I WAS very interested to read about the launch of the project “Scotland is Now”, which could give Scotland’s population and economy a great boost (World invited to Scotland, April 12). But let us have a reality check.

The Brain family came to Scotland, investing every penny, including from the sale of their house etc in Australia, ready and willing to work and contribute, in what they hoped would be a new life here. What happened? The Home Office used new regulations retrospectively to try to deport them, using every blocking tactic possible to prevent them from complying. They have been left massively in debt and still facing uncertainty.

The Felbers did likewise, using their own money to add a valuable, tax-paying asset to the tourism scene, and now find themselves also struggling against deportation under retrospectively applied new regulations.

The Zielsdorfs did this too, rescuing a lifeline shop in a remote area, growing the business and diversifying to the advantage of the local community and tourism. The same scenario saw them forced to lose it all and spend their own money on leaving Scotland.

Now the Merry family, after actually more than meeting the requirements of the Home Office, face being split by deportation, on the assumption that their marriage is a sham! How much more real can it be than to have a home and a child together, a job etc and be paying tax?

Every one of these people paid Scotland the compliment of wanting to make their home with us and wanted to make a contribution to our society and economy. Together, these four families would also have increased our population by 14, just as we are constantly told we must do to support our ageing numbers. There are, I know, many more folk, of whom we do not necessarily hear so much, who are in a similar position. The immigrants we need and want are obviously the easiest target for Westminster to try to reduce immigration figures, yet even criminals can use human rights legislation to be allowed to stay!

So as long as this situation pertains, what hope is there for “Scotland is Now”, except to attract a few wealthy foreigners and Tory supporters who will appear temporarily, make their packet and disappear again, with the proceeds stashed outwith Scotland.

The Smith Commission recommended devolving immigration – Scotland needs it NOW!

L McGregor
Falkirk

THE disintegration of the Salisbury farce has had a significant effect on the trust some people still have in the competence, if not the probity, of the Westminster Government. Why then would anybody put any trust in its position on Syria? In the words of Peter Ford, former UK ambassador to Syria, in an interview by Gary Roberson on BBC Scotland this week, we are facing Armageddon. This is because of the deeply dishonest and wicked behaviour of the axis of evil – US/UK/Israel/Saudi Arabia – in the Middle East. The fact is that axis has been arming and funding ISIS-type Islamic extremists in an illegal invasion into Syria in an attempt for over a decade to remove the legitimate and secular Government of that country.

Their effort has been supported by a determined and continuous diatribe of misinformation in our media demonising its legally elected president. This effort at regime change is illegal under international law. The US and the UK are in Syria illegally – unlike the Russians, who were invited in by the Syrian Government to help them drive out ISIS and free the areas of Syria occupied by them.

This effort is succeeding and close to finishing and has frustrated US objectives completely.

In idiotic response we now face a possible illegal US attack on Syria and a UK participation in it without parliamentary consent. Justification for this will be claimed on the basis of an alleged poison gas or chemical attack in a suburb of Damascus. I use the word “alleged” advisedly. No evidence of any such substances has been provided and like all the other alleged chemical attacks on his own people (covered by camera crews who always seem to be conveniently on hand in the most dangerous situations in Syria) there is no proof that Syrian or Russian troops had anything to do with it – if it actually happened at all.

There appears to be a very gullible element in our society that has completely forgotten about the WMD travesty, that is unaware of the hell we have imposed on Libya as well as Afghanistan and Iraq (where we continue to bomb) and that turns a blind eye as the Government of Israel executes inconvenient Palestinians, adults and children who have the temerity to protest as their lands are illegally invaded and their homes destroyed.

I want to live and belong to a better country. That is Scotland, and I am waiting for the Scottish Government to step up to the plate and show me that is what we are. That is not a country that is trotting along behind a pathetic UK trotting along behind the demented US.

If we needed any extra reason for independence it is right in front of us now.

David McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll

THERESA May is about to commit UK forces to attack a country that has not attacked us, on the basis of an unproven allegation, on behalf of al Qaeda, without a vote in parliament.

The UK Government is parlaysed by the Brexit-mandated withdrawal from the EU. It is led by a Prime Minister who is held in universal contempt, with no authority or legitimacy. Theresa May is afraid of public opposition to British involvement in Syria. This is the reason there will be no vote in parliament.

The government case for war in Syria is based on a pack of lies. It involves becoming al Qaeda’s air force and leaving the Alawites being slaughtered.

Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya. How many more failures will it take before the corrupt media and politicians think intervention is a mad, revolting, unworkable idea?

After Saddam Hussein had actually used poison gas on the Kurds, not only did Washington give Saddam a free pass, they came up with a strategy to blame Iran.

The chemical weapons attack is a massive red herring. Washington and Westminster have no moral authority to attack anyone. So-called responsibility to protect is the 21st century equivalent of the white man’s burden.

A six-hour tornado mission costs roughly £210,000. Loaded with four paveway bombs at £22,000 each and two brimstone missiles at £105,000 each for a total of £298,000. That’s £508,000 per mission. Or: 20 paramedics, 20 police officers, 20 teachers, 19 nurses, 18 firefighters or 18 junior doctors.

The amount of ignorance about the British Empire’s role in the Middle East is extraordinary. Even from so-called “experts” with degrees, who falsify or ignore what actually happened.

Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee