Sir, With regard to I Pearson’s letter in Friday’s Courier, some people seem to think our aim for independence was a passing whim and because we lost the referendum we should forget about it.
The reality is that I am typical of independence campaigners in that I have wanted independence for all of my adult life and always will.
“No” voters are obviously happy with what the union has done for our country over the last 300 years, but a great many of us are not.
Some of the things achieved by the union: After Culloden the country was carved up and given to the establishment backers. Much of it remains in their ownership to the present day.
During the Clearances untold thousands of Scots (my ancestors) were forcibly removed from their land and many were sent to Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand. Sheep replaced the people and the results are still with us today.
Half of our country is shut off from development because of arcane land ownership laws that allow a few individuals to own vast tracts of country so their rich friends can come up to shoot deer and grouse for a couple of weeks a year.
Time and time again we have had to supply our young men to fight in their wars legal or otherwise. It is a matter of historic fact that more Scots soldiers have died per head of population than their brothers from south of the border because Scots have such a fearsome fighting reputation. Scots were and are more likely to be in front-line service because of this reputation.
Scotland had a world-leading heavy industry base which was decimated by Thatcherism. The high unemployment that caused is still with us today. There are 800,000 Scots who are officially below the poverty line. More than a quarter of our children live in poverty.
We Scots have the lowest age expectancy in Britain and the worst health problems in the western world. Most of this has to do with the long-term unemployment and poverty.
Our NHS is creaking under the pressure of underfunding and understaffing. The very real risk of privatisation is looming. We could end up like America where one third of the population cannot afford health insurance.
We are seeing food banks becoming a “normal” provision for the poor. Again we could end up like America where one in seven receive food stamps rather than employment.
I could go on and on but I think you probably get my point. All we need is a 6% swing in favour of Scottish independence and we can start to address all the ills in our society which 300 years of the union have caused.
Harry Key. 20 Mid Street, Largoward.
This issue is not going togo away . . .
Sir, With regard to J Davie’s letter (October 10), can I just point out that the SNP are the third largest party in the UK now with more than 80,000 members. With the referendum over, voters have came from the Labour party, Conservatives or Lib Dems to join the Yes campaign.
The SNP will do very well at the next elections in May, I think.
What other party has Scotland’s best interests at heart and is fighting poverty to help the young families in our cities? Only by controlling all Scottish finances from Holyrood can we try to make it a fairer society for all.
The unionists need to accept this separation issue won’t go away.
S Thomson. 58 Whytehouse Mansions, Kirkcaldy.
Coming round to a different point of view
Sir, In 2009 I had a letter published in The Courier criticising your then political editor Steve Bargeton for his constantly negative comments about the Scottish Parliament.
I have a long memory, so I was delighted to see your editorial of October 9 praising the parliament and going so far as to state that: “those who have been intimately involved in both the Scottish and Westminster parliaments say the former is far more fit for purpose”.
I know that Mr Bargeton is now the deputy editor of The Courier, so I would imagine that this positive position might to some extent reflect a change in his views.
I only hope it doesn’t take another 15 years for him to move on to the perfectly logical conclusion that, if the Scottish Parliament is so obviously more competent and progressive, then it should be governing all of our affairs, and not just the bits that Westminster deigns to allow. I would also hope that The Courier should then reflect this view, as recently expressed so comprehensively by the citizens of Dundee.
Les Mackay. 5 Carmichael Gardens, Dundee.
We have been far too soft on immigration
Sir, I am in complete agreement with Nigel Farage’s comments on stopping immigration for criminals who have committed serious offences such as murder, and stopping ill people coming to Britain to use our overstretched health service for free.
For too long in this country people have put up with this immigration fiasco and the great disadvantages of this to healthcare, the over-generous British welfare state, education and disadvantaging British workers. They are now, quite rightly, very discouraged by the lack of successful action by this government to tackle these issues.
UKIP are offering a real solution to those issues and are willing to stand up for British people in Europe. It is completely unacceptable that a convicted murderer from Europe could gain entry to the UK.
In America they would not even get entry as a tourist. This country has been far too soft on immigration and it is going to cost this government dearly at the polls in May.
Gordon Kennedy. 117 Simpson Square, Perth.
It’s no wonder UKIP are now a major force
Sir, Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, has said that immigrants with HIV should not be allowed into Britain. As expected one of the “usual suspects” jumps up to protest. Rosemary Gillespie of the HIV charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, said the remarks “show an outrageous lack of understanding”.
Why should the British taxpayer pick up the huge medical bill for foreigners?
According to the UN, around 60 countries bar the entry of HIV-positive people. No wonder UKIP is now a political party to be reckoned with.
Dan Arnott. St Brycedale Court, Kirkcaldy.
Are they too busy for this as well now?
Sir, Has anyone else noticed there are many vehicles on the roads which would appear to have no indicators or lights! Why can the drivers not make use of the indicators to let us know the direction they intend to travel and also “see and be seen” between dusk and dawn?
Is this another “offence” abandoned by the police, due to the high volume of work?
John McDonald. 14 Rosebery Court, Kirkcaldy.
Claw marks put kybosh on big cat theories
Sir, It is rather ironic that the silhouette paw prints you used to illustrate your article on alleged big cat sightings in Fife (Fife named big cat hotspot, October 11), have a prominent claw on each toe.
The photographed paw print in snow, ascribed to “The Beast of Balbirnie”, also appears to have claws.
The irony is, of course, that all cats except one have fully retractable claws they walk and run with their claws sheathed and do not leave claw-prints on the ground. The one exception is the cheetah, which would not fit the description of the “big dark cat” cited in the article.
Another characteristic is that a cat’s two outer toes are positioned beside, and slightly further back than, the two inner toes. The so-called Beast of Balbirnie paw print, as well as having possible claw marks, also clearly shows the outer toes well back and tucked in behind the inner toes. On that basis, it is almost certainly the paw print of a dog.
Richard A’Brook. 82 Thomas Street, Carnoustie