WE are told there will be “consequences” as a result of the assassination of Alexei Navalny. Will that be like the “consequences” for the invasion of Ukraine – threats, pontificating and finally sanctions so full of holes that they are substantially ineffective?
Why not some really joined-up thinking that will help to turn this martyr’s death into Putin’s biggest mistake? We know that multiple assets of Russian oligarchs who support Putin are frozen in the UK. Why not now confiscate these and sell them off to the highest (non-Russian) bidder? The funds then raised could be used for several worthwhile projects that would be sure to damage Putin ahead of his anticipated “re-election”, in addition to the effect on his impoverished oligarch supporters.
READ MORE: Staff refuse Alexei Navalny’s mother entry to morgue as widow vows to fight on
I believe that there should be at least a temporary ban on UK arms companies selling any weapons or components to Israel, but instead receiving compensation from these funds if they send them to Ukraine. Moreover, if the relevant Russian assets in this country are as valuable as reported, part of the proceeds could be invested in a fund to help to rebuild Ukraine. What wonderful irony, if we could see Russian wealth used to fund weapons to use against Putin’s aggression and then to repair the damage he has done! Consider, too, how the oligarchs would feel, if they see their wealth not only disappearing but being used against their own forces. Might their support for Putin be weakened?
This would surely be the finest tribute to Navalny for his ultimate sacrifice. Does the UK government have the wit and courage to do it?
P Davidson
Falkirk
EAST Kilbride Rolls-Royce workers took direct action against the murderous and torturing Pinochet dictatorship in Chile during the 70s.
They stopped maintenance work on Pinochet’s military aircraft engines after dismantling them.
This wee bit of Scottish history is significant as we get daily news reports of the Israeli government murdering thousands of Palestinians, mostly children, when the government military indiscriminately bombs and shells what remains of the Gaza strip using arms supplied by the UK.
READ MORE: SNP walk out of House of Commons over Gaza ceasefire motion chaos
Now Palestinians are all being forced to stay in one town – Rafah – so they are even more vulnerable to bombing from the air. This can only be described as mass murder when the whole of Gaza is only the size of Arran and yet contains more than two million refugees.
Although British military exports are a decision restricted to Westminster, there are more than 70 companies producing weapons or components for weapons at more than 96 Scottish sites, and Leonardo, BAE Systems and Raytheon were included in a 2022 list of the 20 companies making the most from war in the world!
We know Holyrood has given, in the guise of Scottish Enterprise, grants to some of them.
Norman Lockhart
Innerleithen
QUELLE Surprise! BBC Scotland news and current affairs programmes are failing the Scottish public.
The scrapping of The Nine and The Seven was completely predictable the moment BBC Scotland decided that these programmes would simply mirror the pro-Union bias of the BBC’s primary news and current affairs programmes.
Instead of seizing the opportunity to provide the public with comprehensive coverage of the arguments around the constitutional debate, of significant interest to most of Scotland’s population, BBC Scotland bosses decided to follow the London-driven approach which has seen informed discussion around the constitution follow informed discussion around Brexit with its absence.
READ MORE: BBC Scotland announces major changes to current affairs content
Instead of inviting experts with opposing views on the UK’s constitutional future to constructively engage in discussion to better inform the public, the programmes to be scrapped generally focused on highlighting Scottish Government failures without providing the context of UK statistics (except on the rare occasions the numbers appeared better in England or Wales) or descended into pro-Union political propaganda forums often effectively guided by Tory-contrived headlines or another Tory “activist”.
Instead of professionally and objectively reviewing the Scottish Government’s “Building a new Scotland” papers and enabling these detailed documents to inform wider public debate, these papers were effectively ignored.
READ MORE: Scottish Government 'greatly concerned' by 'massive' BBC cuts
While the hosts of these programmes must take responsibility for slanted deliveries, surely it is the bosses at BBC Scotland whose jobs should be in question for adopting a totally wrong programming strategy and for providing negligent direction.
Ofcom should not agree to the proposed 40% reduction by BBC Scotland of news and current affairs coverage, which the Scottish public more than pays for, but should advise the BBC that their strategy for BBC Scotland must change and it must now act as a truly impartial public broadcaster by also representing the views of more than half of the population who believe Scotland should determine its own destiny.
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian
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