I FIND it very interesting to listen to politicians of all parties in Westminster bemoaning the lack of funds being put into the NHS by the government of the day.

If we go back to the late 1940s and 1950s, couples were being encouraged to have children – the post-war baby boomers as they became known. Many of these baby boomers would have started work in the 1960s and retired from 2010 onwards.

I must therefore ask the question: Why is the NHS in the UK so underfunded with staff shortages and a lack of beds and equipment? Because, as I’m sure you also keep hearing from the governments of the day: “We have invested more in the NHS than the previous Labour/Conservative government etc etc.”

Well yes, each successive government has put more in to the NHS than the previous government “on paper”, but when you take into account inflation, it falls to the same or less! No government has put in more than the minimum it feels it can get away with in the political climate of the day.

This then leads me to ask a further question. So, these baby boomers who started work in the 1960s paying their taxes until retiring from about 2010; were they wrong to believe that the tax they paid would go to building up the resources and infrastructure ready for their old age? If you agree with me and think yes, we should be demanding an apology from all governments from the 1960s for squandering and misappropriating the people’s taxes – they, the governments of the day, knew we we’re getting older, time was ticking and still they did nothing! No-one is to blame but them, but we the people will have to pay the price, the retired with lack of resources and funding for care and the working young paying taxes to shore up a rapidly collapsing system.

When the parents of today retire, what if anything will be left to support their old age? In Scotland we are very lucky to have a better functioning, devolved Parliament, and while the Scottish NHS is struggling from historical political neglect, there is clear evidence to show it is in a far better position than the rUK’s NHS since devolution. I urge all parties to work together to keep it so and improve it.

Chris Scatchard
Caithness

IN my local supermarket on Monday, I saw asparagus imported from Peru and scallops from Patagonia. Almost unbelievable. The former is grown superbly in Forfar, and the latter is a bountiful west coast fishing catch.

An independent Scotland must legislate to support indigenous suppliers of everything. Food in particular.

Malcolm Parkin
Kinross

FOOTBALL is the main game in Scotland, it’s a good league and the games in general are of a very good standard.

Football brings out the best and worst in people and has done for a long time.

However, it appears it has taken a nasty turn for the worse.

Refereeing decisions are always contentious and have been through the decades. It seems that all discipline has been lost. Managers, players and club officials harangue them and clubs issue statements about them.

I would have thought it more beneficial if these clubs and their officials perhaps came up with viable affordable solutions to support referees.

Here are some of my thoughts on minor changes that could improve discipline in the game.

1. Only captains can approach the referee on decisions and in a respectfully manner.

2. If a player harangues a referee, the team are penalised by losing ten yards of territory (as in rugby). If that takes you into the penalty area then a penalty will be awarded.

I am sure others have ideas on this, but what is certain is that carrying on such a way that referees need police protection due to idiots threatening them is completely unacceptable and puts Scotland in a poor light.

The game is played and run by humans, and humans make mistakes. Club managers should guard their tongues, as they are supposed to set examples and clubs issuing statements makes them look like bad losers.

It’s time to sort this out and support referees, because without them there would be no game.

Bryan Auchterlonie
Perthshire

IN the film I, Daniel Blake, which I watched on BBC2 on Saturday, Daniel’s character was given a fitness for work assessment by a “health care professional”.

If these people are not qualified nurses or doctors, is it not fraudulent for them to claim they are health care professionals? In what way are these people qualified to make health assessments?

Are they officially registered and qualified, and what are the legal implications of them claiming to be health care professionals if they are unqualified?

SC
Aberdeen