I OFTEN wonder at the wisdom of the SNP’s decision to form a coalition in the Scottish Parliament with the Greens. Their recent accusations that SNP MSP Fergus Ewing is “doing the bidding” of Alister Jack as a row over Scotland’s upcoming deposit return scheme grows only serves to confirm my fears.
The deposit return scheme led (if you can call it that) by Green minister Lorna Slater is currently set to begin in August and will see shoppers pay an extra 20p when purchasing drinks in a can or bottle. Ms Slater has faced criticism after it was revealed the government had not sought a single expert view on the policy from a country where one is currently operating. Given that fact, Fergus Ewing’s calls to halt this scheme should be at least considered.
READ MORE: Fergus Ewing 'doing Alister Jack's bidding' in DRS row, Greens say
Ross Greer, Green MSP for West Scotland, said: “I thought former government ministers becoming mouthpieces for big business was a Tory thing, but Fergus has always been a trailblazer” and Green MSP Mark Ruskell, his party’s environment spokesperson, said Ewing was “doing the bidding for Viceroy Jack again.”
I may not always agree with Fergus’s views, but he was campaigning for independence, like many of us, long before Ms Slater, Mr Greer and Mr Ruskell were born. I seem to remember his mother did a wee bit of work on the subject! Slinging childish insults at what are supposed to be your political partners is not a great strategy.
The Greens have been instrumental in promoting the now dubious and divisive gender recognition legislation and continue to lead us towards some green dreamland with all our houses refitted with heat pumps at a cost of billions and leaving our remaining oil and gas reserves left to rot in the ground while our population shivers in their homes.
Brian Lawson
Paisley
LIKE I said in my printed letter last week (three days before Mike Russell!) there is a campaign to smear and attack Nicola Sturgeon at every opportunity. On giving this more thought, it’s quite obvious that she’s not sleekit and sleazy like a Tory minister so they fear her reputation as a competent leader.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon facing 'media feeding frenzy', warns SNP president
What they are trying to do now, through their friendly useful idiots in the press and BBC, is to try and portray her as incompetent and they will do this likely by more Section 35s and misleading narration such as that with gender recognition certification. We really are too clever for these Unionist trolls, some of whom I notice seem to be infecting the readers letters page of late trying to spread unrest. Don’t fall for it, people!
Steve Cunningham
Aberdeen
SO, Jim Naughtie said Nicola Sturgeon looked tired (The National, Feb 13). What on earth is misogynistic about that? What is politically sensitive about it? This hypersensitivity is what annoys me about the SNP. Always too ready to play the gender game, too ready and willing to be offended. If this is the Scotland you promise me, I don’t want it.
I have voted SNP for many years but this really puts me off. I want to live in an independent country but not in one where the population is being kept in line by a never-ending list of accusers and complainers.
I am the person I am, like me or not, please yourself. But stop the accusations and recriminations. If people are to be accepted and valued for who they are, that means all of us, not just those ready, willing and able to be offended!
Angus Shaw
Cupar
ELLIE Gomershall (Scottish independence is no utopia – but UK is toxic, Feb 12) claims to have supported Scottish independence for several years. Why then the all-out attack on Alex Salmond, the man who has done more to progress our independence than any other politician alive, including the current occupier of Bute House?
Thanks to Alex Salmond we got a Scottish Parliament and the first ever independence-supporting government. While First Minister he ran a highly competent administration, passing legislation scrapping tuition fees and providing free prescriptions. He then delivered the 2014 referendum and came close to restoring our nation’s independence. Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to his record saying: “Alex Salmond’s achievements as SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister are second to none. He led the SNP government and has given our country a renewed self-confidence ... the personal debt of gratitude I owe Alex is immeasurable.”
Indeed. Rather than attacking Salmond, those who jumped on the bandwagon after 2014 should be asking the current SNP leadership why no progress towards delivering independence has been made.
Leah Gunn Barrett
Edinburgh
MY sincere apologies to Dundee’s Mr Malcolm Cordell in elevating him to the status of SNP councillor, and to the “real” Councillor Kevin Malcolm Cordell elected to Ward 8 of Dundee City Council in May 2022. Given Mr Cordell’s firm belief in the SNP’s current policy platform I think it was an understandable mistake to make.
Not everyone who is a bit out of tune with current SNP policy is a “Labour-supporting plant.” I have never voted Labour in my long life. I hope there will be a wee bit of room for honest mistakes, civilised debate and even dissent in an independent Scotland if and when we achieve one.
Glenda Burns
Glasgow
WELL done Rishi Sunak for protecting the UK from balloons. It’s a shame the First Minister isn’t as proactive. There’s one in south-west Scotland that’s been a nuisance for years. He’s called Murdo Fraser.
Ian Richmond
Springfield
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel