Readers' Letters: SNP must show it can make difference for all

Direct attacks, some of them personal, during the SNP leadership debate merely crystallised the absence of credible policy ideas to achieve sustainable economic growth.

Health Minister Humza Yousaf would likely run a 'style over substance' government if he took over from Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister, reckons reader (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Independence now looks as illusive as the Holy Grail. Nicola Sturgeon claimed that her party would have voted for a de facto referendum because it was “an option based on my judgment” rather than its choosing. Her aspiring successors have promulgated equally unworkable routes and will struggle to unite a fractious party restless to progress its dream but without the ability to do so.

If the SNP is to remain electable as a broad church it needs to show tolerance, accepting deeply held personal convictions, such as those of Kate Forbes. It also needs to be more realistic about achieving independence given that the Supreme Court and the Westminster Government have rejected a referendum. Using an SNP majority in elections as a device to force Westminster to grant it, as Ash Regan suggests, is not the “gold standard”. It is as outdated as that mechanism, used to peg the value of the pound in the 19th century. Perhaps she would use gold as our new currency?

In short, if the party is to stay relevant it needs show it can make a difference for all people of Scotland starting with a credible policy for sustainable economic growth and prosperity. Only then can Scotland properly invest in cash-strapped public services like health, education and transport and drive towards net zero emissions. Humza Yousaf, it seems, wants to continue the style over substance government, which will mean that Sturgeon’s likely successor will fall victim to an emboldened opposition. Time for change.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

Daft question

I have often wondered why British governments devote so little energy toreforming our dysfunctional education system.

But would an educated electorate elect Boris Johnson or the SNP? Silly me.

David Hogg, Edinburgh

A busy life

I am frankly astonished that Humza Yousaf has any time to be the Health Minister! He lives in Broughty Ferry with his Dundee councillor wife and young kids. He represents a constituency over 100 miles away on the west side of Glasgow. Yet his day job is in Edinburgh, a further 65 miles from his constituency. The round trip on a daily basis is way over 225 miles! He must spend most of his time either in his car or in a top-of-the-range chauffeured Parliamentary car. He has certainly managed to complete his “apprenticeship” in the Transport, Justice and Health briefs (all complete failures). If he seriously believes that because we have had no strikes in the Scottish NHS he should become First Minister, he should stay in his car!

I would urge all SNP members to stick “continuity” from Nicola Sturgeon where it belongs and go for the logical choice from the Highlands.

David Coutts, Edinburgh

Define amazing

Humza Yousaf says he will continue to talk up the “amazing track record” of the Scottish Government over the last 15 years (your report, 9 March). Could he start by providing some specific examples of what exactly has been amazing?

Kate Forbes is being refreshingly honest when she describes the SNP’s record as an acceptance of mediocrity. It's hard to consider the Scottish Government’s last decade and a half in any other way and even the most ardent of SNP supporters will know that's true. I suspect this reality will see Ms Forbes elected as their leader rather than Mr Yousaf, who is a continuity candidate for ineptitude.

J Lewis, Edinburgh

No fear

At one of the SNP leadership hustings this week, a hopeful Kate Forbes asked “Which of us would unionists fear most?” I took two things from this. Firstly, someone who is hoping to be First Minister of all of Scotland has an “us versus them” mentality, which doesn’t bode well for the future, especially when “they” are arguably still in the majority.

Secondly, the comment shows a lack of awareness. “Unionists” don’t fear any of these candidates. We view them as lightweights, none of whom will ever lead Scotland to an independent future.

What we fear is a situation where the country drifts and is left behind from political leaders who are not really up to it at Holyrood. What we hope for is someone who can concentrate on the day job, and be brave enough to tell their supporters that Indy isn’t likely at any time in this decade, and that they need to accept this reality.

Of course, that will not happen, they need to keep up the pretence, it is all they have, and they would be lost without it. It is all they have to hide behind.

