IT IS amazing how many politicians and commentators are just surfing over the wave of the 38 per cent of Scots who voted to leave the EU – they have to address the reasons why. I very much agreed with Lovina Roe’s sentiments (MPs are wrong to dismiss voters sense of betrayal, Letters, The National, July 26). Brexiters are mostly not uneducated, ignorant or racist, but we have concerns that all parties, including the SNP, are not addressing.
I would have expected better of George Kerevan than to just dismiss Brexit as a protest vote in England against economic conditions, and as Lovina Roe points out, even if it was, it is nonetheless valid as a viewpoint. The EU has done little for the betrayed working class in the UK.
I have not heard any real arguments for the EU, just woolly assertions that it has kept the peace for 50 years or that it is somehow the least worst option. True, we have elected representatives, but they only get on board after the unelected commissioners have proposed laws, and to be blunt, I do not hear anything from them until European elections come round.
I was also intrigued by Alyn Smith wanting to be a roving Sherpa for Nicola, hawking us round Europe to anyone who will listen. Despite Alyn’s assertions that “Brussels is good at that sort of thing” he does not say what measures they are in any position to take to help Scotland. There is no possibility of regions within nation states being in the EU if the nation state itself is not. I also wish he would “explain Europe to Scotland”, which he has failed to do so far, at least to me. I don’t think I am an idiot, but just in case, if you explain it in very short words and sentences I will probably get it, Alyn.
I also take issue with the implication that European cooperation has avoided wars. Why have Switzerland and Norway not descended into war and chaos, then? I also resent the notion that I was “taken in” by Johnson, IDS et al. I was not. I’m not sure if I am one of the Brexiteers who has given out misinformation in the last few months. I don’t think I have misinformed anyone. As far as I am aware, I have pointed out things that are happening, asked questions about them and got no answers.
It is also disingenuous to say the EU is more democratic than the House of Lords. That would hardly be difficult. I have yet to realise my “dreadful mistake” in voting Leave. Most of the arguments against Brexit are almost entirely economic. I am not downplaying the effects of economics, but to use the economic card is doing just the same as Project Fear did in the Scottish referendum. We said then that independence was about the principle of freedom more than anything, so why is that not true of the EU? We did not believe in economic Armageddon if we left the UK. I do not believe it will happen when we leave the EU. And to Tony McCandless on the euro, I was not actually supposing the pound was a good idea, I was just pointing out that the euro is definitely not a good idea as far as I can see.
The SNP are beginning to look like a juggernaut blasting aside any opposition. Don’t get me wrong, I still support the SNP, but they are really not listening any more. To digress a little, I was quite glad that the opponents of the named person legislation seem to have won a victory.
Most parents in Scotland are not monsters, and sadly I think this legislation will do nothing to protect children. Another example of the SNP not listening, as they are not listening to the
38 per cent of Brexiters and also not listening to the 55 per cent of No voters. They have to start engaging with opponents, not just hoping they will fade away. If they do not address their (our) concerns, they will never win anyone over, especially to the cause of independence.
Julia Pannell
Friockheim
We can't risk another indy vote until Yes is a certainty
YOUR correspondent G Ross is right when he writes that “if we lose the next independence referendum they (Westminster) will remove the important powers that Holyrood has and leave it a glorified council” (Letters, The National, July 27).
This is why we cannot risk another referendum until a Yes vote is a nailed-on certainty, which currently it is not. The Scottish people have demonstrated consistently over many decades (the first devolution referendum was in 1979), that when it comes to leaving the UK we prefer to believe the UK Government of whatever shade over anything Scottish politicians put forward.
There no evidence this has changed. Since 2014, a Conservative Government has been elected, broken promises, vows and lies are strewn about, the UK has voted to leave the EU, and Scotland has voted to remain. Yet, despite all of this, the polls have barely moved in favour of independence. We are running a deficit of around 9.7 per cent of GDP compared to the EU average of about 2.4 per cent. We need to explain how we intend to deal with that, along with answers to currency, pensions and all of the other factors that succeeded in scaring a majority of Scots in two referendums into voting No. Only when we have done that (and the polls will tell us when we have) can we contemplate another referendum. We have now tried twice to convince people, on a wave of passion and patriotism, to vote for independence, and failed. We cannot risk repeating the formulae, hoping it will somehow work.
Sandy MacDonald
Gairloch
IN recent days we have read of ambulance response times and cancer detection rates failing to meet targets, and of a crisis in NHS staffing. The NHS and Scottish Government get the blame, but what about the huge rise in demand caused by us not taking care of ourselves? We could eat, smoke and drink less and exercise more. We could go to the doctor sooner and participate in screening programs. My own experience of NHS Grampian has been superb. I get expensive eye injections every six weeks, and had several prompt, expensive tests, including MRI scans, which happily ruled out serious illness. The staff are extremely capable and friendly.
But when 42 per cent of weekend ambulance callouts are for drunks it is no wonder that weekday staffing levels and response times suffer. When only 1.3 million out of
2.1 million Scots invited for bowel cancer screening take up the offer it means that only 4,000 of a possible 7,000 cancers are discovered and treated early. Roughly £1 billion of NHS Scotland’s £13bn budget is spent on the type 2 diabetes epidemic and its associated illnesses.
The main cause is being overweight or obese and 86 per cent of Scottish sufferers are in this situation. My criticism of the Scottish Government is they don’t promote their excellent education and prevention programmes enough or risk a few votes by reminding us of our responsibilities.
Allan Sutherland
Stonehaven
JOE Cowan writes a somewhat emotive letter stating that “cycling on the pavement is illegal” (Letters, July 28). This is not necessarily the case. Many councils, and Glasgow City Council is a good example, will happily “redetermine” footways for the use of both pedestrians and cyclists. Such moves are consulted on by councils and are marked by signage, but basically, so council thinking apparently goes, absolves them from providing good quality infrastructure for people of all ages and abilities to cycle on.
If Joe Cowan wants footways for pedestrians, as most of us do, then he should press his council to: 1. Provide good-quality cycling infrastructure and 2. Get parked cars off our footways so people may walk on them without obstruction.
Patricia Fort
Glasgow
I WAS shocked to see a clan map without the MacDougalls, the oldest clan in Scotland (Interactive clan map of Scotland, The National, July 28). The MacDougall land is historically around Oban. The story goes than when God created Scotland, he gave the MacDougalls a land full of fish and game.
“The only problem is your next door neighbours,” he said. “The Campbells!”
George MacDougall
Edinburgh
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here