LIKE the majority of people in the country, the cost of living escalating without any checks is impacting on me, particularly as a pensioner. I have to deal with vastly inflated energy costs, rises in prices at the supermarket, food which is either short-dated or in short supply, and yet at the same time have had a below-inflation rise in my pension.

I have every sympathy with the workers who are either taking industrial action or planning to do so. I stand with them, not with the wealthy, profiteering shareholders of big business. Not for them any tightening of their belts – the crippling price rises have seen their earnings rocket, while those of the workers and people like me are falling.

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We have a government that does not care, whose leader swans off on holiday – can he not just wait till he demits office? – and two of the most untrustworthy candidates vying to succeed him and outdo him in their headlong scurry to appeal to the right-wing neofascists within their party’s ranks.

Better people than me have described the situation succinctly – the inflation and cost-of-living difficulties we are facing are not caused by workers’ wage claims. Not by giving more money out in pensions, nor by having more people on benefits. Put simply, the cause is the greed of the corporations and the already wealthy shareholders who have no idea how we are expected to live through the double whammy of rising costs and lower income levels.

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We need to take back control. Not of our borders – a joke if ever there was one – but of the levers of wealth distribution. Renationalise the utilities, put proper caps on the charges they impose and get rid of regulators who cannot or will not regulate. Ofgem is failing to regulate, and is allowing the energy companies to bleed us dry.

We need this to stop. Now. Other countries can do it. We should too.

Chick McKenna
Dumfries

IF the Covid pandemic, Vladimir Putin and the China/Taiwan situation have shown us anything, it is that the best relationship is one that does not foster too much independence nor too much dependence, but exists in the healthy interdependence zone.

Scotland’s amazing contribution to the Enlightenment was not the result of omphaloskepsis but by positive engagement with the rest of humankind. At present, global security architecture is creaking dangerously and everywhere we see attempts to rock the boat of international peace and stability. It is tempting to stick our head in the sand amid blatant threats to extinguish free societies and democracy.

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Is Ukraine considered expendable in order to appease Russia? Is Taiwan considered expendable in order to appease China? Perhaps for some it is a small price to pay to avoid a major conflict. Unfortunately, it is based on faulty reasoning. As Ukraine has shown, it does not lead to peace, but bloodshed, suffering and destruction – all with no end in sight. Appeasement does not lead to peace, but rather encourages tyrants into thinking the free world is weak and indecisive – and emboldens them to initiate new and even larger-scale wars.

The only way to prevent further wars is not to yield an inch of territory. Capitulation of ground leads to the certainty of of war. In the face of these attempts to jolt the global security architecture, we must dig deep in ourselves and find the strength to safeguard it.

The SNP has the opportunity to show the world that even a small nation like Scotland not only values freedom and democracy, but is prepared to stand up for it.

Doug Clark
Currie, Midlothian

DR Elliot Bulmer (Jul 31) claims that many now recognise Brexit as a major mistake. In our desire to be a “grown-up” Scotland, taking our own decisions and responsible for our own future, I hope that we do not make a similar error. Can we be politically independent from Westminster while keeping a free trade/shared market or a customs union with the other nations of these islands?

Dr Johanna Carrie
Edinburgh

ASDA are just taking the people for idiots. First, they raise the prices “because of cost rises and transport costs” by way over inflation rates.

Biscuits that were £1 a pack are now £1.25 – a 25% rise, not 5% or 10%, and local Scottish skinless sausages went from £1 to £1.20 (20%). Local beef mince went to around £6 a kilo while Aldi and Lidl were pounds cheaper.

Now we have the super-cheap yellow branded goods that are poor quality having tried the mince and a pack of noodles.

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But here is the kicker – you can get similar or better prices at Lidl. An example is the bargain apple juice at 65p in ASDA – this is the same price as Lidl’s normal apple juice.

I went to Aldi and spent less than £25 for shopping that would have been £40 in Asda without having to look for yellow branding.

My advice is to avoid the high prices and go elsewhere. And get lots more Scottish produce to support local farmers.

Randall Walger
Aberdeen