Readers' Letters: £75 to meet you? Sorry Nicola, we've already paid the price

Sorry Nicola Sturgeon, rather than pay £75 for the tremendous honour of “meeting and greeting” you in October at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh we've found a more deserving cause (your report, 10 April)

We’ve donated the amount to two of the organisations that did so much to wreck your dangerous gender policies – and your career, For Women Scotland and the UK-wide Women's Rights Network.

Have a great night!

Nicola Sturgeon is set to do a show at the Usher Hall later this year reflecting on her career - and for £75, you could meet her beforehand (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

Mr & Mrs Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

Time to be bold

Alistair Grant writes that the departure of Conservative MSP Jamie Greene to the Liberal Democrats should worry the Scottish Tory leader (“Russell Findlay feels the squeeze”, 8 April). But while Greene’s departure likely reflects a change in the Scottish Conservatives, it isn’t necessarily a negative one. Sotto voce Conservatism and loud Unionism may have won the argument in 2014, but it’s a different world a decade later.

If Scottish politics is finally moving on from constitutional navel-gazing to return to the domestic policy agenda this needs to be accompanied by solutions, not just complaints. But there is no use generating polite debate within the parliamentary chamber if that’s ignored on the street.

In the article, there is criticism of a "headline-driven” approach; but that is exactly what’s required of an Opposition and something an ex-journalist like Findlay well understands. Indeed, where the Tories have cut-through is when they’ve broken with Holyrood’s cosy consensus; such as challenging the gender recognition reform bill or the school sex census.

That’s not to say Findlay should court controversy. That’s best left to Reform. But it’s important to recognise why so many Scots feel alienated from politics and to apply some radical thinking to the problems faced. In education, justice and economic policy Findlay needs to challenge the incumbents, who have had a decade and a half failing to prove their way of thinking works; and to differentiate from others on the same side of the constitutional divide.

Findlay’s increased confidence to burst the Holyrood bubble and to challenge the cost of the SNP's pseudo super-state could well chime with those constitutionally agnostic voters looking for an authentic centre-right voice in Scottish politics. So, I’d encourage Findlay to be bold. Faint heart never won fair lady. Or floating voter.

Callum Laidlaw, London

Yes, terrorists

Where is our society heading when terrorists can demand “free speech” to spread their “message”. The latest foray connected with the European Convention on Human Rights is utterly outrageous.

Hamas kills people, even its own, is intolerant of other viewpoints, started the catastrophic war in Gaza, plus it takes innocent people hostage and has never sought re-election for nearly 20 years. How can it then justify a plea to the UK government to remove its “terrorist” epithet? Laws can only be respected when applied with at least some degree of responsibility. Where is it in this case?

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

Zero clarity

David Young waxes lyrically on the need for developing skilled scientists and engineers to maximise the benefits of moving to a net zero economy (Business, 11 April).

Nowhere does he highlight where these skills need to be focused. What will a net zero economy look like? What will these new skills do to ensure our country benefits from a world that embraces the benefits of net zero? Will net zero be sufficient to save the human race from the catastrophe created by them in a race for prosperity, improvement and safety? Is climate change really man-induced? From a simplistic viewpoint, net zero moves manufacturing and human movement from being based on using fossil fuels for energy to using nature, such as wind and water. We will still use machinery to manufacture, vehicles to move goods and people; in effect nothing really changes, does it? I don’t suppose that is what David Young is really pointing to in his article, in that it is a plea for a greater emphasis on specific areas in our education. Is my simplistic view of a net zero economy sensible or will everything change?

We may see that incoming technologies such as robotics and AI will impact in ways much greater than net zero and these are quietly being introduced elsewhere in the world, while the great and good in the UK focus on net zero! Perhaps our emphasis should be on enabling our scientists and engineers to focus on new technologies and how we can use these to benefit our country and our people rather than disappearing down the rabbit hole of net zero!

Perhaps the greatest challenge to our world is population expansion and how to keep these numbers fed and gainfully employed?

Net zero, the challenge that keeps on giving very little of benefit to us while the world continues blithely onward.

A Lewis, Coylton, Ayrshire

Bill of health

Those thinking of voting Reform, and thus doing away with our NHS, might find this interesting. People made bankrupt by medical bills in 2024: Canada 0; Australia 0; France 0; Scandinavia 0; UK 0; Germany 0; United States 326,000.

Anne Wimberley, Edinburgh

Insult to Truss

So, onetime US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was fired for telling the truth, a rare thing in the Trump Presidency, almost extinct. President Trump, who claims to have to spend 15 minutes in the shower just to wet his “beautiful hair” (your report, 11 April) is most certainly a “moron”.

Sadly, he is a moron who wields sufficient power to do untold damage to the global economy, scattering worldwide tariffs like confetti, including to islands whose only inhabitants are penguins.

The question is just how long can this madness last. The longer it lasts, the more tragic it becomes. Trump's moronic behaviour is threatening recession on a universal scale, in what has been described as his “Truss moment”. That would be an insult to the hapless Ms Truss.

Ian Petrie, Edinburgh

Warm welcome

Why Michael Officer (Letters, 8 April) sees my argument about Scots being historically oppressed as a “Scotland vs England” contest is unclear. I did not mention Mary, Queen of Scots was oppressed by the English, as he claims, nor did I claim the Jacobites were oppressed by the English, but rather by the German-born George II.

I also stated that the Highland Clearances were the result not just of the English Duke of Sutherland but also the Scottish aristocracy. Mr Officer is simply wrong to take my argument out of context and suggest I was only referring to the English for Scots being historically oppressed.

Despite being oppressed, history tells us that Scots flourished through the Enlightenment to become the broadminded nation we are today. Scots were proud to defend their country against Nazi tyranny, and open their arms to welcome people of all colours across every continent, the vast majority of whom respect values and traditions of their adopted country.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

To distraction

Speeding along day and night on their chunky-wheeled electric cycles cum scooters, often with no lights, masked food delivery riders are becoming a menace and new legislation is surely needed to control their conduct. These delivery riders employed by Deliveroo and other companies ride on and off pavements with scant consideration for pedestrians, weaving in and out of traffic, jumping lights, changing direction without signalling – surely a hazard for other drivers and road users.

Now in their dozens, in Edinburgh, these food delivery riders careering about the city day and night are becoming a danger to themselves and to pedestrians and motorists alike.

Incidentally, are these cycles or electric motor cycles? It should be considered that if the use of electric scooters on pavements and roads have legal restrictions, then surely so should the indiscriminate and careless use of these food delivery rides. The early delivery riders used standard cycles, later adding battery assistance but leading to what are now the almost standard – and presumably for the riders, more efficient and more comfortable – electric scooters.

This whole situation has to be addressed with new rules of conduct which cyclists and other road users have to abide by now applied to this new breed of road users.

I suggest local politicians raise the subject for discussion in Parliament.

Leslie Howson, Edinburgh

A proud Scot

“Could we have a Scottish Mr Darcy?” asks Lauren Jack, speculating about the casting of a forthcoming Netflix production of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice? But we already have had one –David Rintoul played the part in Fay Weldon's TV serialisation in 1980.

Jane Ann Liston, St Andrews, Fife

Lowden clear

According to the Scotsman Editorial (11 April) Amazon MGM Studios is looking for “a relatively unknown actor with the animal magnetism, ruthless demeanour and comic timing of Connery”.

May I suggest Jack Lowden. His performances in Slow Horses suggests his potential. He also, like Sean, was brought up in Scotland.

Sorted.

Lewis Finnie, Edinburgh

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