Letters 2023 - underlining indicates deletion by editor; square brackets indicate insertion.
To The Scotsman (24 Jan 2023) published 25 Jan 2023
Nicola Sturgeon continues to peddle the 'colonial myth' (that she will take Scotland 'out of the UK', your report [Scotsman] 23 January on being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg). Of course she knows that Scotland is not a colony but it suits her scenario to imply that it is, that it is a downtrodden colony of the British Empire, entitle to leave whenever it wants.
However, like residents of Hotel California, Scotland can check out but it cannot leave. That is because it is bound by the 1707 Treaty of Union, something the SNP appears unwilling to mention. Any change to that Treaty would be a matter for the whole UK, or at least of Great Britain. There would need to be a UK referendum on the matter.
I never understood David Cameron's reasoning. Did he realise that he was putting the future of the whole UK at risk? Fortunately the sane voters of Scotland saved us from disaster.
Nicola Sturgeon continues to peddle the 'colonial myth' (that she will take Scotland 'out of the UK', your report [Scotsman] 23 January on being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg). Of course she knows that Scotland is not a colony but it suits her scenario to imply that it is, that it is a downtrodden colony of the British Empire, entitle to leave whenever it wants.
However, like residents of Hotel California, Scotland can check out but it cannot leave. That is because it is bound by the 1707 Treaty of Union, something the SNP appears unwilling to mention. Any change to that Treaty would be a matter for the whole UK, or at least of Great Britain. There would need to be a UK referendum on the matter.
I never understood David Cameron's reasoning. Did he realise that he was putting the future of the whole UK at risk? Fortunately the sane voters of Scotland saved us from disaster.
To The Sunday Times (23 Jan 2023)
Matthew Syed (23 January) refers to people thinking about what they will have for breakfast while cleaning their teeth! If they have any sense they'll clean their teeth after breakfast.
Matthew Syed (23 January) refers to people thinking about what they will have for breakfast while cleaning their teeth! If they have any sense they'll clean their teeth after breakfast.
To The Scotsman (20 Jan 2023) published 21 Jan 2023
The Scotsman (2nd leader yesterday) appears to agree with the UK Government that the way to reduce our reliance on the international gas market is to invest more in renewables and nuclear power [Editorial, 20 January].
Investing in reliable nuclear power does not make renewables any more reliable; the latter, especially wind power, will always be unreliable and nuclear power cannot readily be switched on and off to compensate. Nuclear generation is best suited to provide the base load, the consistent demand below the variability level. But what will provide the extra power to fill gaps left by the absence of renewable generation? Gas?
The Scotsman (2nd leader yesterday) appears to agree with the UK Government that the way to reduce our reliance on the international gas market is to invest more in renewables and nuclear power [Editorial, 20 January].
Investing in reliable nuclear power does not make renewables any more reliable; the latter, especially wind power, will always be unreliable and nuclear power cannot readily be switched on and off to compensate. Nuclear generation is best suited to provide the base load, the consistent demand below the variability level. But what will provide the extra power to fill gaps left by the absence of renewable generation? Gas?
To The Edinburgh Evening News (17 Jan 2023) published 19 Jan 2023
You report Sir Keir Starmer as declaring that he would not change to a social insurance model to fund the NSS (your report, 16 January). He states that, in these models, employees contribute a proportion of their salary to fund and pay for their health care (actually it's for everyone's care).
However, that's exactly what we do here: NI contributions come from employees' salaries (also from employers). So what's the difference? Just that we only pay for some 18 per cent of the cost, the remainder coming from general taxation. Why not change that so that all NHS costs are funded from employee and employer contributions and reduce general taxation accordingly? Also remove the anomaly that people earning over £50,000 pa pay only 2 percent in NI contributions. Why should they not pay 12 per cent like lower earners?
You report Sir Keir Starmer as declaring that he would not change to a social insurance model to fund the NSS (your report, 16 January). He states that, in these models, employees contribute a proportion of their salary to fund and pay for their health care (actually it's for everyone's care).
However, that's exactly what we do here: NI contributions come from employees' salaries (also from employers). So what's the difference? Just that we only pay for some 18 per cent of the cost, the remainder coming from general taxation. Why not change that so that all NHS costs are funded from employee and employer contributions and reduce general taxation accordingly? Also remove the anomaly that people earning over £50,000 pa pay only 2 percent in NI contributions. Why should they not pay 12 per cent like lower earners?
To The Sunday Times (16 Jan 2023) not published
David Patrick, writing from Edinburgh (Letters, 15 January), should know better. The Scottish Liberal Democrats are not a branch of the UK party; they are independent in a federation of several UK parties, reflecting LibDem policy on a federal UK. Nothing forces them or the UK party to support Brexit. Indeed they oppose it. I was once a member.
David Patrick, writing from Edinburgh (Letters, 15 January), should know better. The Scottish Liberal Democrats are not a branch of the UK party; they are independent in a federation of several UK parties, reflecting LibDem policy on a federal UK. Nothing forces them or the UK party to support Brexit. Indeed they oppose it. I was once a member.
To The Scotsman (13 Jan 2023) not published
John Cutland (Letters, 13 January) outlines concern about recharging electric cars. Others have expressed similar comments on costs and range anxiety, etc.
There is a type of electric car that has none of these problems. I refer to fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). These are electric cars fuelled by hydrogen, which is put through a fuel cell to generate electricity (part of the fuel is free oxygen from air).
Among the advantages are a short fuelling time, long range and a hedge against increasing gas prices. The process also produces heat with no waste except water.
At present only two FCEVs are available on the UK market but more will become available eventually and their costs will come down.
John Cutland (Letters, 13 January) outlines concern about recharging electric cars. Others have expressed similar comments on costs and range anxiety, etc.
There is a type of electric car that has none of these problems. I refer to fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). These are electric cars fuelled by hydrogen, which is put through a fuel cell to generate electricity (part of the fuel is free oxygen from air).
Among the advantages are a short fuelling time, long range and a hedge against increasing gas prices. The process also produces heat with no waste except water.
At present only two FCEVs are available on the UK market but more will become available eventually and their costs will come down.
To The Scotsman (15 Jan 2023) not published
Sir Keir Starmer says that he would use private hospitals to clear the backlog in the NHS (Laura Kuenssberg on BBC, 15 January).
This simplistic idea seems to overlook the fact that the professionals employed by the private sector also work for the NHS. The can't be in two places at once. Private health care is a parasite, consuming NHS resources and debilitating it.
The solution is not to utilise private health care but to close it down and insist that NHS physicians work entirely within the NHS. Then the backlog might be attacked.
Sir Keir Starmer says that he would use private hospitals to clear the backlog in the NHS (Laura Kuenssberg on BBC, 15 January).
This simplistic idea seems to overlook the fact that the professionals employed by the private sector also work for the NHS. The can't be in two places at once. Private health care is a parasite, consuming NHS resources and debilitating it.
The solution is not to utilise private health care but to close it down and insist that NHS physicians work entirely within the NHS. Then the backlog might be attacked.