THE letter from Steve Arnott (July 7) is sound, and well-amplified by your headline “Work on a constitution could give Yes movement impetus”.
If a regular correspondent like Steve has missed the existence of Constitution for Scotland, then many others have too. My colleagues and I established the non-partisan charity Constitution for Scotland precisely to allow such public consultation and engagement.
While Steve gets my support for emphasising that a constitution must be built from the ground up, I disagree with his suggestion that the Scottish Government should take the initiative. The initiative has already been taken so we just need folk to get involved and, yes, some endorsement from the Scottish Government, the SNP and the Greens would certainly be welcomed.
READ MORE: Work on a constitution could could give the Yes movement impetus it needs
The best national constitutions we have seen are in lay terms, with the basic principles subsequently enshrined in law. We have taken that approach too, and the draft can be seen at www.constitutionforscotland.scot, which is a fully interactive site where individuals can comment, give a “thumbs-up” or make alternative proposals. All is based on well-established consultation software that has a United Nations Public Service Award. We encourage all readers to become involved in the process.
Thanks to The National, we have been publishing a monthly column and one is due in the next few days. We have also been giving virtual presentations to groups which can be arranged by contacting us direct through the website.
Through a draft constitution we can shape how an independent Scotland could be run and start to answer the doorstep questions, thus giving the Yes movement the very impetus that your headline exhorts.
John C Hutchison
Secretary, Constitution for Scotland
I AGREE with Steve Arnott when he talks about work being undertaken by the SNP on a new constitution for an independent Scotland. He might be pleased to hear that there is already work being undertaken on a Scottish Constitution, not by the SNP or any other party, but by ordinary Scottish citizens who are passionate about preparing now for our independence.
This is a work in progress which allows anyone or indeed all of us here to have our say in how a New Scotland will be governed, but also what the expectations of us as a nation will have of our elected representatives.
Would this not be good place for the SNP to start involving all of us in forming a constitution for all of us by all of us? I would urge them to acknowledge this work being carried out and become involved officially in this endeavour and move forward as one, letting people know of the ongoing work required before we can vote for our future.
Only by keeping us informed about the preparation being carried out will those who have doubts about becoming independent will be reassured that we can be a strong independent nation.
Allan Sinclair
via email
HEADLINES and articles in Monday’s paper gave me some positive and some negative thoughts: “Former Tory ministers urge Sunak to make £20 Universal Credit uplift permanent”, “PM having to be shamed to reverse aid cuts”, “Grant help for school uniforms increases”.
Those headings are all economic red lines for many who are suffering with insecurity of income due to the pandemic, and globally the pandemic is stretching less well-off countries.
First we have six former Conservative Work and Pension secretaries having the audacity to call for justice from within. That really got me angry – angry because leading this call is none other than Iain Duncan Smith, the architect of Universal Credit. This is a benefit not fit for purpose, which has left so many in despair as they wait six weeks for first payment and a benefit that incurs draconian sanctions.
READ MORE: Tory ex-welfare ministers pile pressure on Rishi Sunak over Universal Credit plans
I was not at all surprised to yesterday learn that the temporary uplift is to be phased out. Why is it always those on lower incomes who are targeted by the Conservatives? Are they seen as an easy target? The £20/wk uplift has been a life line for many households, many of whom are working households who have been forced to isolate, have children home from school and are enduring massive increases in households bills.
The next heading is a reference to the UK’s foreign aid budget being cut from 0.7% of Gross National Income to 0.5%, a shameful cut in normal times, let alone during a global pandemic. The PM is being shamed from within the Conservative Party: 50 Tory MPs are calling for a reversal of the cut. Unfortunately, this number needs to increase somewhat to have any impact or meaning, in fact to have any real impact and send a clear message, it needs to double as the Conservatives currently have a majority of 80 in the Commons.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson being 'shamed' into foreign aid cuts vote, says SNP MP
But then I took hearts from “Grant help for school uniforms increases”, a heading that clearly demonstrated the priorities of the Holyrood government, reaching out to those in need, promoting inclusiveness, equality and social justice.
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
I WAS horrified to find that roast chicken portions which I recently bought in haste from a Tesco store in Perth were actually Thai chicken – and by that I don’t mean it was flavoured with Thai seasoning or whatever, it was actually chicken from Thailand, which I only discovered by reading the small print of the list of ingredients.
As many of your readers will know, Perthshire is a rural area with many poultry producers and in Coupar Angus there is one of the country’s largest chicken processing plants. Without addressing food miles and climate change concerns, is this what we can now expect from our Brexiteers and their global trade agreements and their abandonment of Scottish (and UK) farmers? My last word on this is that it tasted disgusting. Straight in the bin.
Kate Armstrong
Glenfarg
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