IN his article “Death of satire? Not with Truss as prime minister” (August 11), Craig Meighan writes of the rise of the “so-called unserious candidates” – a phenomenon about which there can be little doubt.
There is absolutely no doubt that the calibre of persons – from whatever party – seeking high electoral office has seriously diminished in my 69 years, and even more rapidly in the past decade. The bigger question is why this should be so.
This all suggests that at some level, the truth has dawned on the electorate that electoral politics – in a society driven by neoliberal economics, and run in the interests mainly of the global mega-rich, banks and corporations – is a matter of marginal utility.
The truth is that there has also emerged a cadre of politicians who understand that their role is to serve only these interests, and that whilst they are doing so, they might as well seek to join them – or at any rate fill their boots by whatever means they can. Hence the appointments to sinecures, company boards and – after politics – directorships with the likes of Goldman Sachs or other branches of Wall Street (which now owns much of “Scottish” banking).
Hence Greg Moodie is right to say “they don’t care much” (about how they appear to the electorate).
What they do care about is their own enrichment and aggrandisement – and that tells us something very profound about our “democracy”.
Dr John O’Dowd
Bothwell
Contrary to Westminster and the Tory PM hopefuls ignoring Scotland, we will be a successful independent nation again. Scotland does not wish to be part of this fantasy “Global Britain” – a lying, corrupt, self-seeking Brexit Britain.
Boris Johnson’s administration has utterly debased Britain’s once fair-play democracy. With a hard Brexit, fuelled by English nationalism, an aggressive imperialist Unionism has taken hold of Westminster. Scotland must leave this faded empire state and forge a new social democratic future for all of its people.
With a population in good relation to its land, abundant natural resources, a diverse and educated work force and an enviable worldwide reputation for quality, Scotland will prosper. That is precisely why Westminster is desperate to keep us in this faltering Union and to preserve its GB status.
Free from the disaster of Brexit and the dictates of London governments we did not vote for, success is assured. A progressive and richly endowed Scotland, in control of all its assets, would have the strength to support a vibrant economy, currency and pension structure, taking its place among the small, successful and happy nations of the world.
Grant Frazer
Newtonmore
This current “zombie” UK Government is on its holidays, while the rest of us are progressively forking out more on coffee, buns and other such fripperies. However, the future incumbents are still fighting like ferrets in a sack to take control of and guide the economy to a safe place.
Both are proposing solutionsfor the economy to mitigate against the climate crisis and rising inflation from opposite ends of within the limited Conservative & Unionist Party playbook.
Truss wants to cut taxes and postpone planned National Insurance increases. Sunak wants to fight inflation.
Where are all the economists that so frequently are engaged during normal government and pass their comments on the plan being proposed by this or that political party?
How can we help the 160,000 Conservative & Unionist Party members who are the only ones entitled to vote for their next party leader, and the future prime minister?
Wouldn’t it be helpful if these important members of our society who are probably not all economists are still given some assistance with the important decision?
The economists all seem to be missing, maybe they are also on their holidays. Hopefully they are at the same resort and are talking to the zombies.
Alistair Ballantyne
Birkhill, Angus
The result of the Tory leadership election is largely irrelevant. The contest itself has exposed what a thoroughly nasty, self-interested party it is. The mere fact that 0.0002% think they have the right to elect the next prime minister is itself an insult to democracy.
The increasingly histrionic counterclaims of the two discredited candidates only show that they have lost touch with the average voter.
Ordinary people now see the Tories for what they are and are beginning to fight back. Strikes are growing. Resistance movements are starting up. The Tories have lost all credibility.
The result of the election does not matter, the election itself has destroyed the Tory Party.
Ian Richmond
Dumfries and Galloway
READ MORE: Dunkeld tenants threatened with 'heartless' eviction by National Trust
With the referendum campaign beginning to take off again, I am seeing in this area that The National is once again being targeted by anti-indy people and hidden behind pro-Union newspapers. This might be a mistake by those involved, but is more likely to be deliberate, in an attempt to silence our one voice in the press. Please, National readers, look out for this and move the paper to a prominent front position if you see this.
Graham Smith
Arbroath
North Sea gas was not burned off, as Paul Gillon writes (Letters, Aug 8). On one field I worked on for 10 years, it produced 17% of UK gas supply, landed at St Fergus. Tony Benn was allegedly responsible for stopping oil companies burning it off.
Gordon Bickerton
via email
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