IN Friday’s article by Kathleen Nutt, Sir Keir Starmer is quoted as saying: “breaking up the UK” – just as the country faces up to mass unemployment – is “the wrong thing to do” (Starmer backs Scottish Labour indyref2 stance, June 26).
That quote demonstrates how ill-informed he is as to Scotland’s future prospects within the UK and that’s unsurprising, since he will be depending on the myopic Richard Leonard for advice.
It is a fairly well established fact that Brexit will harm Scotland’s job prospects more adversely than most other parts of the UK. The combination of Covid and Brexit is a lethal cocktail for employment in Scotland.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer declares Labour's unconditional opposition to indyref2
When one sees that recent polling has support for Yes at 73% among 16-34 year-olds, the age group more capable and willing to emigrate for work, it is very easy to imagine the Tory government plotting to have the demographics in Scotland alter to their advantage.
With Brexit, we are seeing the flow of young European immigrants dry up. Now, with Covid, we shall be seeing our youngsters emigrating.
That’s all good for the preservation of the Union, when Scotland will be relatively impoverished and the population decline is concentrated in the Yes voters.
We have asked for control over our own immigration – denied. We have asked for borrowing rights, to target investment in key industries – denied, or likely to be. We have asked for the Brexit transition period to be extended – denied.
READ MORE: Scottish grassroots campaign launched to rejoin EU
In saying what he has, either Sir Keir Starmer is clueless on Scotland or just so much of a Unionist that he doesn’t mind, in my opinion, being anti-Scottish.
For Scotland, independence is the only way out of the looming mire. With independence, we can have as much immigration as we need. With independence, we can borrow at record low interest rates. With independence, we can look to renewed EU membership on terms we negotiate. With independence there would be record amounts of foreign investment in Scotland with new industries aplenty and others, such as renewables and financial services, just booming.
Without independence, the Tory government will continue to heap piles of excrement onto Scotland’s economy and Sir Keir wants to be the one wielding the shovel.
Do we want to see Scotland’s population fall towards five million, possibly less, or do we take control to stabilise and grow the economy?
Sorry, Sir Keir. For Scotland, independence is a no-brainer!
Alan Adair
Blairgowrie
THE Scottish economy is in the deepest recession in living memory according to the Fraser of Allander Institute. A friend of mine commented “no surprise there then, Sherlock” – we’ve just shut down the economy for three months, that’s not news.
Why is it being “trumpeted” by mainstream media?
The epidemiologists and clinical professionals across the UK are very concerned that the probability of a second wave has increased by reducing the physical distancing from two metres to one metre plus. The UK population are not clear what one metre plus actually means.
So the business leaders want to reopen to avoid bankruptcy. The medical professionals and the public want to “stay safe” until covid is under strict control to avoid avoidable deaths. The only way to avoid both is for “us, the people” to instruct our UK Government to extend the furlough or provide grants to businesses and avoid these bankruptcies and redundancies. Yes, that will mean increasing government debt, but that is what governments need to do to protect the whole country.
When will we repay this debt?
Over a long time, just like the cost of the “South Sea Bubble” in the 1750s, the Second World War cost, or any other debt that has not been forecasted and planned for.
The USA WW2 debt was paid off in 10 years. How did they manage that, you ask? They taxed the richest. Lessons for us in this?
Alistair Ballantyne
Birkhill, Angus
REGARDING the banner that was put up near Bute House in Edinburgh, I found it hard to be outraged by such silly nonsense (Police probe into banner comparing FM to Hitler, June 26). In fact I found its heavily accented “Germanglish” quite amusing.
It reminded me very much of a joke by the great Chick Murray: a chap going into the athletics stadium carrying a long pole, the guy on the other side of the road shouts over to him: “Hi are you a pole vaulter?” and the athlete calls back to him in a thick accent “no, I am German, but how did you know my name was Valter?”
I’m convinced Nicola Sturgeon will treat this banner with the disdain it deserves.
Terry Keegans
Beith, North Ayrshire
I’M afraid nobody who had experienced Willie Rennie’s election campaigns in North-East Fife would agree with Kate Armstrong’s view (Letters, June 25) that he had “a child-like approach to the real world”. But I sometimes wonder if he thinks the electors are child-like.
Kenneth Fraser
St Andrews
I ENJOYED Shona Craven’s amusing take on Ed Davey (I’m confused – could the real Ed Davey stand up?, June 26) highlighting his conflicting politics as a LibDem MP. The only omission was him being knighted as “Sir Edward Davey” after losing his seat in 2015. Yet another case of an honour rewarding failure!
John Macleod
Milngavie
TWO things happened last week.
1) Norway and the Republic of Ireland secured seats on the UN security council.
2) Our democratically elected government in Edinburgh had to ask Westminster for permission to borrow money.
As our American friends would say, “go figure”.
John Boyle
Ardrossan
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