Scotland on Sunday letters: Sad and sorry state when armed forces called in

I saw on the television that the First Minister was forced to call in the armed forces to help out in coping with accident and emergency cases.

The Scottish government has asked the MoD for military assistance in a bid to ease the "unprecedented" pressure on the NHS. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)

This is a truly dreadful state of affairs when this drastic action has to be taken. The response by our First Minister was rather casual and gave the impression that this was no big deal. Of course, it is a big deal.

Never before has the military been called in to provide such services. There is an impossible burden of responsibility on medical services, a lack of resources and a demoralised workforce.

To top it all, we have a First Minister who is unable to read the correct prepared scripts on two separate occasions in response to First Minister's Questions. If she is a representative of those in power in Holyrood we are in a sad and sorry state. Scotland has very little hope of ever recovering its economy, education service and more besides. If this is how our health service is run then we are in a very bad position. In the words of Private Frazer, 'We are all doomed' This so-called government will have to do better and soon.

Valerie Stewart, East Kilbride

Gobsmacked

My gob was truly smacked by the audacity of Bentley to say that they are working with Macallan to find synergies for a sustainable carbon neutral future while putting on the market a 2.7 ton, three-litre engined car that struggles to get above 25mpg.

Greta Thunberg needs to shout louder. I feel that the sale of really large gas guzzlers should be banned immediately but, since this would upset people with influence in Westminster can I suggest a compromise?

For each car that Bentley sell they should pay to have the homes of three low income families fully insulated and converted to air souce heating. This modest carbon offsetting measure could assuage their consciences and mitigate the damage they are doing to the world. Beats planting trees every time you take a flight.

Ronald Cameron, Banavie

Guilty by association

Arup is an award winning, British multi-national professional services firm owned by a trust for the benefit of its employees.

Your front page article (‘Revealed: COP26 ‘sustainability’ advisor’s ties to fossil fuel firms’ Scotland on Sunday, 19th September) is careful to make no direct allegation that Arup would use it’s COP26 appointment, an appointment made by the UK Government, to promote the interests of other clients but that is the underlying proposition.

Arup has over 15,000 staff in 140 countries with a fee turnover in excess of £1.8 billion per annum. That would suggest that at any time it is working on several thousands of commissions for many hundreds of clients. Among these commissions it may provide services to fossil fuel companies but no evidence has been presented to suggest it is dependent upon or in any way influenced by these companies.

The suggestion that Arup would risk its reputation by ‘promoting the interests of big polluters’ (as Labour’s Monica Lennon is quoted as saying) shows a lamentable failure to understand the principles which govern reputable consultancy firms.

I do not now and never have worked for or had any financial interests in Arup. I simply write simply because I am appalled that a quality newspaper would lead with such a ‘guilt by association’ story.

George Rennie, Inverness

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