Social injustice

Donald Lewis and John Milne (Letters, 2 February) make very good points about the way the SNP acts to silence its own members and how respected commentators – sadly this includes Scotsman contributors – are often uncritical of the government.

One would expect more press criticism of a so-called left-of-centre party that cuts college places and deprives working-class children of opportunities, makes it impossible for the parents of state school pupils to pay the fee to challenge an examination result but allows parents of private school pupils to do just that and which also says that one of its priorities is to cut taxes for some of the richest companies in Scotland.

How the First Minister can justify any of these actions as 
“social justice” is a mystery. What happens if one dares to raise a voice against the government? The usual suspects in these pages make ever more vicious attacks.

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I fear we are retreating not only from social justice but rapidly from free and open speech.

More and more the replies to those who criticise the government attack the individual rather than the person’s views – this from an historical viewpoint suggests we are moving from a free to a totalitarian society and that ironically will be a society that silences those who are supportive of the government as well as those who oppose it.

What such a society cannot 100 per cent control it will silence.

(Dr) Roger I 
Cartwright

Turretbank Place

Crieff