We’ve now seen that it’s possible to strip someone in the monarchy of all titles, honours and privileges, then take action to move him out of his palatial home.
When can we repeat this with the rest, so we can build a future for an independent Scotland based on social justice and equitable outcomes for all, not just those who, by accident of birth, consider themselves entitled to privileges others can never attain?
Ni Holmes, St Andrews.
More letters…
Justice for all
Now that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been dealt with for his alleged, but always strenuously denied, misconduct, I do hope that our politicians and journalists will put the same relentless zeal into investigating all those politicians, police officers and social workers who allegedly over decades turned a blind eye to the grooming gangs.
Or, perhaps, were they only interested in pursuing a royal?
Otto Inglis, Fife.
Labour: no laughing matter
Rebecca McCurdy in her article (“I asked Sir Keir Starmer if he owed Anas Sarwar an apology. What did he do? He just laughed”, The Herald, October 30), demonstrates more evidence of Labour, and in this case the PM, treating Scotland with contempt, with absolutely no concern and no embarrassment.
Ms McCurdy reached out to the PM looking for an apology for Mr Sarwar, whose aspiration to march into Bute House has not only diminished, but, according to opinion polls, completely disappeared.
Rebecca McCurdy goes on to suggest the PM’s position would be untenable should Labour be defeated at next year’s Holyrood election.
Well, according to opinion polls, this is certainly on the cards.
However, the PM’s position should be untenable right now, considering the damage being inflicting on the country by this Labour Government.
Damage of betraying the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) movement; damage inflicted on pensioners due to the withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Payment; damage of continuing the two-child cap on benefits; damage inflicted on businesses with the employers’ National Insurance increase.
The list could go on.
Only last week, as Ms McCurdy alluded to, voters sent a clear message to Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour Government from Caerphilly, a seat Labour held for over 100 years.
Even so, Plaid Cymru were emphatic winners, which speaks volumes regarding Labour in government.
The pending budget (November 26) could indicate curtains, not only for the PM but for Labour in power.
Catriona C Clark, Banknock, Falkirk.
Latin for beginners
It occurs to me that the latest breach of rules by a Government Minister has shown that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is a lucky woman to have escaped demotion, let alone an admonition (“Estate agents take blame for Reeves rented home debacle”, The Herald, October 31).
She appears to have been conveniently and blissfully unaware of the legal principle “ignorantia juris non excusat” (ignorance of the law excuses not), though surely that’s not the case with her boss, who was a prominent lawyer before entering Parliament.
Alan G T Walker, Carradale.
The dark is rising
Brian Wilson’s article highlights the serious crisis that has arisen in the last decade in the UK (“I was an energy minister – what I’ve heard this week shocked me”, The Herald, October 30).
Politics has descended into arguments that are not based on factual evidence.
This has been in evidence since David Cameron announced he would hold a referendum, without taking the Leader of the House’s advice that such a referendum would only be mandatory if there was a two-thirds majority.
Mr Wilson’s article shows this clearly with the Commons debate on Petrofac, and the attempt to undermine the government by the SNP, Conservatives and Reform UK.
It’s unfortunate that the UK constitution does not state that any referendum held in the UK, which is intended to change a major constitutional issue, should require a two-thirds majority.
This is this case with many UK clubs or institutions.
Am I alone in thinking we’re entering a dark age in the way politics is developing, and the serious shortcoming in the ability of elected politicians.
The UK fiscal policy has always been short term, though we need statesmen who can put forward ten or twenty-five year policies.
Short term policies may reflect opinion polls. Which reminds me of philosopher David Hume, who wrote: “No weakness of human nature is more universal and conspicuous than what we commonly call credulity, or too easy a faith in the testimony of others.”
What is needed is more transparency and factual evidence from politicians, or we shall surely enter that dark age.
Charles Scott, Edinburgh.
Reform’s secret sauce
I watch with growing interest how the political landscape has been shaken up by the rise of a new contender on the block, in the shape of Reform UK (“Reform now in second place with 22 MSPS projected in Scotland”, The Herald, October 26).
I’m sure I’m not alone in admitting that as one of many disillusioned voters, I have detected the marked inability of the opposition parties – Labour, Tory, Lib Dems and even the Greens – to come up with an alternative raft of positive, convincing policies to counter the perceived threat from the ‘bogeyman’ policies of Reform UK.
We daily witness established party leaders running around like headless chickens, clucking and flapping their wings at the prospect of what now seems more and more likely… Reform as a major player after the next round of elections.
