Scotland on Sunday readers' letters: Scottish Greens are alienating most of the population

What are the Greens in Scotland playing at? The scorching temperatures this summer and the wildfires across Europe have shown clearly that climate chaos is not a distant threat but a present reality. Green politicians all over the world are demanding action to avert climate disaster.

So why have the Greens in Scotland chained themselves to the SNP, whose chief aim is to split up the UK? The Greens here are alienating 55 per cent of the population for no good reason and are stuck on a tiny percentage of the vote.They claim their strategy is working but the reality is that Scotland is burning more fossil fuel than ever before, particularly since Hunterston nuclear power station closed, only to be replaced by burning more gas.

The same will happen when Torness closes, only worse. The Greens need to get their priorities right. There are more important things than photo opportunities with the First Minister.

Les Reid, Edinburgh

Scottish Green Party co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie beside the Wallace Monument ahead of the party conference earlier this year.Scottish Green Party co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie beside the Wallace Monument ahead of the party conference earlier this year.
Scottish Green Party co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie beside the Wallace Monument ahead of the party conference earlier this year.

Keeping UK afloat

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Regarding the latest GERS publication, it’s a reminder that no devolved Scottish government has ever "overspent” on devolved responsibilities. And that 37 per cent of spending and 74 per cent of revenue in the GERS figures are reserved by the UK Government.

As a result, Scotland, as part of the UK, is (apparently) performing much worse than other Western European countries of similar size but with fewer natural resources. That aside, last week's GERS figures showed that Westminster is fully reliant on Scotland's natural resources to keep it afloat, rather than the other way around.

Independence supporters love the fact that GERS repeatedly prove that the “union” with Westminster isn't working for Scotland – and we thank the annual reports that remind us.

Ian Waugh, Dumfries & Galloway Indy Hub

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Water bonus

Scottish Water is a public company accountable to Scottish ministers and the Scottish Parliament. Recently the Scottish public were told that they have to stop wasting water. However, Scottish Water has a massive leakage of 30.2 per cent of its total water supply. The 24 water companies in England also have leakages but not on this scale.

The average for them is 17.5 per cent. Perhaps the Scottish Government would care to explain why CEO Douglas Millican was handed a £92,000 bonus on top of his £267,000 salary and chief operating officer Peter Farrer was paid £68,000, in addition to his £197,000 salary.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow

Line of duty

In relation to your letter (Scotland on Sunday, August 21) by Martin Redfern on the abuse of BBC journalists, surely it is their line managers who can do most to eradicate this problem? If, as suggested, BBC journalists are routinely subjected to abuse, then their bosses have a duty to protect them. That will involve making representations to political parties and others to try and exert influence and put a stop to it.

The best way for the BBC to address these issues is to report them in their news coverage. If they get political objection to this, then they can exert their editorial duty to decide what is news and what is not. The tactics used by nationalist spin doctors are an open secret. The BBC need to stand against this. There is no point in blaming someone else.

Victor Clements, Aberfeldy, Perthshire

For a Scottish perspective on news, sport, business, lifestyle, food and drink and more from Scotland's national newspaper, go to www.scotsman.com

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