NICOLA Sturgeon says she is prepared to listen to the Prime Minister’s case for air strikes against Daesh in Syria. No doubt she is attempting to appear reasonable and consider all options before coming down against them.
This is a dangerous path. There are too many gung-ho, warlike politicians who think the solution to the chaos caused by war is more war. To even consider the case for bombing lends legitimacy to these desk warriors when we should be challenging them.
The refugee and terrorist crises stem from the same cause; our often illegal intervention in other countries which destroying the stability that held them together.
The only likely result of us bombing Syria is to make us more likely to be attacked inside Britain as the Russians and the French have tragically found out recently.
I hope Nicola and my SNP colleagues at Westminster reject the sirens of war and instead focus on the Syrian peace process and step up the welcome to Syrian refugees.
I was proud Scotland took the first plane load of refugees this week. The SNP conference voted unanimously against bombing Syria and events since do not merit any change to this. Hugh Kerr Edinburgh IT was disappointing to see Stewart Hosie rush to defend a ‘shoot to kill’ policy by the police in the aftermath of the Paris atrocities, and entirely appropriate that Calum Steele of the Scottish Police Federation quickly said his comments were “particularly unhelpful” (MP accused of adding unnecessary emotion to debate, as SPF says ‘leave tough decisions to police’, The National, November 19).
Brian Rattray wisely draws attention to the Jean Charles de Menezes case where an innocent man was killed on the spot in a case of mistaken identity (Letters, November 19).
Is this the sort of incident that we wish to see repeated in Scotland, or anywhere else for that matter?
Meanwhile David Cameron appears determined to embark on a bombing campaign in Syria, despite substantial public disagreement and without a UN mandate.
Equally disappointing to see our First Minister appear to waver on this issue, despite there having been unanimous opposition to any military action at last month’s SNP conference. Alan Johnson Largs
A nation is more than its economy
The Wee Ginger Dug lays far too much blame on the Unionist side in his comments on Alex Bell’s criticism of the SNP’s case for independence (The truth of why we lost won’t kill indy, The National, November 19).
Unionists always preferred to argue in economic terms but they have been given plenty of encouragement by the SNP since Alex Salmond first became leader in 1990. Those of us who fought for independence long before oil was discovered were far more concerned with the self respect, dignity and self-confidence independence would bring.
For daring to maintain that nationalism had little or nothing to do with economics, we were ridiculed as fundamentalists or more often ‘fundies’.
The SNP and Scotland is now paying the penalty of having based the entire independence case on the economic argument. Unfortunately, they have never been good at it, as the debacle over the currency proved.
How many times did we hear Humza Yousaf, during the Yes campaign, say: “This has nothing to do with identity or haggis or the kilt”? In her maiden speech, Mhairi Black claimed: “The demand for independence in Scotland has nothing to do with nationalism, it is a rejection of the neo-liberal Thatcherite polices of Westminster”.
At the same time, the SNP is currently leading the charge to persuade Scots to embrace the neo-liberalism of the EU. In their desperation, the SNP has simply aped the style of Better Together by warning Scots of the job losses and isolation that would inevitably follow if Scots rejected the EU.
Not once have we heard the political argument for joining another Union, which is just as anti-democratic and corrupt as the UK. As the ‘economic argument’ began to displace nationalism in the SNP, as a member of the Election Committee which interviewed those seeking to be parliamentary candidates, I always asked candidates: “If you thought Scotland would be economically worse off with independence, would you still be a Nationalist?”
I wonder how many of the current leaders of the party would answer “Yes” to that question? Jim Fairlie Address supplied HAVING read the article on Wee Ginger Dug which mentioned that he is launching his new book in Edinburgh, I didn’t even paws before writing as I know the canine wag’s book will contain some great tails (I began writing to keep part of myself alive, The National, November 18).
Which leads me to ask, are there any plans for WGD to visit Dundee? You kenn-el be there, hopefully with my lassie and some chums. Perhaps WGD could coll-ar give some indication in the paper? Malcolm Cordell Dundee
YOUR correspondent, William McLaughlin, is so right (Letters, November 19). It is a strange political union in which Scotland pays for virtually all its own infrastructure projects out of its block grant but also pays its per capita share of everything designated as a UK project.
A study of the UK Government and BBC websites outlining such capital projects is highly educational and would, I suggest, make an excellent research project for some enterprising journalist or academic.
Mr McLaughlin mentions some well publicised multi-billion pound projects, such as high speed trains from London to Birmingham, to which Scotland makes its contribution.
But there are also hundreds of multi-million pound projects to which, because they are designated as UK, we similarly make our per capita contribution. These include items such as the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon road improvement scheme which, according to the website, involves the upgrading of “strategic” highway between Cambridge and Huntingdon. The quotation marks are mine!
Other projects which are apparently of UK national importance include improvements to existing roundabouts on the A38 at Derby, the A27 Chichester Bypass upgrades and the M4 London to Reading motorway scheme. There are many more.
One website includes a helpful map showing the exact location of each of these ‘UK capital projects’. None is further north than Morpeth in Northumberland. Peter Craigie Edinburgh
I THOUGHT that Donald Trump had moved to his beloved Scotland and was running for office when it was reported that a prospective MSP was hiring a 500 seater venue to offer free meals to party members (Tensions grow as candidates vie for Labour list, The National, November 19).
Sadly, it turns out to be Anas Sarwar.
Time was when a prospective candidate used to knock on doors, hold public meetings, meet people at their work and generally try to convince them that he was not someone on the make, out to get a free ride at the public’s expense.
Maybe if Mr Sarwar had donated that money to a food bank, or organised a meal for the destitute, then he may have come across as a man whose sole purpose in running for office was to help others – and not himself . James Mills Johnstone
REGARDING the discussion on the hostile reception often given to Scottish banknotes by some canny Sassunachs down Sarf. I have relatives living in Chelsea, heavens to Murgatroyd.
They used to despair of my party piece, during my forays South, when I loved to walk into the bars of the King’s Road, the Byres Road of Londonshire.
I would order up a round and when the barmen, after having looked at the notes, said: “But that’s Scotch”, I would point to the bridge of my nose and say: “So’s that”.
I would then sip my single malt, like the true gentleman I am. I always received the correct change. Donald Anderson Glasgow
Lest we forget
For those who were gassed and blown apart Who drowned in the mud and were shot in the dark
Gnawed on by rats and on barbed wire were heaped, Lest we forget, took less than a week.
For the brave ones today killed in Helmand's hell Or who hobble around, in our new hospital
Who’s legs are now steel, their bodies now weak Lest we forget, it took less than a week.
For those in our prisons minds shattered with grief Who live out their nightmares and get no relief.
For those who had fought and now sleep on the street we forget, took less than a week
And the politicians stared their heads were all bowed Never again they swore and they vowed
Their poppies were red, an expenses fee Lest we forget, took less than a week.
We’ll bomb them to dust our great leaders shout And limp, grey children in rubble are dug out.
And more desperate people become refugees Lest we forget, took less than a week.
Ian Greenhalgh Address supplied
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