Readers' Letters: MSPs must tackle issues at heart of NHS crisis

It can be very solidly argued that the gross overprescribing of pharmaceuticals that has been the hallmark of general and specialist practice in recent decades to deal with the consequences of ultra-processed food and acute and chronic existential stress has in some ways made a contribution to the tide of metabolic and psychological disability that debilitates so many of our people. This is well acknowledged by both the RCGP and the Royal College of Physicians in Scotland, although less candidly by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The health of a nation is not primarily determined by doctors and nurses but wider psychosocial and political determinants. We need compassionate responders in numbers to assuage the suffering of the economically and spiritually impoverished victims of political failure but also, urgently, a new generation of informed and educated politicians to fight the people's corner rather than do deals with vested interests that have an interest in fostering and maintaining chronic profitable illnesses.

We all know intuitively who they are and those of us who do not need to be informed by doctors and nurses who have thought outside the box of protocols and algorithm-driven healthcare. Our appalling poverty and despair-related sickness and deaths demand an urgent cross party "mission” post-Holyrood election and the cessation, or at least suspension, of distracting culture wars!

(Dr) Andrew Docherty, Selkirk, Scottish Borders

Use resources

The Jackdaw oilfield in the North Sea could be producing gas for the UK in December if it were given approval, says the boss of Adura.

Given that we are in an energy crisis and it will be years before our transition to net-zero, why on earth would the UK and Scottish governments not give approval?

Use of North Sea gas would give us greater energy security, avoid shipping LNG from Qatar or the USA if it is available, save the cost of transportation and the pollution causes, increase the tax take, and secure jobs.

Some will argue that North Sea drilling will not affect prices as they are set internationally. This is codswallop. As we see just now, supply constraints increase prices, and increasing supply will help stabilise or even reduce prices. But energy security is actually more important just now. We cannot afford gas blackouts.

And until we have more nuclear, gas plants provide the necessary back-up to the grid when solar or wind power isn’t enough. We must not let eco or net-zero zealotry prevent us exploiting our own resources.

Brian Barbour, Haddington, East Lothian

Green nightmare

With the prospect of further SNP rule sufficiently doleful, pollsters predict more Green MSPs, perhaps as many as 17. So more Scots, having seen what Green MSPs are like, with two of them in government, think they are electable.

This party proposed heat pumps in tenements, protected marine areas to the detriment of fishing, the banning of wood fires on which Scots in rural areas depend, and, above all, “gender” self-ID. Now, having given all under-22s free bus travel, the Greens propose free bus travel for all, with not the slightest clue about how to pay for it.

Green MSPs are not truly elected. They creep into Holyrood on the list, without a single constituency MSP. This year they will contest just six constituency seats. Their own processes are dubious. They have new joint leaders, Gillian Mackay and Ross Greer, elected in a ballot of 950 Scottish Green members, on a turnout of a derisory 12.5 per cent of that membership. These two and others will become MSPs because secessionist Scots will give them their list vote.

Likely to be “elected” is Maggie Chapman, who has even loopier views than the rest of them – including that eight-year-olds should be allowed to change their “gender”. Ms Chapman was deselected from her customary lead on the north-east regional Green list in favour of Guy Ingerson, who has now had a complaint raised against him by Green members, reportedly including Ms Chapman. Thus Mr Ingerson has been disqualified, and Ms Chapman can expect another free ride into Holyrood.

I hear that the Greens are popular among young voters. If that is so, Scotland’s future is very bleak.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Change regime

It's time there was regime change in the United States. Donald Trump has forcefully abandoned the rules-based international order on which peaceful relations between countries depends.

This cannot be overestimated. From tariffs against former allies, through his threat to annex Greenland, his designs on Canada as the 51st state, his plans to plunder the resources of Ukraine post-war, his attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of its president, the murder on the Caribbean of 80 alleged drug smugglers, his sudden attack on Iran in the middle of negotiations in June 2025 and his full-scale attack on Iran in the middle of negotiations this year causing economic chaos across the globe, the man acts more like a gangster than a statesman.

His pronouncements become ever more alarming by the day. “We will hit Kharg island a few more times just for fun,” he said. “The UK needs to know how to fight,” he claimed, despite the British military's illustrious history. “Countries like the UK who cannot get jet fuel should go to the Strait of Hormuz and just take it” and “The USA won't be there to help you” and, menacingly, “We will remember”. These are the outpourings of an unhinged dictator.

Even more loopy than Trump is his Secretary of State for War who seems to think war is some monster video game to be enjoyed. This is a man who has a large Jerusalem Cross on his chest, a symbol linked with white supremacists, a tattoo of an automatic rifle, and another with the phrase “Deus Vault”, the battle cry of the Christian invaders during the First Crusade. Pete Hegseth said at a press briefing on Tuesday that “President Trump is doing what no other president had the guts to do”.

In fact, President Trump is doing what no other president would have thought about in their wildest nightmares.

William Loneskie, Oxton, Lauder, Berwickshire

Stick to Bermuda

Donald Trump and his cabinet cronies have clearly abandoned Britain, and many of the former US allies, in favour of his own illegal, clearly unhinged and unplanned wars in the Middle East and elsewhere. Not to mention planned “takeovers” of Greenland, Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, etc.

There cannot, therefore, be any reason for the UK government to support or patronise his “regime” by dignifying it with a Royal visit. King Charles should restrict his tour later in April to Bermuda! It is not too late to give this appalling man a royal digit.

David Jerdan, Crail, Fife

Stand-up guy

Interesting that in standing up to Donald Trump over the Iran war, and in standing up to doctors in their latest strike, Keir Starmer has seen a lift in the polls – surely a lesson for him here! Can we look forward to him standing up to David Miliband over his net zero nonsense, and to his own left wing MPs over welfare reform?

William Ballantine, Bo'ness, West Lothian

Barbarism

Just when you thought that it could not get any worse for the Palestinians in Israel, the Israeli Parliament, has introduced the death penalty, solely for them, featuring a summary trial, followed by a summary execution.

This is yet another blatant act of the apartheid scarring the nation of Israel. While a Palestinian can be executed for a “fatal action”, an Israeli can murder a Palestinian and get off scot free.

For such a view, I can be accused of antisemitism, as being pro-Palestinian is more than enough for that charge. The truth is that the Palestinians are being squeezed out of what is their homeland, where they are all too clearly not welcome.

While the Iranian war is taking up the headlines, Palestinians are being harassed and killed with impunity, by so-called Israeli settlers on the West Bank, and indeed, still in Gaza. It's beyond time for the Israelis to be held to account for their crimes against humanity. Quite simply, the Palestinians are enduring a persistently, cruel Nakba.

Ian Petrie, Edinburgh

Vote competence

The Scotsman April Fool joke just had to be the story about the medieval ferry “abandoned due to technical difficulties” (1 April) The Scottish government are the real fools since several ferries are out of action. causing significant disruption across the ferry network, particularly the routes to Arran, Barra and other islands. Roll on 7 May when the electorate can send this government to a watery grave.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

There’s no fool

It is sad that, in the Borders at least, the once common expressions “Hunt the gowk” is very rarely heard on the 1st of April.

Jim Sutherland, Lauder, Scottish Borders

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