Readers' Letters: Independence risks outweigh potential benefits

“It’s the economy, stupid” was a key message in Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 US presidential campaign.

Saltire manufacturers are making a mint from the Independence movement, but would Scots in general benefit? (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

On the week in which the GERS figures will be published, your editorial comment astutely points out that the key point is whether the economic upheaval of breaking away from the rest of the UK would be worth the risk (22 August).

I am not ideologically wedded to the Union and acknowledge many of the faults that nationalists highlight. But the SNP and other proponents of independence fail to promote any coherent economic plan and, having looked carefully at the economic issues, I judge the risks associated with independence massively outweigh any potential benefits. I suspect many people are of the same opinion.

Telling those of us who are concerned about potential economic upheaval that we are part of “Project Fear” or “talking Scotland down” avoids addressing the concerns. Equally, pointing to other countries with widely differing economies, taxation and public spending arrangements does not provide answers. Neither does highlighting Scotland’s abundant natural resources since revenues from these are already taxed.

To address the fiscal deficit, what tangible steps would an independent Scotland take to attract inward investment and growth? What changes in taxation are proposed? Will there be reductions in public expenditure and, if so, by how much and from which budget lines?

Overlying all this is the question of currency. Adopting Sterling leaves the Bank of England rather than the Scottish Government with control over primary economic “levers”. Is this acceptable? If Scotland is to launch its own currency, how and at what cost will it be pegged to sterling?

To answer these questions in a clear and authoritative manner might build a majority in favour of independence. Denial of the facts and unsubstantiated rhetoric will not.

George Rennie, Inverness

Sinking ship

The analogy that Elizabeth Scott used in her letter in which she referred to Independence as “taking to a lifeboat” was most appropriate, but not perhaps in the way she meant (20 August).Abandoning ship in a lifeboat is often a perilous operation, with a significant risk of injury and loss of life. Once launched, though, the lifeboat becomes an Infinitesimal speck in a vast ocean, exposed to the worst the sea can throw at it. Life in the lifeboat is at best uncomfortable, cramped, with further risk of injury, not to mention sea sickness and the risk of hypothermia and dehydration. The lifeboat is, of course, stocked with food supplies and water to sustain life, but even with strict rationing has only a finite time before it runs out.Nothing is guaranteed.I do not think we will ever actually run out of water nor suffer from seasickness, but Independence has many risks to the wellbeing of Scotland and her population, most of which the Scottish Government/ SNP are reluctant to reveal.Many years ago I attended a Merchant Navy Fire Course in Edinburgh. It was an excellent course which taught those attending much about firefighting on merchant vessels. Probably though, the most important lesson came from the Fire Officer running the course: “Your ship is your best lifeboat.”This is a statement analogous to the neverending independence debate. Better to tackle the issues affecting our country rather than take to the “lifeboat” of Independence with all its attendant risk known and unknowns. Perhaps we could start by ridding ourselves of the present Government, fixated by Independence, whose continuous, mostly unjustified, aggression towards the UK Government prevents a joint approach to issues both UK and Scottish and is used as a cover-up for their incompetence.

John B Gorrie, Edinburgh

Seeing light

Katherine Sangster is, to put it kindly, engaging in magical thinking (“Soft SNP and Green Voters Need to Back Labour”, Perspective, 20 August). It really is extraordinary that she exhorts Scots to forget Labour's utter failure to address their needs, concentrating variously on “Mondeo Man” and “Worcester Woman” and all of the garbage served up by their expensive pollsters and focus groups over the years to attract the votes of the City.

This kind of greed is anathema to Scots, who have watched in horror as globalisation and deregulation have brought in zero hours contracts, outrageous PFI interest payments, hollowed-out work forces and eye-watering utility price increases, along with the literal spewing of faecal matter into rivers and seas.

Sorry Ms Sangster, unlike an abused partner who keeps returning to their abuser, the people of Scotland have seen the light, and it isn't shining out of Sir Keir Starmer's eyes.

Marjorie Ellis Thompson, Edinburgh

Bad record

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has stated her desire to return energy companies to public ownership in order to enable consumers to benefit from the perceived financial gain.

Presumably this position is based on her achievements with the nationalisations of Prestwick airport and Ferguson Marine, neither of which is a beacon of financial success?

GM Lindsay, Kinross, Perth & Kinross

Censure someone

No charges are to be brought against those who failed to complete the unnecessarily delayed Scottish Census, but as the exercise was a total failure on every level, from data validity to woeful participation rate, compared to every other part of the UK, surely somebody should be held to account?Indeed, given the litany of failures on ferries, education attainment gap, drugs policy, hospital waiting times, a non-existent not for profit energy company, plus the waste of taxpayers’ money on non-devolved pretendy foreign embassies and pretendy referendums, the charge sheet against this useless Scot Government must be longer than the Bayeux tapestry.

Andrew Kemp, Rosyth, Fife

Water torture

"Somebody up there loves me!" is a common enough saying, but it has never been more apt than a few days ago when farmers in the Howe of Fife with seriously parched crops got heavy rain literally minutes after a ban was put in place prohibiting them from taking water from the River Eden.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, through their own inaction, had been forced to declare that ban.All we have heard from that Agency since is that "The River Eden has risen by 38 per cent". That fact could have been obtained by any secondary school pupil with a measuring tape! How about doing something more positive and useful for the future of the farming industry in Central Fife?How about restricting the endless waste of Eden’s water by regulating its continuous flow towards the open sea?This could be done reasonably easily in times of approaching drought (as a temporary expedient), by placing sandbags out into the water from each bank while leaving a central gap to act as a fish ladder and allowing some water to continue flowing seawards.

This water-saving measure could be carried out at several points up and down the river and overseen by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

If something of this nature is not carried out, then in future years, literally millions of pounds worth of vegetable crops will go to waste!

Archibald A Lawrie, Kingskettle, Fife

Heat is on

The Friends of The Scotsman article by Chala McKenna must be commented on (“The Scottish Government is turning up the heat on emissions from buildings” 22 August). She says that only 11 per cent of homes in Scotland use low emission heating systems such as heat pumps and biomass boilers and that this percentage must be increased, but does not reveal how costly they are compared to gas boilers.

Ground source pumps are priced at £11,000- £20,000 depending on the loop and air source pumps are £5,000-£12,000, but bigger radiators might be needed and the running costs are higher. Ms McKenna states that from 2035 households with existing gas boilers which break down will need to replace them with a low carbon alternative.

Solution? I recently had a replacement gas boiler supplied and fitted for £3,000, so replace your gas boiler with another one before the 2035 deadline and it will last 15-20 years.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Sporting chances

Scottish athletes and para-athletes’ performances were rightly praised for their performances at the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

What was refreshing and striking about their successes were the Birmingham crowds giving huge non-partisan support to those competing from all the home nations. Indeed, Eilish McColgan particularly credited the crowd for helping her to her historic win.

It is also rewarding to see all the home nation athletes benefiting from the UK-wide training facilities as well as the funding from the UK Lottery and UK Sport to succeed in such events as well as in other international events like the European Championships and the Olympic Games.

Tim Jackson, Gullane, East Lothian

Vintage scent

It’s predicted we will see the return of the use of vinaigrettes by Edinburgh residents and visitors to combat the stench of growing rubbish, not only in the Old Town where Fringegoers can experience the whiff of Edinburgh in olden times, but coming to an area near you very soon.

Jo Bloomfield, Edinburgh

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