Look to Iceland for an example of a well-run small country

This is something I hear repeatedly: “too wee, too poor”. I get sick if it! I lived in Iceland in the 1980s – before it ventured into the financial world. It had few resources – basically just fish. They were surviving perfectly well, maintaining their identity, language, heritage and say over their own future. They had no-one living in dire poverty or on the streets and there’s no real sense of “class”.

Iceland only got independence from Denmark in 1944. I never heard one single Icelandic person say they wanted to be part of Denmark again.

When I came back to the UK – to London – I was immediately hit by people living on the streets and people begging, things you never see in Iceland. And the place just seemed to reek of class.

It’s not something you can put your finger on, but when living in a society without it, to be suddenly surrounded by it, it reeks. Inequality just seemed to ooze out of the environment.

And so when people say we’re too wee and too small, I think, after my experience of living in Iceland, “no we’re not, we’re pouring with wealth and potential compared to Iceland. The only thing too wee and small is our imagination and courage.”

Open your minds, have courage, take the leap to freedom and hope. Open our chances and future, don’t close them in fear and lack of aspiration. We as a country can do it – we just need the courage and faith!
Crìsdean Mac Fhearghais
Prestonfield, Dùn Eideann

I HAVE been thinking of how I could appeal to the many Scots electors who have not yet been convinced by the mounting evidence that the UK is a dead end, when someone sent me a copy of the Jeremy Vine show with Paul Burrell and Carole Malone.

I watched it once and I recognised immediately that this was the material I was looking for. The sheer ignorance, combined with arrogance encouraged by Vine, was I think exactly the sort of material which should be widely distributed across Scotland so that everyone gets to see it.

Many people in Scotland particularly those who have not as yet decided that the link with the UK is finished, need to see this show. They will see with their own eyes how much ignorance and arrogance is being pumped into the general public by the UK media and they will learn a great lesson from that knowledge.
Andy Anderson
Saltcoats

I AM grateful to Martin Hannah for telling your readers all they need to know about Paul Burrell, that self-proclaimed “taste arbiter” and “media celebrity” who was accused of lying by the coroner at Diana’s inquest.

Burrell has now applied his formidable intellect to the subject of Scottish politics, although he does not appear to know the difference between devolution and independence. It is a matter of deep regret to me that Jeremy Vine has (perhaps unwillingly) provided this oaf with a platform.
Joe Cowan
Balmedie

MANY Scots have been vociferous in their criticism of the media in their failure to give a fair hearing to Scottish matters. It has become clear what we can do to remedy this. Organise a leadership election!

For weeks now the media have been have been publicising the merits of the various Tory candidates, and every news programme I watched had the contest as a leading item in their coverage.

All 11 circus clowns were interviewed in their bid to become the ringmaster. All of them proved that they were lamentably short of the talent needed for the job. No wait a minute, I see a flaw in the plan. We had to go through years of political uncertainty and chaos before the former prime minister resigned.

Ah, well. Back to letter writing and campaigning then.
Pete Rowberry
Duns

I’M struggling to work out why we’re wasting so much energy on these folk. Jeremy Vine is a man who, just the other day, was arguing – on air! – with Jeremy Hunt over who gets paid more. The less said about Paul Burrell the better and I’ve honestly no idea who the other one is.
Brian Smith
Aberdeen

WHILE the Tory government has successfully dragged us – the UK – into a quagmire of isolationism and near-nihilism, Europe is getting on with planning for the future as dictated to by ever-changing circumstances brought about by environmental issues.

It is to be hoped that our MEPs will be attending the International Conference in Brussels from 23 to 26 August on the theme The Soul of Europe – Facing Europe’s Challenges, balancing diversity, solidarity and unity.

It’s tragic to consider that Britain as a whole will not be represented in these discussions and – worse – that it thinks it can function on its own.

Scotland has voted by a majority to remain in the EU where, unlike in the UK, we would contribute as an equal and be recognised as worthy of that regard. As written on a T-shirt I spotted recently: “Small country: big inventions.”

It’s worth remembering, too, that to be in any form of government or position of power is to be there to serve the people and not for any form of self-aggrandisement. Something the majority of the Tory party seems to have forgotten. Although it could be argued that the news media is failing in its duty to report only matters of importance to us and to leave salacious personal gossip to the gutter press.
Janet Cunningham
Stirling