IVAN Mckee’s insightful article on the impact of Brexit, and his conclusion that the Tories have very little grasp of the situation, seems frighteningly accurate (We’re already starting to see the steep cost of Brexit with the process of leaving barely begun, The National, May 20). When someone keeps telling you how strong and stable they are it generally means that they are, in fact, neither. Usually they are trying to conceal their own failure.

However, one weakness highlighted in the article might ironically prove, in the long run, to be useful to this government. For the steep rise in inflation already evident in the economy is almost the only thing that could cut the appalling level of UK Government debt, a debt that is now approaching £2000 billion, in excess of 80 percent of GDP and increasing every year.

Of course inflation also brings higher living costs, higher interest rates and economic stagnation, with reduced living standards. But as the pound plummets, the old adage about borrowing good money and paying it back in bad seems to be the only hope for this government, drifting into yet another cycle of boom and bust.

Peter Craigie
Edinburgh

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Will Tory-voting farmers call for help after Brexit?
 

ON a recent trip to Wales, I was struck by the preponderance of Conservative posters in fields in Scotland, England and Wales. On the face of it, the farming community are supporting the Conservative Party and its hard Brexit stance.

This is surprising. As indicated by Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp in The National (the price of Brexit to rural Scotland will be high, May 19) it suggests that farmers are content to: 1) Lose their EU Single Farm Payment (more than their profit in 50 per cent of Scottish farms) 2) Accept prohibitive tariffs for Scottish high-quality meat exported to the EU 3) Agree with the imports of cheap foods from non-EU countries – preliminary negotiations are already taking place If there are any farming organisations arguing against a hard Brexit, they are keeping their heads down – perhaps till after the election – but by then it will be too late.

I can envisage a situation in 2020 – a year after Brexit, when Westminster’s continuation of EU support levels ceases – the farming community will seek emergency support. No doubt the Holyrood Government of the day will have to endure the flack when limited funds will restrict the level of that support.

Perhaps it would be better if the farming community raised its head above the parapet and addressed the issue now and supported a differentiated solution for Scotland. I suspect our near neighbours in Northern Ireland will show no reticence in protecting their farming interests.

Kerr C Walker Alford,
Aberdeenshire


THERESA May knows that removing the Cold Weather Payment from rich pensioners will make no difference as they will still vote Tory. But will her policy con the working classes into believing that the Tories are now on their side?

Ruth Davidson’s vow that no pensioner will lose the benefit as Scotland has a cold climate is another con, as she is working under advice from Downing Street that such a promise will see both pensioners and the working classes conned into believing that the Tories are now the party of fairness.

But where does Nicola Sturgeon stand on the subject? I believe that Nicola, who has just increased the council tax on people’s properties from E to G, will once again use the same “means test”– a scandalous degrading system to deny pensioners what they are entitled to!

I am a badly disabled pensioner who has lived in my home for 21 years. At one time there were three people living in my home but now due to bereavements I now live alone.

There is only one income coming in now, and things are becoming more financially difficult for me thanks to Nicola, who has just increased my council tax by 7.5 per cent in the misplaced belief I am a rich Tory pensioner.

I have voted SNP for many years and voted for independence and have also been a party member. The only politician speaking out on behalf of the Cold Weather Payment being paid to ALL pensioners is Jeremy Corbyn and on June 8th he will get my vote! Am I a traitor?

No. I am just a pensioner trying to continue to live in peace in my own home without having a gun held to my head!

C McArdle
Lanarkshire

 

IAN Murray has been a hard-working MP.

However, in these troubled political times I’m compelled to question whether this is enough.

Doesn’t Mr Murray’s slavish adherence to his national Labour Party policies seem at odds with the aspirations of we Scots?

Isn’t it contradictory for him to argue to remain in the EU, as his fellow Scots hugely did, and for him then to turn that around and accept Brexit without any hesitation?

And when Ian’s party leader would articulate self-determination for groups like Hamas and others, but would deny that very right to his fellow Scots in Labour’s manifesto, how can he logically reconcile that?

And how can he articulate Labour’s manifesto policies already enacted by Scotland’s Parliament and then reasonably argue against the SNP who were responsible for them?

How can we trust his Labour party when it solicits votes from centre-left Scots in the council elections only for those votes to be hawked off to a coalition with Tories, at the very opposite end of the political spectrum?

My concerns this time are not on who can administer a constituency, rather who is fighting for the ideals and direction to take in the interests of we Scots in the face of a hard Brexit and a looming future of perpetual Tory rule and abuse from Westminster. Wouldn’t voting for Ian Murray only serve to weaken Scotland’s voice in Westminster, boosting Theresa May’s power and effectively be like voting for the Tories themselves?

It’s a no-brainer for me.

This time I’ll be putting Scotland first.

For the sake of our children’s future, isn’t it our national imperative?

Jim Taylor
Edinburgh

I DO not know if it was said by Theresa May, Ruth Davidson or the newspapers, but the phrase, “Standing up to the SNP” was prominent yesterday.

The undemocratic bullies using sly language to cast themselves in the role of victims!

Victor Moncrieff Lanark Looking at the latest secret “meeting the people campaign”, in the Theresa May’s election the Tories are so scared of who they are that in the logo behind Davidson and May omitted the Unionist part of the conservative and unionist party.

Robert Doig
Bo’ness