Readers' Letters: SNP to blame for collapse of National Care Service plan

In 2021, an exuberant Nicola Sturgeon told us, with much certainty, that the SNP’s National Care Service was going to be the most ambitious reform since devolution. In 2025, after years of scaling back and dumbing down proposals, and £30 million spent on failed planning, the reform is sadly scrapped (Scotsman, 24 January).

John Swinney's team is keen to blame other Holyrood parties, but, as councils, unions and key care groups all recognise that the SNP's plans were unworkable, the SNP has been forced to accept reality.

Was the National Care Service properly budgeted? We all know how generous Westminster's Barnett Formula is to Scotland, and of course, Scotland is the highest taxed part of the UK – but can a National Care Service be effectively delivered without further Holyrood tax increases?

SNP ministers have scrapped plans to centralise social care services (Picture:stock.adobe.com)

Developing a pan-Scotland social care service to mirror with the NHS is a laudable and important ambition, but sadly, one which the SNP, despite much virtue-signalling hype, is apparently incapable of delivering.

Martin Redfern, Melrose, Scottish Borders

Litany of failure

Your coruscating editorial on the SNP government’s appalling record of failure (24 January) certainly hits the nail on the head, and John Swinney’s bawling blustering responses to perfectly reasonable questions on the collapse of the National Care Service plan were utterly pathetic, as was the timorous chiding of loutish behaviour by our wet lettuce of a Presiding Officer.

That this was taking place in the ugliest building in Edinburgh is merely the crumbling icing on what is becoming a very stale cake.

Andrew Kemp, Rosyth, Fife

Burns’ impact

It is intriguing that Burns Night falls in the same week as the 47th US President was inaugurated. Robert Burns impacted not just Scottish, but also American history. Beyond the traditional Burns Supper, the historical connections between Burns and American presidents are interesting.

Abraham Lincoln, often regarded as one of America’s greatest presidents, was introduced to Burns by a Scot named Jack Kelso, sharing the poet’s words which imparted lessons to the future statesman.

Lincoln’s appreciation of Burns only deepened with time, and it is said that he even kept a book of Burns’ poems on his bedside table at the White House.

Indeed, President Lincoln and Mary Lincoln planned to visit Scotland after his presidency. Mrs Lincoln held to that dream and visited Burns Cottage in Scotland after her husband's assassination.

President Barack Obama expressed his admiration for Burns during an interview in 2009. Reciting lines from A Man’s a Man for A’ That, Obama underscored the timelessness of Burns’ messages about equality and justice.

As we know, Burns’ fame extended well beyond Scotland, and his deep connections with leaders of nations across the world demonstrate the massive global impact of this incredible individual.

Alex Orr, Edinburgh

Supper’s ready

As far removed from Scotland as Tenterden is, our local pub is holding a Burns Night Supper. The landlord is a Scot and will address the haggis, something I’ve done quite a few times over the years.

Whenever we were over that way, we’d head for Burns Cottage in Alloway. For me, Burns’ presence was still strong in his home. Souter Johnnie’s (in reality a shoemaker, John Davidson) Cottage is still in Kirkoswald.

It’s no’ bad manners to to enjoy several single malts and, as we Glaswegians might say, get a wee bit stocious. As Burns’ put it in Tam O’Shanter: “Tam lo’ed him like a vera brither, they had been fou’ for weeks theygither!”

Get yourself a complete book of Burns’ poems and sonnets. Once you’ve started, you’ll keep going. Look for Holy Willie’s Prayer. If you’re any kind of actor, this is the one to enjoy and memorise. And then keep it as your party piece.

Doug Morrison, Tenterden, Kent

Wings clipped

I write to express my concern regarding a troubling trend in the airline industry that has recently come under scrutiny following the hefty fines imposed on certain budget airlines by the Spain's ministry of consumer affairs for violating consumer rights.

While the legal action is commendable, the issue extends far beyond these specific cases and affects passengers globally, including those traveling on long-haul international flights.

