ONCE again in Holyrood, the Unionists, well two of the parties, are edging towards acknowledging the Scottish vote to remain in the EU, but still use the tag that Brexit is damaging to Scotland and the UK. Alyn Smith reports the scenario well (I was at Holyrood for historic Brexit debate ... it was a good day for Scottish democracy, March 7). It is obvious that the problems we will encounter are due to the Union.
The Tories simply utter “I voted Remain, but ...”. One could fill in the rest of that sentence with “my allegiance to the Union is sacrosanct no matter what”.
It is interesting to read between the lines the frustration expressed by Kezia Dugdale in the internal Labour spat at Holyrood over Richard Leonard’s censoring of a Labour Brexit report (Leonard apology for ‘censored’ Brexit report, March 7). One senses that Leonard is acting like a carpet bagger dropped in from Labour’s central office to make it toe the line from Jeremy Corbyn. If Dugdale openly criticises Corbyn’s meaningless and daft mantra “jobs first Brexit”, what is going to happen in the “branch” at its pending conference?
The Unionists in Holyrood need a wake-up call. Indeed, the fact that the SNP have overtaken them in Holyrood and Westminster does not seem to worry them. Looking at the shift in relative voting in Scotland the duopoly are in trouble, but all they hope for is that the head offices south of the Tweed will sort it out.
Given the chaos the mythical “broad shoulders” at Westminster have created in their negotiations with the EU, there does not seem to be any real expertise in the crumbling Parliament in London. Its external state seems to mirror its internal fracturing.
As the EU is saying that it is still waiting for a substantive proposal from the UK Government over the revised backstop, and two weeks have passed and nothing has been presented, the paralysed UK Government is really at the end of the road and has resorted to bungs and bribery to gain support.
Natalie Loiseau, the French Europe minister, simply says that the UK Government should offer a new proposal and EU negotiators have issued an ultimatum to come up with a proposal within 48 hours.
It would appear the UK Government is simply clueless now. And the Unionists in Holyrood are still thrilled with this passé legislature and Union.
When this results in chaos economically and politically, Unionists will see behind the sham that is the Union and acknowledge that the Scottish vote to remain in the EU is sovereign!
John Edgar
Kilmaurs
THANK you for yesterday’s article on the A77 and A75 (Irish support for A77 group). The south west is given sparse news coverage by mainstream media in Scotland, not to mention transport infrastructure. Parts of the Ayrshire and Wigtonshire coast were denied Scottish TV until the 1980s – TV came from Belfast.
I was born and raised in Maybole and recently returned to reside on the banks of the A77. South of Ayr, the road has had very few improvements in the past 40 years. Contrast that with the A9 north of Inverness; I spent a few years in Wick and was lucky to see the new bridges going up.
Meanwhile, our main road link to the island of Ireland deteriorates. Why? One can only see negligence by all in authority.
I applaud the skill of the lorry drivers negotiating Maybole High Street and their patience. I admire the elderly who walk the same street, by jings the younger folk too! Only a few centimetres of space between a pedestrian and death. Who needs scary rides at a funfair when you can get it going for a loaf?
Going further south, what about Girvan and Ballantrae, again bottlenecks causing delay to traffic to Ireland. Should I mention the railway? It is amazing the Stranraer to Ayr line has survived. The service is adequate but lacks investment. Again, you look over to Eirrin where both NIR and Iarnród Éireann have invested to improve.
Bryan Clark
Maybole
DUNCAN MacLaren believes that Catholic schools are not a cause of sectarian division (Letters, March 4). It may well be that sectarianism is not encouraged in Catholic schools.
READ MORE: Letters, March 4
However, telling a 4/5 year old child that they cannot go to the same school as their friends because they belong to a different ‘sect’ must impart some sort of sectarian impression.
Mr MacLaren also suggests Catholic schools’ teaching on ethics and a “virtuous life” creates better citizens than those who attend other schools. Does he have any evidence of this?
The letter refers to “7000 plus anti-religious hate crimes in Scotland”. Government figures for 2017/18 give the figure for such crimes as 642.
One such crime is one too many, but if you are going to reference statistics please make them meaningful.
Douglas Morton
Lanark
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