YOU expect Andrew Marr to demand an explanation from Nicola Sturgeon over something actually happening in Scotland but today he went one better; he used figures extrapolated from a report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine investigation which found that at least 4,519 patients have died as a result of crowding and 12-hour stays in emergency departments in England in 2020-2021.
Andrew Marr claimed that although no such survey had been carried out in Scotland, the situation in England and Scotland had so much in common that this report showed that there had been “over 300” deaths in Scotland and then proceeded to question Nicola Sturgeon on that assumption.
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Perhaps Andrew Marr can explain the results of the WHO investigation on the use of vaccinations to fight the Covid pandemic in 33 European countries published this week. This revealed that NHS Scotland had averted 86% of the expected Covid deaths, using the same vaccines and JCVI recommendations as NHS England that had averted 68% of the expected number.
If WHO had extrapolated the English figures to Scotland (or the other countries in the UK) instead of doing their research properly, this significant difference would not have come to light.
John Jamieson
South Queensferry
I GET dog’s abuse from those people I know who do not want independence when I bring up historic acts – they say “dredging up the past” has nothing to do with now. I am afraid I disagree. Looking back in history, England never wanted Scotland to succeed at anything.
Even when Scotland showed signs of trading better with other countries, England tried all sorts of dirty tricks and even piracy to stop them.
The Darien Scheme (having a trading port in Panama serving both sides of the world) was a brilliant idea. This would probably have succeeded with the initial funding that they had gained. BUT the King of England and his government passed a law to say that any English business or English person investing in this scheme would lose their money, lands and be tried for treason!
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As we know the scheme failed, due to lack of funds and support from the nearest English colonies to Panama when we needed it.
This of course ripped the finances out of Scotland and left the way open for the wonderful, fair and equal Union. This Union was built on bribery and corruption, and has followed on from this to where it is today! It has never been equal.
I am writing about this synopsis of the past after watching the first part of The Hunt For Bible John on the TV last Monday night. Did you see the poverty and squalor of the slums in Glasgow? I had forgotten just how bad it was, and I saw it first hand.
The youngsters of today must think that it was in hundreds of years ago not 53 years!!
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This was also just at the wane of Glasgow “Clyde Built” shipbuilding. Since about the 1880s Glasgow was the home of shipbuilding, they built the best quality liners and warships in the world at one time, yet look at what the workers and their families were living in!
Westminster politicians Tory, Liberal and Labour should be hanging their heads in shame – how could they treat people like this? What were the Queen and the royal family thinking about? Because those people were Scottish, does that mean they were not their loyal subjects? These same downtrodden people would have spent their last penny to buy a Union Jack to wave at the Queen, if she had ever the inclination to visit this part of Glasgow.
I am not saying that Glasgow was the only place that this was happening, it did in other towns as well, not just in Scotland.
Scotland can show the way out of this mess, and give other areas some hope for the future. So, c’mon Scotland, independence is the only way that we can keep our country and transform it into a fair, just and prosperous place for our children, future generations and anyone who wants to live and work in this fabulous country of ours.
Neil Harrison
Biggar
SUSAN FG Forde (Letters, Nov 26) constructively suggests that The National seek to compile “more accurate figures about exports from Scotland”, especially with regard to identifying “exports” to rUK which could in future, with new shipping links to the European continent and more direct flights to the USA, bypass rUK altogether.
What should also be separated out from the current figures quoted by those desperately attempting to find credible arguments in support of the Union are “services” (misleadingly conflated with “goods”), as these are not going to be checked at the imaginary customs posts these same supporters purport will be necessary (irrespective of whether Scotland independently joins, or doesn’t join, EFTA, the EU or any other “trading organisation”) once the people of Scotland achieve self-determination.
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Of course we will continue to trade with our closest neighbours, but personally I am confident that when an objective assessment is made of our projected future international trading relationships, including
the provision of such basics as drinking water and renewable energy, it will be clear where “dependency” will substantially reside among former UK countries and it will not be in Scotland.
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian
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