Increasingly, airlines are offering fares that only include the bare minimum for baggage – a small-sized carry-on – while requiring exorbitant additional charges for checked luggage. For many travelers, this significantly increases the overall cost of air travel. For instance, on a recent flight I took out of the UK to New York, the fare did not include any checked baggage, leaving me to choose between traveling with minimal luggage or paying a hefty amount to include a standard 23kg checked bag.

A similar situation now confronts me while booking a student trip for my son from the UK to Trujillo, Peru – a trip lasting nearly a full day. Despite the extended duration of such flights, the base fare excludes both checked and even trolley-sized baggage. This approach to pricing is not only inconvenient but borders on inhumane, especially for long-haul travel where passengers reasonably expect to bring essentials beyond what fits in a small carry-on.

These policies disproportionately affect passengers who cannot afford premium tickets or additional fees. They also add stress and uncertainty to travel planning, undermining the overall experience.

Traveling should not be an ordeal where passengers feel penalised for carrying necessities. I urge responsible authorities to consider these restrictive baggage policies and for regulatory bodies to establish and enforce fairer standards that restore trust and convenience in air travel.

Imran M Khan, Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire

Talking proper

I read that TV bosses are putting pressure on directors of Scottish programmes to modify the accent and dialect of actors for the benefit of English viewers.

Have they done the same for Scouse, Brummie or any of the many English accents?

This looks like an English decision to marginalise the Scots and their language. Do they think that forcing us into the Received Pronunciation that only social climbers south of the border indulge in or the Estuary English used when talking down to the plebs will make us feel more “English”? Perish the thought.

When I come back from abroad, and that includes London and the rest of England, I know I am home when I hear the lovely sound of Scots voices again. It really is time that Scotland takes her place as an independent country within Europe and the world.

Elizabeth Scott, Edinburgh

Tourist tax bluster

The hot air being generated regarding a tourist tax in Edinburgh is nothing but bluster. Those who complain about it argue it will deter tourists. This is clearly rubbish – even though deterring some tourists may not be such a bad thing.

Most world cities which attract large numbers of tourists all have similar levies, such as Vienna, Venice, Rome, Paris, Brussels and even Manchester. I have visited most of these cities over the last few years and wasn’t even aware of the tax.

If I had been it would not have put me off visiting, in fact I’d have been happy to stump up if it was going to help protect these cities from the effects of heavy duty tourism.

In the unlikely event of people deciding not to come to Edinburgh because of it, I’d say those sort of people are unwelcome here if they cannot see how their presence affects the local environment.

As tourist numbers continue to grow, the least we can do is to try to protect Scotland for those living here as well as those visiting.

D Mitchell, Edinburgh

Car trouble

Responding to my letter (23 January), Jeff Rogers compares “petrol and diesel car manufacturers” (24 January) to EV manufacturers, though most are one and the same, asking if I think the former are running charities. No. They are running businesses which produce the vehicles most people want to buy.

If he wants to buy an EV and has a spare £50,000, go for it. Selling it later might be a problem, however, as they seem (according to a recent Radio 4 programme) to be worth the amount of the final instalment when they are paid off.

Let's be practical, however. If you need a heavy load carried or pulled, only diesel will do. EVs are also higher polluters than petrol cars, due to the microplastics they give off. EVs use cobalt in their batteries, mined by child labour in the Congo. Does he approve of that? EV batteries cannot be recycled. Is that good environmentally? When EV batteries go on fire, they cannot be put out. Is that safe? He might add that this is “pollution of the most poisonous and perilous kind”. Does he not agree?

He may be unaware, but one reason for the falling death rate from 1900 on was the introduction of petrol and diesel vehicles. They replaced horses and the incidence of such diseases as enteritis and dysentery, as well as diarrhoea, fell because dung in the streets upon which flies spreading those infections feasted vanished when petrol-driven cars replaced horses, which, I am sure he will agree, was a good thing.

Andrew HN Gray, Edinburgh

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