With this in mind, would we not be better off having an election in May? Anas Sarwar, Douglas Ross and Alex Cole-Hamilton have more about them than these three.

Victor Clements, Aberfeldy, Perthshire

Under scrutiny

Martin Redfern’s claims that Kate Forbes is right wing in economic issues (Letters, 9 March) do not stand up to serious scrutiny as she believes in economic growth to fund our NHS and other vital public services, improve our standard of living and create a fairer society by reducing poverty. Sir Keir Starmer is far less impressive on the economy than New Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, notably ruling out a return to the European single market and customs union, so doing nothing to sort out the UK’s economic decline.

I am not a member of the SNP, but it seems to me that Kate Forbes has a much better grasp of the economy and how to make best use of Scotland’s vast energy riches than either of the other two candidates. She has shown that she is feisty enough to stand up to the UK government when required and convincingly promote independence to those as yet unconvinced. However, in the heat of battle, Kate Forbes should have at least recognised that by any measure, under Humza Yousef, Scotland’s NHS continues to outperform the NHS in England or in Labour-controlled Wales.

Mary Thomas, Edinburgh

Music vandalism

Following on from BBC Scotland's savage cuts to classical and jazz programming, we hear now that the world famous BBC Singers are to be axed and all singers made redundant. The BBC, the Arts Council and the UK government have all lost the plot.

Classical music is about excellence and transforming beauty, and it needs superbly trained musicians to achieve this excellence. It cannot be achieved by patchwork education programmes and forced diversity policies, as advocated by the ghastly management-speak platitudes emanating from the BBC spokespersons, trying to justify the cuts.

At least the normally disinterested Scottish Government has stepped in to save Big Noise Torry, the Aberdeen-based children's orchestra, but far more needs to be done.

The public must be warned that the present BBC management is hell-bent on destroying the foundations of classical music in this country, as well as turning Radio 2 into a hip-hop heaven, alienating its over-50s listeners by scrapping older broadcasters and playing little music before the 80s.

We must fight back before it is too late. Culture is not elitist, it is life-enhancing!

Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Edinburgh

Alcohol ads

In connection with the hotly debated proposal by the Scottish Government to ban certain types of marketing of alcoholic products, I read in the Journal of Public Health that “There is an extensive evidence base on the most effective interventions to reduce alcohol harms at a population level, which shows that targeting marketing, availability and pricing of alcohol are the most effective options”.

I was impressed by Jane Bradley’s informative and comprehensive article in The Scotsman (3 March).

I was less comfortable with the article by Rosalind Erskine the following day, which seemed to justify a hold on further regulation because of the industry-perceived feeling that production would be unable to thrive.

Addiction is such a heinous and devastating disease that the balance should tilt firmly in the favour of changing the attitude of society towards it. At least one in ten people have an addictive nature. Fifty per cent of this nature is genetic, other factors being environment and ability to deal with everyday stress. Alcohol targets the part of the brain that deals with survival. With someone of an addictive nature, alcohol can soon become top of the survival chain to the exclusion of all else, like food, procreation, flight or fight. The craving for alcohol becomes one’s primary motivator in life. Similar to a diabetic having a diseased pancreas, an addict has a diseased brain.

Sadly, addiction can’t be cured but with abstinence, acceptance of life being out of control, therapy, support of others and importantly, following a recovery programme, life for the addict, family and friends can dramatically improve.

So as Alcohol Focus Scotland have recommended, let’s put in place comprehensive statutory restrictions on alcohol marketing.

Norman Lindsay, Dunfermline, Fife

Buying boats

Migrants are crossing the channel in inflatable boats powered by outboard motors. These boats seem to make a single journey. Somebody in France must be manufacturing these and supplying the traffickers. Why does the French Government not close down these outlets? It is a simple equation: no boats = no migrants. Or is the French government complicit in sending migrants out to sea?

David Gairns, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire

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