as that.

Jean Draxler, Edinburgh

Church and state

On Thursday I attended a Festival of Politics event in the parliament which discussed how it had been 35 years since the inception of Section 28: a hateful and now repealed local government act which sought to ban the “promotion” of homosexuality as a “as a pretended family relationship.”

Though I lived through it at the time it was still shocking to be reminded that gay relationships were believed to be “pretended” and of the absurd idea that children would have chosen to be gay simply because they knew about the existence of LGBT people.

Many battles have been won since those days but we are reminded that outstanding LGBT inequalities are largely religiously-based: faith schools are exempt from providing LGBT-inclusive sex and relationships classes should that run counter to their “ethos”; a full ban on so-called gay conversion therapy was met with demands that “pray away the gay” uniquely should be allowed to continue and unrepentant homophobic views are to be excused even in candidates for First Minister if they are religiously derived.

We cannot prevent that minority of believers who still hold these views from privately doing so but separation of church and state is absolutely vital to prevent them being deployed from a position of advantage or privilege.

Neil Barber, Edinburgh Secular Society

Wilko’s demise

It is a very sad for all staff and customers that Wilko has effectively gone bust (Scotsman, 11 August).

I do find it rather strange, though, that the GMB union states that the collapse was “entirely avoidable”.

I think we should be reminded of which other UK business is run by a union and how successful are they? Yes, quite

It’s very easy to carp from the sidelines about the management team who have done their best in very difficult trading conditions. Let us all hope a buyer can be found for some of the stores and as many of the staff as possible are retained – but I don’t think it will be the GMB that puts up the cash.

Jeff Lewis, Edinburgh

Wings clipped

It was interesting that Nicola Sturgeon justified £10,000 of VIP luxury travel by her as “probably less” than a private jet flight by Rishi Sunak (Scotsman, 11 August). That makes it all right then?

Her predecessor used to join the rest of us embarking and disembarking London flights, occasionally getting some verbal drubbing. Maybe Ms Sturgeon can’t take that as she confirmed that personal attacks were a factor in her quitting as First Minister.

Either way, she has closed the door on any reconciliation with Alex Salmond despite him offering her an olive branch earlier in the week. They were once the SNP’s golden couple. How times change!

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

Reality check

An astonishing defence of Margaret Ferrier MP by Kenny MacAskill (Scotsman, 10 August) reveals that he lacks both political judgement and a moral compass. But the East Lothian MP’s tenuous grasp of reality extends even further.

We’re told: “The government and opposition in Westminster may swap benches but life in Scotland will remain the same. That’s misery and penury for many, which is why the real motivation for the movement is independence.”

So breaking away from the UK will suddenly create a land of equality and plenty north of the border. How is this miracle to be achieved? Oh yes of course, by harnessing “Scotland’s vast natural resources” (minus fossil fuels, obviously) “wealth redistribution” and using “financial levers” to borrow countless billions from some mysterious source.

Word’s not reached Mr MacAskill that this rob Peter to pay Paul approach has been tried unsuccessfully many times before – for example, in Argentina – and is currently failing miserably in oil-rich but impoverished Venezuela.

As ever, the separatist grasp of economics remains infantile. The electorate will soon demonstrate their opinion of Mr MacAskill, Ms Ferrier and their “movement” at the ballot box.

Martin O’Gorman, Edinburgh

Disenfranchised

Now in my eighties, I have supported the SNP all of my adult life. In the 1960/70s I represented the SNP as a councillor in the town where I was living at the time. But no more.

I have had enough of the tail wagging the dog. If the SNP leadership continues a relationship with the Green Party, they will no longer have my vote. As I will not vote for any other party, unless there is a potential independent candidate, for the first time ever I will not cast my vote.

James Thompson, Dunbar, East Lothian

Protect pensions

The Tories are talking about cutting the triple lock that protects our pensions, again! However, I’m hopeful that Conservative blue rinse donors will protect us until the next election.

After that, our pensions will be at risk again. Voting Labour won’t help. Starmer has not promised to protect us, so appears to be following the Tory line, as usual. The Lib-Dems, like Labour, are silent.

UK voters have no alternative party to vote for. Scottish voters do. We can vote for a government that cares for its elderly and has shown that it is able to govern Scotland well.

We worked for our pensions. We deserve them.

Elizabeth Scott, Edinburgh

Pause for thought

John McLaren (Scotsman, 10 August) suggests the weakness of the devolved administration’s policies is due to a dearth of think tanks. I suggest the reasons are different.

First, who funds these think tanks? Gordon Brown’s Our Scottish Future, These Islands, Scottish Business UK, Reform Scotland and the Centre for the Union were all given the lowest score possible in an Open Democracy report on funding transparency.

We can dismiss the London-based Tufton Street think tank gang – the IEA, Taxpayers’ Alliance, Centre for Policy Studies, and the Adam Smith Institute, neoliberal lobby groups masquerading as impartial funded by corporate dark money and patronised by both Tory and Labour politicians.

McLaren values the analysis of the University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Institute that accepts the Tory-rigged GERS accounts designed to keep Scotland in its box. GERS is riddled with errors and estimations and grossly overstates costs and understates revenues.

Second, policy-making in Scotland isn’t optimal because Scotland is controlled by a Unionist establishment. It’s from this group, educated at elite private schools and universities, that the key positions in Scotland’s social and academic institutions, as well as business, are drawn. All high status and well-remunerated posts are advertised in the London media market. English, not Scottish values, prevail.

Genuine Scottish think tanks like Common Weal, where funding is transparent and the mission is to develop policies to improve life for all Scots, will only flourish in an independent Scotland.

Leah Gunn Barrett, Edinburgh

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