Will this mark the end of the gravy train for established parties?
Rather than being hell bent on demonising and scaremongering about what Reform might do if successful, they would do well to stop and think.
What are the reasons behind this current success amongst voters?
It seems glaringly obvious that the appeal of Reform UK is they offer policies that many citizens of our country want.
There is no such thing as a perfect political party. The SNP has surely run its course after 20 uninspiring years in government.
So this is the moment for politicians to grasp the nettle and actually really listen to what the people want – not what the politicians think we want, or what they think is best for us.
They are supposed to be our representatives, enacting our democratic wishes.
We are fast approaching the time where we must start taking difficult decisions, that are unpopular even.
Decisions about what are our priorities in life, for the good of the (often silent) majority.
Colin Allison, Blairgowrie.
Votes for immigrants
“The Scottish Government’s position remains that the current UK immigration system is not working for Scotland,” so said SNP Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart.
She added: “The SNP tailored migration proposals would include a Scottish visa, a rural visa pilot,” (no, I don’t know either) “and a Scottish graduate visa.”
Holding a visa can, in some cases, bring immigrants closer to having voting rights in local elections and even the right to vote in the elections of devolved nations.
In my opinion, when translated from SNP parlance, the Equalities Minister’s quote should read: “Get them in, give them visas, brainwash them to vote SNP.”
Some will say I’m talking rubbish, but the SNP are a crafty bunch who would sell their granny if the buyer promised to vote for them.
Ian Balloch, Grangemouth.
Playing chicken with industry
When working for a construction company in the early 2000s, I was involved in the refurbishment of several schools and further education colleges.
Many of these projects included the re-purposing of technical departments, such as woodwork and metalwork, into hairdressing and beauty departments.
A strong economy is founded on manufacturing.
The need to bring welders in from overseas to work on the frigates at Rosyth (Letters, October 29) demonstrates how short sighted we were at the turn of the century. Chickens have come home to roost.
James Caldwell, Scotstoun, Glasgow.
Poorer are getting degrees
I read your education supplement with interest. There were many good pieces including the interview with Tommy Curry.
The low point was the contribution from Peter MacMahon (“Scotland’s universities are in trouble – no one wants to talk about it”, The Herald, October 30).
I was surprised by his assertion that Scotland does not attract more young people from deprived backgrounds into university education than England.
If you look at the population by income, about 16% of young people from the lowest quintile in Scotland get a degree compared to 11% in England.
That’s a substantial difference.
The system of fee-free tertiary education that Scotland retains is the norm across Europe. It was England that withdrew from it.
The interest rate that graduates have to pay on their loans in England has gone up sharply in recent years and the threshold for payment has gone down. It’s likely that this will make the difference with England even greater.
Jackie Kemp, Wester Ross.
Football: a numbers game
Is the uninspiring performance of Scottish senior football teams in European and international competitions caused by the lack of home-based players in first team pools?
A Wikipedia enquiry shows that out of 192 players in SPL first team squads, only 65 are Scots.
Hearts have six, Kilmarnock eight and Falkirk 14. The teams with the least Scots are Rangers (three) and Celtic (one).
It’s slightly better for English players in the English Premier League.
Out of 380 first team pool players in twenty four clubs, 169 are English.
Though compared to the 1960s, 70s and 80s, when almost every English club had a backbone of Scots, there are only six Scottish players in the whole league, playing for Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Brentford, Everton and Fulham.
Just saying…
Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven.
Deep dive into phrase
Brian Donnelly writes that Cameron House, on the banks of Loch Lomond, is reported to have been floated for sale (“Hotel visited by empress to be sold in ‘one of largest deals in Scotland’”, The Herald, October 30).
There’s a pun in there, somewhere.
David Miller, Milngavie.
American broadcaster Jimmy Fallon and some members of the King’s Royal Guard show why a floor mirror might be hepful… (Image: 5 Scots/PA Wire)
Mirror, mirror on the floor
The news regarding Cameron Barracks (Letters, October 31), reminds me of the occasion when the University of Glasgow OTC (Officers’ Training Corps) based their yearly exercise there in 1947.
We were there for two weeks, and the exit was controlled by a sentry also responsible for the appearance of those leaving the barracks.
‘Sober and in good standing’ was the order of the day.
In addition to the six feet high mirror helpfully screwed to the wall, there was a two foot mirror glued to the ground, adjacent to the sentry, to help him make sure everyone was properly dressed.
One downward glance sufficed.
A practice which baffled our English students.
Robin Johnston, Newton Mearns.