I CHARGE this Tory government with a complete and utter dereliction of duty from the beginning of this global pandemic in 2020 to the present, painfully slow, closing of our borders in 2021.

The government knew about the new, more easily spread, deadly South African strain of Covid in late December but only now, supposedly starting next week, will measures be put in place to check and control people coming into the UK.

READ MORE: International arrivals to Scotland will need to stay in £175-a-night quarantine hotel

In Piers Morgan’s ITV morning show a stream of government ministers have been unable to answer basic questions, such as the sizeable number of people from South Africa who have and are still coming into the country from the beginning of this year and also how many hotels, if any, have signed up to the government’s late, late scheme.

With the highest death rate in Europe and one of the highest in the world it is shameful and shocking, bordering on criminal, the unknown deaths that could have been avoided by this hesitant, bungling and leaderless Westminster cabal.

Oh to be in Ireland, Norway, New Zealand or indeed a free and independent Scotland!

Grant Frazer
Newtonmore

ABERDEEN University recently published research which shows how international travel contributes significantly to Covid-19 death rates. New Zealand and Australia, two countries which locked down and closed their borders early, now have Covid death rates per million of five and 35 respectively. The Westminster government’s aversion to closing borders and mandating quarantine meant that Scotland was unable to take such action, and the results are clear to see.

Using UK Government figures from February 8 for deaths within 28 days of a positive test, Scotland’s coronavirus death rate per million is 1,170, and England’s is 1,769, which is 51% higher. Awful as they are, if these figures were reversed they would be weaponised by Unionist politicians and media to show how poor wee failing Scotland is unfit for independence, and dependent on its betters at Westminster.

Since we all know the Tories love league tables and statistics, I would suggest that on behalf of the people of England, we should be asking why England’s Covid death rate is 51% higher than Scotland’s.

Keith Garland
Edinburgh

THE Feeley Report on adult social care published on February 3 presents a challenge to those who support the introduction of a comprehensive “national care service” that is publicly owned and run and free at the point of need: how is it to be paid for?

The biggest costs to residents in care is accommodation (bed and board). Currently anyone with assets or capital of £18k-£28.5k is means-tested for accommodation costs, and those with more than £28.5k must pay them in full. These costs can amount to £977 a week, meaning that someone whose home is worth £40k could have to pay the salary of about 1.5 nurses every year (unless relatives or dependants still reside in the property).

READ MORE: Review calls for Scottish national care service on equal footing with NHS

While it is true, as pointed out in the Feeley Report, that residents would face charges for their accommodation if they did not live in a nursing home, hardly anybody would have to pay such rates to live in their own home.

The government is already paying for health services. The new National Care Service must avoid wiping out the entire life savings and homes of working people in Scotland to service the investment folios of private companies.

The Scottish Socialist Party’s Panelbase poll published last week, proposing a free, publicly owned national care service, showed 69% support. We will continue to campaign for significant reforms to health service spending and service provision.

Belinda Cunnison
Edinburgh

ALAN Riach’s “Dark Forebodings” (February 8) put our household into a stir. My wife had memories of her father’s child-like excitement when he brought home a recording of Mahler’s Song of the Earth and how these feelings remain with her to this day. Then she remembered her father’s pleasure in introducing Sorley MacLean to Professor Robin Barbour by inviting them both to tea and scones at his home.

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As Robin Barbour was a friend of William Lorimer, who translated the New Testament into Scots, this set me to thinking about Alan Riach’s request about Gaelic that we, “think of the cultural genocide that has removed that language from the familiar knowledge of so many people over generations”. This applies to Scots also. These two thriving tongues have been supplanted by English. This process is now considered to be the crime it is.

A modern example was reported by David Pratt on Sunday: Uighur speakers in China are being forced to learn Mandarin.

This suppression of identity, culture and language has always been a weapon used by overweening powers. It is what we are fighting against in our drive towards independence.

Iain WD Forde
Scotlandwell