Readers' Letters: Budget agreement shows parties at Holyrood are too cosy

However, it is clear to most people that the SNP have no plan for another vote at present, nor are they likely to do so for the foreseeable future. Listening to the news this week, it struck me how incredibly cheaply both the Lib Dems and Greens were bought off. Scottish Labour had previously indicated they would abstain, thereby surrendering their chance to bear some pressure to bear on government.

Holyrood is far too cosy at present. Presumably these parties are all trying to be nice to each other before 2026, leaving all options open, but making the budget process completely pointless, and giving the incumbent government a free ride. These budget negotiations did not reallocate even the tiniest fraction of one per cent of the budget, and yet those involved will spend the next year value signalling about their achievements.

Our pretendy parliament may as well not be there at the moment. No wonder Reform UK look like getting their foot in the door. Our B-list parliamentarians will only have themselves to blame if that happens, and the whole place is reformed out of existence. There is no real evidence that they would be missed.

Victor Clements, Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross

Embrace hope

The audacity of independence? Rabbie Burns would not have needed to paraphrase Barack Obama’s inspiring words to express where we are today regarding the ambition of seeing Scotland resume its rightful place as an independent nation. Regrettably, in spite of our long history, in many respects our country still resembles a youth who nervously contemplates living away from home for the first time.

There will be many obstacles ahead even after that nation-defining goal is achieved, but over the centuries Scots have proven around the world that they will rise to the most daunting challenges and proudly overcome them. Also, we may not exhibit the shallow patronising arrogance of acolytes of the British establishment but people around the world have come to appreciate that Robert Burns’ words promoting egalitarianism, humanitarianism and general regard for our planet and all of its creatures, broadly reflect the laudable social values of most Scots.

Those who shun “hope” and would scurrilously claim that Scotland couldn’t stand on its own two feet economically without the support and sound financial management of Westminster, clearly have not been paying attention for the last couple of decades. Tiny Iceland, with limited resources, has exhibited one of the fastest-growing economies in the OECD and has more successfully weathered international storms than the UK, which has effectively blown much of Scotland’s oil and gas bonanza and is now in the process of doing the same with Scotland’s exceptional renewable energy resources.

If we want real change and a better future for our children we must reject the fear fostered by those who seek to obscenely profit from our honest endeavours and we must be brave enough to share the belief of the rest of the world in our unlimited potential by seeing “oursels as ithers see us”.

Stan Grodynski, Longniddry, East Lothian

Stacked deck?

Is the committee scrutinising the UK Assisted Dying Bill acting impartially?

None of the nine lawyers invited to give evidence to the committee is significantly opposed to the bill. None of the overseas witnesses called to give evidence is opposed to the bill. The committee declined to hear from anyone in Canada, where assisted suicide has become the fifth leading cause of death. The committee originally voted not to hear evidence from the Royal College of Psychiatrists even though there are serious concerns expressed by many MPs about the risks of coercion and mental capacity. Only after outrage was expressed on social media did Kim Leadbeater MP back down and say she would ensure that they hear evidence from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The committee also initially declined to hear from a single representative of a disability rights organisation. Only after further criticism was an amendment tabled by Ms Leadbeater to hear from Disability Rights UK. The committee will still not hear from the British Geriatrics Society, even though this is the group most likely to be affected by the bill. The committee will not hear from any other physical disability organisation.

Hugo van Woerden, Inverness

Cold spell

I felt a cold shiver up my spine when reading the letter from Marjorie Ellis Thompson (Letters, 29 January) and sympathise with this lady as she struggles with energy costs which appear to be high compared with those quoted in other nearby countries.

However, we must remember that it’s not actually Scotland’s wind power that is keeping industry working and people warm in their home. Yes, a lot of the wind turbines are located in Scotland but the power distribution through the National Grid has been in place for decades and paid for out of UK taxation before we had the notion that different regions could lay claim to particular ownership of various infrastructure.

But that is by the by, because by far the largest percentage of recent energy infrastructure, including wind turbines, has been paid for and owned by foreign business, some of which are wholly subsidiaries of national countries. It is these entities and the contracts awarded by our governments that dictate the terms of reward or profit we UK consumers have to fork out for the privilege of keeping the country working.

As I recall, the first contracts for going down the green energy route were agreed during the Blair government, setting the terms and conditions that most other contracts followed. Subsequent governments keen to be green had to follow suit, although the Conservatives did roll back some of the terms latterly, but largely the Regulator seemed unable to control pricing so UK energy users felt any benefit.

Obviously those funding our green energy targets need to see returns on the finance invested and these returns must compete in the world market and so we, the UK energy users, have to put up with high prices and the impact this has on industry and household incomes.

Perhaps this doesn’t help those shivering in their homes but maybe next time we should give a little more thought as to how we are governed and the impact this has on our personal and national finances.

A Lewis, Coylton, Ayrshire

Units trust

Marjorie Ellis Thompson has treated us to a detailed description of her strategies for keeping warm in bed. All I can say is: too much information! She goes on to complain about “Scotland being ripped off paying 54p a unit” of electricity while, she alleges, London and the Southeast pay 39p. This is an old SNP canard that is repeated ad nauseam in its propaganda.

The UK regulatory body, Ofgem, tells us that, from 1 April to 30 June 2024, Southern Scotland’s unit price for electricity was 23.97p and Northern Scotland’s was 24.96p. London’s unit price was 25.72p and the Southeast’s was 24.96p. This was all for a single rate meter with payment by direct debit.

I’d say I don’t know where Ms Thompson gets her figures, but her pretty obvious source is one or more anti-UK propaganda websites. Perhaps she forgets the series of lump sums we received from the UK government a couple of years ago to ease the pain of energy price increases contingent largely on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Waspi wariness

Stephen Flynn MP supports the Waspi campaign for compensation to women, as advocated by the Ombudsman, on the grounds that they were not adequately informed of the increase to their state pension age of entitlement, despite the publicity given by governments and the press from 1995 onwards regarding the Acts of 1995 and 2011 – and despite many women saying that of course they knew of the changes and had therefore prepared for them (your report, 29 January).

Surely Mr Flynn, as a well-educated graduate in history and politics and a former Aberdeen councillor, was himself well aware of these changes, and with his experience and responsibilities he must have discussed them with his colleagues and contacts, and advised his female constituents about their effects? Or was he as poorly informed as the campaigners appear to have been?

John Birkett, St Andrews, Fife

Tongue tied

I have enjoyed the debate with Scotsman correspondents Elizabeth Scott, Martin O'Gorman and Andrew Kemp regarding dialects.

It has always amused me that many of us try to translate a Scottish language term directly into English, then realise this doesn't always work.

Tell your Scottish GP you have a “sair heid” and they will resolve it. Go to see a GP in England or Wales and, helpfully, tell them you have a sore head, and you may be asked, have you walked into a door?

John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing, Fife

Cutting crime

Knife crime today is similar to the Glasgow razor gang crime of the 1930s. Lord Carmont – a judge at that time – gave out 12-year jail sentences to offenders, and razor crime stopped. Learn from him.

Malcolm Parkin, Kinnesswood, Kinross

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