Readers' Letters: How dare Swinney dodge question on police and self-ID?

Sometimes I wonder how many busy members of the Scottish public are actually able to follow First Minister’s Questions at midday on Thursdays, and if so, what they make of the exchanges.

Presumably, one particular exchange during the last FMQs won't have reached Scottish living rooms in the way it should have. MSPs Rachael Hamilton, Pauline McNeill and Ash Regan pressed First Minister John Swinney on Police Scotland’s controversial practice of allowing criminals, including sex offenders, to self-declare their gender. In plain words, men who have committed a crime can demand to be categorised as women. As Ash Regan pointed out, self-ID is not the law in Scotland.

John Swinney, however, declined to express an opinion other than that he doesn't see this as a government concern but as an “operational matter” for the police.

First Minister John Swinney refused to be drawn on a controversial Police Scotland practice (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

It’s fair to assume that the majority of Scottish people are still of the commonsense view that men are men and women are women and no-one can change their biological sex just on their say-so. The same people might ask why offenders are allowed to do so and on what “operational” urgency this is based. In addition, the police is also known as the law enforcement, not as the lawmaker. Laws are made in parliament, not by the organisation supposed to uphold them. Instead institutions, including the police, are getting away with introducing controversial “values” for which there is no legal obligation.

At this point one wonders why the First Minister, as the chief lawmaker in the land, still insists that he has nothing to do with it.

Regina Erich, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

Truthspotting

Talented author Irvine Welsh tells us at an event in Stirling marking the tenth anniversary of the independence referendum that our rejection of separatism was a mistake. As evidence, he cites that everywhere outside London is “like a third world country now”.

Headline grabbing yet elitist and arrogant? He's suggesting that 58 million of us in the UK are living in conditions characterised by high levels of endemic poverty with consistent economic and political instability and exceptionally high mortality rates. Really? Undoubtedly, sadly, in the UK, like all Western countries, wealth isn't distributed equally, and there's always work to do. Take Oxfordshire, one of the several places where Welsh has a home. It is unquestionably more wealthy than, say, some of the Birmingham inner suburbs. And London clearly has areas of deprivation too, perhaps just not the parts where Welsh has another home. His generalisation is crass and inaccurate. The gist of his argument, of course, is to imply that independence would have brought massive untold wealth to Scotland; that Glasgow would have become London.

Yet, most of us recognised this as a false narrative in 2014. That an economy built on declining fossil fuels was risky; that, without the generosity of the Barnett Formula, higher taxation and lower standards of public services were inevitable. Irrespective of Brexit, a Yes vote was a vote to leave the EU, and Scotland's high deficit levels continue to be utterly unacceptable to EU bureaucrats, meaning replacing Westminster largesse with that of Brussels remains a distant dream. None of this may be directly relevant to Welsh, who spends much of his time in the US, but, fortunately, the majority in 2014 had the good sense to reject nationalist dogma in favour of common sense and reality.

Martin Redfern, Melrose, Roxburghshire

Poll positions

I agree with John D Oldham (Letters, 16 September) that securing another independence referendum might require some compromise over a threshold above 50 per cent plus one. However, if the case for this rests on avoiding ongoing division and unrest, anyone proposing a threshold of above 66 per cent should ask themselves how a losing majority of 65 per cent would react if independence was denied to them? Consider also, in line with all recent polling, that the majority amongst younger age-groups would be even higher – probably above 70 per cent. Polling also indicates that four in ten of all Union supporters are over 65. I cannot see how placing a stranglehold on the aspirations of younger people makes a case for post-referendum peace and quiet.

Robert Farquharson, Edinburgh

Wrongly devolved

Reporter David Bol writes: “Energy, including nuclear power, is reserved to Westminster, but SNP ministers can block new developments north of the Border by vetoing planning applications, which is a devolved matter” (14 September).

This is indeed the conventional view. But it must be questionable. Given the reservation of energy, including nuclear power, to Westminster, does devolution of planning really devolve a power of universal rejection of all nuclear-related propositions?

Jim McLean, Edinburgh

Truth is out there

Forget the record alcohol and drug deaths. Or the Winter Fuel Allowance being taken away. Or any other of the other myriad good causes abandoned by the SNP for budgetary reasons. No, their real, and perhaps only, concern has been laid bare.

They are increasing Angus Robertson's “fake embassy” budget by £800,000 in the midst of the carnage they inflict on others.

This attitude has put the SNP in the position it is now in, on the verge of extinction. In all those years of power they have learned nothing whatsoever.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Go to jail

I must disagree with Tim Cox (Letters, 16 September), about people being “banged up” for protesting. People do not get jailed for exercising their right to protest as long as their protest is non-violent and does not cause significant disruption or harm to others. Being inconvenienced by protests is a part of life today, particularly when social media can stir up organised protest groups at a moment’s notice.

However, blocking motorways and roads, and endangering life by, for example, delaying ambulances, goes way beyond legitimate protest. Many of those protesting in this way don’t even respect the rights of others to disagree with them, before shouting them down.

I was delighted to see lengthy sentences for those going beyond legitimate protest, and hope it acts as a big disincentive for others. Those who protest peacefully without causing serious disruption or harm are still free to do so, as happens across the UK regularly.

Brian Barbour, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

Be careful

Europe and the UK move slowly, but hopefully not inevitably, towards another disastrous war. Five former defence secretaries and an ex-prime minister have urged Sir Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia – even without US backing.

This is a very ill-judged, highly threatening manoeuvre. A better, much less threatening, move would be to do what the EU should have done as soon as Ukraine was threatened, namely to flood Ukraine with EU troops and armaments and systematically remove all Russian occupying troops and their equipment. And simultaneously make it very clear to Russia that they will not cross the Russian/Ukraine border. This presents no extra threat to Russia and leaves Ukraine with the moral high ground.

Doug Clark, Currie, Edinburgh

Blocked beds

Christine Jardine (Perspective,16 September), commenting on the Darzi Report, hits the nail on the head with her comment, “the elephant in the room was the lack of any meaningful plan for social work to free up hospital beds”.

Regrettably, it has always been so. Back in 1975 I published a paper in the Health Bulletin reporting the increase in “blocked beds” in North Edinburgh teaching hospitals acute beds from 8.5 per cent in 1967 to 18.1 per cent in 1973. Throughout my career as a consultant physician in Geriatric Medicine Health Board planning was on the assumption that Social Work would provide a support service when the medical needs of the patient were complete.

When the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh moved to Little France the number of acute beds was reduced on that assumption, despite an increasing elderly population. This was in addition to the closure of the City, Leith, Eastern General and Princess Margaret Rose Hospitals with no replacement of acute beds.

Unfortunately, the main cause of the current high number of “blocked beds” continues to be the inability to discharge due to lack of social support in the home. Any reform must include a realistic involvement with Social Work.

(Dr) Roger G Smith, Edinburgh

As purr usual

The MP Ian Murray's foul-mouthed rant about Larry the Downing Street cat (your report, 13 September) was completely unacceptable and he has made a serious mistake maligning a well loved national and international treasure.

Mr Murray claimed Larry ignored him, but all cat staff know that is entirely their right, they are good judges of character. And Larry would certainly have a more honourable character than most previous occupants of Number 10! An apology is warranted to the House, the public, and of course, Larry. A packet of Dreamies should suffice, if a political cat-astrophe is to be avoided. Pun intended!

Gordon Kennedy, Perth

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