Scotsman Letters: SNP alone to blame for A9 risk to life

At last the SNP/Greens government has come clean with the public and admitted that the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness will not be completed until 2035.

Ministers have previously confirmed the 2025 deadline for dualling the A9 will not be met. Picture: PA

No doubt the same old lame excuses for the delay will be trotted out, namely Westminster underfunding, Covid and Brexit, while the most likely reasons are probably to do with mismanagement, incompetence and funding diversion.

There have been no delays and problems with the SNP's funding for “independence” so it looks like the delay to the A9 dualling has been one of choice, again leaving locals and tourists at the mercy of a road some call dangerous and others confusing.

Bob MacDougall, Kippen, Stirlingshire

Islands bribe?

In the budget, Shona Robison selects hospitality businesses, specifically only on Scottish islands, to bestow 100 per cent rates relief up to the value of £110,000. Hospitality is a crucial sector almost everywhere in Scotland, with many jobs reliant upon it.

So I wonder: is it entirely coincidental that there are several SNP Westminster and Holyrood island constituencies where voters are mightily hacked off with the fiasco that is SNP new ferries procurement – and therefore may be sorely tempted to vote for another party?

Surely not a wee SNP election bribe from Robison?

Martin Redfern, Melrose, Roxburghshire

Scots assemble

Humza Yousaf’s SNP government are hiking taxes and slashing funding for public services. In this latest budget, the SNP government are again asking Scottish workers to pay more in tax but get less in public services, despite record funding from the UK Government.

The SNP’s gross mismanagement of our finances means we face a budget which will combine tax hikes for hard-working Scots with eye-watering cuts to key public services, all while they’re set to waste £2.7 billion of public money.

We need a Scottish Assembly that will make economic growth a top priority, by passing on business rates relief for shops, pubs and hotels and protecting public services.

(Cllr) Alastair Redman, Port Charlotte, Argyll, Isle of Islay

Underpowered

The Scottish Budget proposals highlight the lack of fiscal powers under the devolution settlement as even Holyrood’s limited income tax powers are diluted when the UK Government has control over personal allowances and tax avoidance schemes. On average, individuals only pay 30 per cent of their taxes through income tax and the Scottish Government has no control over National Insurance, VAT or Corporation Tax, for example.

The UK Government is cutting Scotland’s capital by 20 per cent, after inflation, by 2028/29, which is brutal for Scotland’s infrastructure, including roads, housebuilding, schools and hospitals.

While the 2024/25 Scottish block grant was increased by 1.4 per cent, it represents a real terms cut as Tory-inspired inflation is running at 4 per cent and the Scottish Block Grant has been cut by 17 per cent in real terms since 2010.

The real spending power of Government departments in England is down by £19 billion over the five-year forecast period and this impacts on the Barnett consequentials.

Holyrood must balance the books every year and can’t run up a massive national debt, which Westminster has increased by £20 billion in the last year.

The lack of the powers of a normal country makes it extremely difficult for any devolved Scottish government to boost the economy and explains why under Westminster control Scotland’s GDP is roughly half that of Denmark, Finland, Ireland or Norway’s. Why is this never asked of anti-independence spokespeople?

Wales managed to run up a £1.3 billion “black hole” in their £24 billion budget which makes Labour’s “incompetence” in government more than twice as bad as the SNP’s perceived failings.

Also, Scottish Labour’s finance person couldn’t say what cuts they would make to balance the books while Labour is heading towards ending the universal provision of public services.

Fraser Grant, Edinburgh

Follow SNP model

Paul Wilson, in his thought-provoking article “With SNP intent on wrecking devolution, we should reconsider Scottish Parliament” (Perspective, 21 December), is correct in saying that the SNP “is by definition opposed to devolution” and has no interest in making it work. I doubt that is the only reason the SNP has made such a bourach of its devolved responsibilities. Its patent incompetence and lack of talent at Holyrood are other relevant factors.

Mr Wilson is spot on in dismissing those who believe that giving Holyrood more powers would concentrate SNP minds on “effective governance”. This is the path Gordon Brown and others in Labour advocate. That would merely slice the salami more and more thinly, until there was none left: it is a recipe for secession by stealth. It would be, simply, appeasement.

Mr Wilson’s view is that there should be a threshold for nationalist parties to trigger a referendum. Why not follow the SNP’s own model? In order to change the SNP’s constitution, a two-thirds majority is required. That seems appropriate for a major constitutional issue.

Otherwise, we could, as the SNP tends to advocate, follow the example of our European neighbours and simply outlaw secession altogether.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Thin gruel

An interesting article by Paul Wilson on devolution. One thing Donald Dewar never told us about is that another tier of government would mean that whatever political talent there is, will be spread ever thinner!

William Ballantine, Bo'ness, West Lothian

Learn lessons

It now appears certain that the SNP ploughed on with their unwinnable appeal against their hated gender reform bill despite legal advice not to do so. The minister in question refused to answer questions on the subject, which may actually tell us everything that needs to be known.

As honest and unspun answers to genuine questions – on matters of vital importance – are like hen's teeth in the world of the SNP we can safely assume the horrendous legal costs and embarrassment inflicted on the coalition are once again self-inflicted wounds as they had been advised not to appeal. Will they ever learn? Perhaps they would, if the party and not the public got the tab for vanity expenditure.

It is too easy to say they pursued the case because of pressure from their Green partners – who, incidentally, claimed they would resign from the coalition were it not taken all the way and as it has now been dropped by the SNP we can but hope.

It was another example of lack of backbone and courage and morality and instead striving to do what was best for the SNP, not Scotland.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

New weapon

Despite the horror of pictures coming out of Gaza and our concern for humanitarian conditions in the area; it should be noted that the current suggestions of the United Nations for a ceasefire are a little late – having largely shelved the inherent problems in the area for a number of years and said nothing about the rockets and drones continuing to be launched against Israel.

All decent people, I am sure, want to see an end to the horrors and an avoidance of disease; however, I suggest, our world has unleashed a terrifying new weapon for terrorists and anyone with demands – hostage taking.

There was a well-founded reason behind the former “rule” not to give in to ransom requests as it would risk escalating hostage taking as a way of procuring demands.

It would not be surprising if terrorist groups changed to investing, more generally, in hostage taking throughout the world (including the United Kingdom) as it now appears to be recognised as legitimate by the United Nations and the International media.

James Watson, Dunbar, East Lothian

Civic pride 2024

Having read comments on The Scotsman Letters page in the past, I have a suggestion for a New Year's Resolution for the people of our litter-strewn capital.

“We the inhabitants of Edinburgh are going to look after our city to keep it clean and beautiful, not just for ourselves but so the Council can look after those in need.

“We shall not drop litter no matter how small or flimsy.“We shall have pride in our city and pull up the weeds on our pavements and return it to the pristine days when we had pride in our city.”

Martha Dickson, Edinburgh

Bread of life

Kirsty McLuckie (Passions, 18 December) puts into print what I've been trying to convince my wife of for many years: sandwiches from leftovers are a Cordon Bleu meal in mufti.

I tease her when saying a dish she's spent hours preparing could only be improved by two slices of bread, but I'm afraid she just doesn't appreciate, the way Kirsty clearly does, the joy of reheated sausage casserole melting into the butter on good brown bread. The glass of red falls just short of the mandatory side of optional.

Stephen Callanan, Guildford, Surrey

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