Readers' letters: SNP must stop squandering millions on wind turbines and go nuclear instead

Having been handed a report from another expensive bunch of consultants (may we be informed of the cost?), it will contain nothing more than the man/woman on the street could deduce – self aggrandising targets which the incumbents of today will no longer be in post to see through, away spending their unearned pensions.

In order to hit any targets, the first thing we need to do is stop squandering hundreds of millions on stopping grotesque wind turbines from turning, start building nuclear power stations, finally accept that these changes to reduce carbon emissions should be done in alignment with the continued use of gas and oil, and stop ramming policies such as heat pumps down our throat.

Add to this the utter nonsense of low emission zones forced upon our cities with no mitigation for financial losses, strangling consumers, businesses and in general, the life out of our country.

We are being fed tripe on a grand scale regarding this topic, and when one sees Miliband dribbling on and on about net zero, it really shows how low we have stooped, when every one of his polices or great ideas utterly unattainable without maintaining our use of the resources we have to hand.

Though I will probably not be here, I am fairly confident that these zealots will have achieved nothing other than bankrupting our nation, with the poorest paying the highest price.

David Millar, Lauder

Papal respect

Competing for the headlines with Ukraine and Gaza has been the fragile health of Pope Francis. The universal affection for the pope reaches far beyond his office and the Roman Catholic Church to his many qualities as a human being.

While he faces doctrinal confinement within the church, Pope Francis, described as a 'good pope' (your report, 24th February) has consistently spoken out on behalf of the victims of the rampant violence, oppression and bloodshed scarring our world. His has been both a prophetic and humanitarian voice.

Being a pope, with all that it entails, must be a lonely and isolating position. As a non Catholic, I respect his humanity and compassion, but, given his frailty, not the burden of any infallibility. Being a good pope, I suspect, is enough for him.

Ian Petrie, Edinburgh

Sound of music

The decrease or removal of funding for music in schools is a step in the wrong direction. (“Council reveals plan to reintroduce music fees and scrap school registration”, yesterday) All parts of the curriculum need to be supported and not moved into a pay for it if you want it category.

The sooner people start to learn about music and to play an instrument the better. The picture of the young boy learning the violin is much cuter than that of me learning the violin at 65 after inheriting my uncle's violin. I must be improving as my tutor no longer shudders when he sees me.

Let children enjoy the world of music fully.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

Trump’s new low

By voting against the UN resolution condemning Russia starting the Ukraine war and demanding its withdrawal, Trump stooped to a new low, aligning with Russia, Belarus and North Korea. On the third anniversary of the invasion Trump has chosen Russia over the Ukraine and cannot be trusted as a peace broker. Significantly China and Iran did not vote against, previously labeled by US officials in the new “axis of evil”, the resolution passed.

Although symbolic the resolution confirmed that the world is almost unanimously against the US position of not defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and in voting down a US resolution to not name Russia as the invader. There will be a time when Trump needs his friends in the West. By then they may be more aligned to China economically than the US.

Macron and Starmer are making all the right noises but playing the long game knowing they can no longer trust the US government. While Starmer announced further sanctions on Russia, Trump made clear he is open to economic deals. Trump reportedly stated of Putin on Twitter in 2013, “will he become my own best friend?”. He is now.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

Compare sectors

Your correspondent (Letters 20 February “Scotland can't afford …”) quotes from a recent IFS (Institute for Fiscal Studies thinktank) report about Scotland’s ‘bloated’ public sector, but does so selectively by comparing Scotland’s public sector workforce with our more populous neighbour. There are around 600,000 public sector workers in Scotland last year, or 22 per cent of the workforce. A fairer comparison would be with the other two much smaller nations where this fraction is lower than in Wales (24 per cent) and Northern Ireland (26 per cent). Although considerably higher than in England (17 per cent), economies of scale spring to mind.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), during 2022-23 tax revenue generated in Scotland, including North Sea oil, amounted to £87.5 billion, 8.6 per cent equivalent of UK total. This is more than our population share (8.2 per cent). These recent figures illustrate Scotland is booming.

The cost of remunerating those employed by the Scottish Government and councils – who make up 92 per cent of all public sector workers in Scotland – is around £27bn this year, more than half of all devolved day-to-day public spending, again according to the IFS. Where has happened to the other half of Scotland’s tax revenue?

A gentle reminder. The UK is set to be £311bn worse off by 2035 due to leaving the EU, according to the same IFS thinktank. This would affect Scotland disproportionately due to geography.

Why do we need two governments?

DW Lowden, Aberdeen

Staffing cats

I greatly enjoyed and appreciated Brian Monteith’s article ‘The trouble with banning cats’ (yesterday). The sheer daftness of trying to introduce wild predators like lynx and wolves into twenty-first century Scotland is apparently lost on some people and organisations, although it should not be.

I take issue, however, with Brian when he writes about ‘cat ownership’. As we know, cats can be haughty creatures.

As Churchill said, ‘Dogs look up to you; cats look down on you’, adding ‘pigs look at you'. The old adage seems appropriate: ‘Dogs have owners. Cats have staff’.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Fitting monument

W Douglas (yesterday) makes a wonderfully-ironic suggestion for a sculpture at the Gretna Crossing and there is also talk of a “Star of Caledonia”, as a political symbol, no doubt.

However, we live in increasingly dark times in Europe and a symbol of the light which guided previous generations out of the darkness of barbarity and heathenism would be much more appropriate.

Close to Gretna, in Ruthwell, stands the finest Anglo-Saxon cross in the world, uniquely carved with both runes and Latin verses from the Bible and dating from the eighth-century. Despite the General Assembly passing an “Act anent the demolishing of Idolatrous Monuments” in 1640, Mr Gavin Young, Minister of Ruthwell Kirk laid it in a trench under the floor of the kirk and, although worn on the eastern edge, it was largely preserved.

It shows both Irish and Brythonic influences and it is said that “there can be no doubt that the very Christianity that infused the Northumbrians of the mid eighth century had been brought to them during the ‘episcopacy of the Scots among the English’”.

Ruthwell Cross is the most noteworthy historical artefact in the borderlands between England and Scotland. It represents the faith which ultimately embraced our whole island and could not be a better beacon, leading to Christianity's ancient seat in Scotland and, indeed, in Great Britain, namely Whithorn. There can be no argument but that Ruthwell Cross demonstrates that Scotland is a nation with a multiplicity of origins.

A reproduction of Ruthwell Cross is the only fitting Border monument at Gretna.

Andrew HN Gray, Edinburgh

Hydrogen plan

Had Brian Leishman MP (yesterday) read the SNP paper on energy issued by Nicola Sturgeon in 2022 he would be aware of the plan to install 25,000 MW of hydrogen fuelled gas turbine plant to cover for dunkelflaute weather conditions.

All that’s is required to save the Grangemouth plant is for the MP to persuade John Swinney to give immediate planning permission for the project to proceed.

Building 1,000 MW of electrolyser plant, the hydrogen storage vessels and the requisite gas turbines every year will ensure employment at Grangemouth for the next 25 years.

Why has the Labour politician failed to put forward such a plan?

Ian Moir, Dumfries & Galloway

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