Readers' Letters: More devolution isn't the answer to Scotland's woes

The longer the SNP is in power, the less attractive devolution looks. Has Scotland gained from having Holyrood? The successes have been few, the failures keep on coming. There is only one gain here for Mr Burnham, should he be our next prime minister. He can use devolution to blame the regions when success inevitably eludes him. The SNP are masters at passing the buck. Maybe Mr Burnham has looked at Scotland after all.

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

No more layers

I was taken with Brian Monteith's article in yesterday’s paper (Perspective, 30 June) on Andy Burnham's latest devolution promises to Scotland in his recent Manchester speech.

The question as to how exactly these changes are going to be implemented in the face of SNP control at Holyrood is just the tip of the iceberg. In the unlikely event that the Labour government in Westminster somehow get cooperation from Holyrood to push certain matters to local councils, we should be all be deeply afraid.

Given our own Edinburgh City and East Lothian Councils' performance over such schemes as city cycle lanes, Musselburgh's flood prevention proposals and the imposition of parking charges in key East Lothian towns against strong public opposition, perhaps we should ask Mr Burnham to leave Scotland out of his “Manchesterism” plans. A new mayor or mayors would merely add another layer of bureaucracy to an already broken relationship between the public and those who claim to represent us.

Jim Bell, Musselburgh

Not so north

Andy Burnham has already unwittingly given the SNP a boost. He talks about reenergising the UK and a new No10 North in Manchester, along with making London the best capital. Taking GB as a whole, the North is not Manchester, it’s Aberdeen/Inverness and there are four capitals, not one. Ah well, early days.

Scott Miller, Joppa, Edinburgh

Stonewalling

As a person with feet on both sides of the Border I can state with absolute confidence that there is no way a UK prime minister would get away with refusing an independent inquiry at the very highest levels of the state following the conviction and imprisonment of the CEO of the ruling party. This stonewalling is positively Trumpian.

Rodney Pinder, Kelso, Scottish Borders

Private horror

In May 2024 I asked in The Scotsman what contingency plans Edinburgh Council had put in place to cater for those children likely to be compromised by the VAT on private schools, which Labour intended to apply and subsequently imposed, with Edinburgh likely to be affected more than most other areas.

Hearing the horror stories emerging of chronically oversubscribed state schools, children resorting to eating their lunch in toilets and parents calling for emergency action, it is now clear we have the answer.

Clare Chalmers, Midlothian

Badly informed

How often do Scottish separatists need to be told about an independent Scotland’s prospects of joining the EU? it seems there is a weekly letter from them about this. This time it’s Dr Geraldine Prince (30 June), who tells us that “an independent Scotland would immediately apply to rejoin the EU”. First, Scotland has not been an independent member and so cannot “rejoin”. Second, on what basis does Dr Prince make this claim? Has she read TEU (Treaty on the European Union)? Has she studied the EU’s entry criteria? Has she approached any representative of the EU Commission about this matter? Does she know which currency an iScotland would be using “immediately”? If the pound sterling, that disqualifies Scotland from entering the EU. The pound would be – in EU parlance – a third country’s currency and its entry requirements mandate that applicants have their own currency, with a stable track record. Where do people like Dr Prince get their “information” from? I think we can guess that it is SNP propaganda, and everyone now knows that that is a tissue of lies.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Building future

I write in response to Robin H Rodger’s letter “Heritage Lost” (16 June). The pattern of church life has changed dramatically in recent decades, but the Church of Scotland’s primary mission, the advancement of the Christian faith in word and deed, remains.

However, these shifts in churchgoing means the Church owns far more buildings than it needs, resulting in the sale of 334 church buildings, halls and manses between 2023-2025.

Our guiding principle is to have “well equipped spaces in the right places”. Therefore, it is not feasible for some congregations to be expected to manage and run, what are in some cases, very large and old buildings that are no longer fit for purpose. Our finite resources mean this is unsustainable. The burdens have only increased in recent years, putting extraordinary pressure on hard-pressed congregations.

Disposals ease the stresses, and sale proceeds are ringfenced to reinvest in buildings retained by those congregations in support of the communities they serve.

For example, in June Highland Council approved plans to build a new St Columba’s Church in Inverness funded in part by the sale of Dores Church.

St John’s Church in Colinton Mains, Edinburgh and Greenbank Church in Clarkston, East Renfrewshire have both been redeveloped in service to their communities thanks to sale proceeds.

The General Trustees, the Church’s property-holding arm, carry out the wishes and instructions of presbyteries when it comes to the disposal of buildings in accordance with their plans to ensure the Church in their part of Scotland is on a sustainable footing. The General Trustees have a legal duty to act responsibly and to ensure properties are not sold below their proper value, in accordance with an independent RICS valuation.

While they cannot be seen as a heritage society, the General Trustees appreciate the significance that buildings have for many people, including churchgoers themselves, and always seek to deal with sales appropriately. We strive to balance pastoral sensitivity and social need with fiduciary responsibility and often work directly with constituted community groups, enabling them to acquire the property as preferred bidders without the need for open marketing.

To that end, of the 87 church and hall buildings sold in 2025, some 40 per cent were acquired by community-based charities or faith groups.

We always aim to be good and faithful stewards of the Church’s resources, and, wherever possible and reasonable, we want our former buildings to serve new purposes in communities – whether through continued community use, redevelopment for social good, or to meet a local housing need.

The sale of a church building, though painful for many, is not the end of the story. It very often allows new chapters to begin.

(Rev Dr) Scott Rennie, Chair, The General Trustees The Church of Scotland

No to nuclear

It is very clear that the nuclear lobby has its sights set relentlessly on Scotland, not least to ensure that, by the implication of producing more nuclear waste, Scotland remains available as the “remote and expendable” place Westminster regards as the automatic choice for dangerous experiments with environmental and community health. Recent history makes it absolutely clear that such Westminster projects include uranium mines and high-level nuclear waste dumps.

I hope the Scottish government will stand firm against the increasingly fierce, desperate attempts to force nuclear reactors – which Scotland does not need – upon our country. Too much irretrievable damage has been done already to our land, coastline and seabed by an industry which, after 80 years of free-range risk-taking with our environment and health, still has no solution for the corrosive nature of radioactive materials – but charges on, immorally in my opinion, ignoring the evidence of continuing failures associated with corrosion and the awful risks to future generations.

Hydrogen is the much more positive and sensible route forward for Scotland – ideally placed with such huge natural resources of sustainable energy – to demonstrate the long-term, far safer solution for global energy security.

Frances McKie, Evanton, Ross-shire

Tongue test

Although I doubt anyone attending fee-paying Dundee High School, as SNP Lara Bird apparently did, would develop a Dundee accent, the test (which I failed, although living and working there for a score of years) is: can she repeat “A Forfar Bridie, please, and an onion one as well” in the local Doric.

It goes something like “ehfafabridiepleezan’n’inyinanean”.

Tim Flinn, Morningside, Edinburgh

Goal mouth

I am no football pundit or expert. But all the square passing between the goalie and the two backs in the Scotland vs. Brazil World Cup game did not score any goals.

In fact, it gifted a goal to Brazil.

Goals are scored at the opposite end from the end you are defending. Get the ball up the park, into the opposition box

Alastair Paisley, Juniper Green, Edinburgh

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