Over a barrel

How revealing of Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing to say the oil price of $103 (£62) a barrel “is satisfactory” (your report, 14 August). It is incumbent to ask the minister from whose point of view is a price of more than $100 satisfactory. Does he really mean he is in favour of a high oil price to boost the tax revenue for government?

It is certainly not in the consumers’ interest as prices at the pumps are still far too high.

Would an independent Scottish Government lower, or even remove, fuel duty as well as slash corporation tax to 12.5 per cent?

From the viewpoint of free market economics, the energy minister faces a fundamental conflict of interests.

Either cheap oil and gas in the interest of consumers or high prices to boost government revenues.

Arguably, from a psychological point of view, such ambivalence from basic economic contradictions doesn’t make sense.

Ellis Thorpe

Old Chapel Walk

Inverurie