Sir, – I have read few letters with as many inaccuracies as Ian Lakin’s contribution of July 19.
Firstly Mrs May did not make any “gesture of goodwill” in zooming up to Scotland after her accession.
She came to Scotland to try to head off quite reasonable growing support for independence after we voted not with 41.6% as Mr Lakin amazingly claims but 62% in favour of remaining in the EU, just short of two to one in favour of Remain.
Mr Lakin claims that our government is “single issue”.
In fact, there are a number of SNP policies. The opposition to Tory austerity (cuts) in public spending; the opposition to the Tory bedroom tax, the commitment to the removal of weapons of mass destruction from the Clyde; support for disabled people rather than cuts to their benefits, and membership of the European Union are all SNP policies.
There are more, of course, which Mr Lakin also chooses to ignore in his letter that shows he is not willing to let facts get in the way of a good rant.
Scotland was repeatedly told during the campaign for independence that only voting no to independence would guarantee our remaining in the EU.
Of course, other friends of the Tories also told us that bank headquarters would relocate to London, that Asda prices would go up, and that our weather would get worse if we voted yes. The lies we were told were numerous indeed.
So the Brexit vote where Scotland may be dragged out of the EU against our clear collective will is a sure step towards Scotland breaking free from Tory rule from Westminster.
This Tory rule is being imposed on Scotland in spite of the fact that fewer than 15% of votes here were cast for them at the General Election.
Actually, 63% of UK voters opposed the Tories as well but we are all still ruled by them.
And those, unlike the contents of Mr Lakin’s letter, are real facts.
K Heath.
Cortachy,
Kirriemuir.
Do not insult Scots people
Sir, – Ian Lakin (July 19) should be congratulated for his spin on recent events but I am afraid he has misunderstood the impact of Brexit on the international stage.
I was in Germany last week where Westminster is being openly mocked by even small, regional newspapers.
He is correct in stating that some European leaders said they would not negotiate with Scotland because it was not a separate state.
The obvious corollary of this is that they will negotiate with an independent Scotland.
Europeans now understand the difference between England and Scotland and would welcome us into the fold.
Mr Lakin also talks about a fiscal “black hole” but fails to explain why it is that the Scots are uniquely incapable of running their own country when other countries of similar size manage very well.
I do not understand this desire to publicly insult the ability of the people of Scotland.
Andrew Collins.
Ladyburn House,
Skinners Steps,
Cupar.
Judgment error by SNP MPs
Sir, – Your correspondent Calum Duncan accuses me of being “typical of the bitter Britnasties”.
If Mr Duncan thought the 54 (not 56, remember two resigned the whip) SNP MPs chose not to applaud at the end of last week’s PMQs because of parliamentary procedure, then this shows the naivety of his outlook.
Does he not remember how our modern-day Jacobite fighters said that they were going down to London to change how things were done in Westminster and how the Establishment would not know what hit them?
What has happened to their change agenda when one of their supporters now has to claim that they are so timid, so frightened, so in awe of the Speaker and his rules that they were not going to risk a slap on the wrist by applauding a hard-working public servant like themselves?
If that is their idea of doing things differently then it is not very good.
Some people need to take their blinkers off.
I have spoken to several SNP supporters who agree that the orchestrated, petty action last Wednesday was a crass error of judgment and showed the group (and unfortunately, in the minds of some, our country) in a very bad light.
Being honest is not being nasty.
David A MacKenzie.
12 Torridon Place,
Kinross.
Britain’s power being eroded
Sir, – The proposed takeover of ARM, the UK’s only world-leading hi-tech electronic company, by SoftBank of Japan, is the first chance to test Theresa May’s claim that she opposes the takeover of strategic British companies.
In a speech made just over a week ago she was totally unambiguous that she opposed foreign companies buying our strategically-important businesses.
In the speech she highlighted Cadbury, which was acquired by Kraft of the US, and AstraZeneca, which narrowly escaped takeover by Pfizer.
Both would have been blocked by her, she suggested. Yet, just a matter of days later, she has welcomed the takeover of ARM by SoftBank, valued at around £24 billion.
No other UK tech company has ARM’s reach or reputation. It is at the heart of Cambridge’s hi-tech research and manufacturing cluster, supporting jobs and knowledge well beyond the 3,000 plus it directly employs there.
What’s more, one very important reason why the UK is economically fragile post Brexit is our unsustainably large current account deficit which is due – in part – to decades of selling off our prized industrial assets to other parts of the world.
This has seen the relentless siphoning off of profits and dividends earned here.
If the Government simply waves through a stream of opportunistic takeovers of our great companies while sterling is through the floor, our capacity to ever again pay our way in the world will be holed below the waterline.
Alex Orr.
77 Leamington Terrace,
Edinburgh.
Help for victims of stalking
Sir, – We were very pleased to read Ciaran Sneddon’s article, Shocking figures see cases of stalking rocket in Fife (July 18).
As your reporter pointed out, cases of stalking have indeed been on the increase in Fife and we get many calls from women asking for support in dealing with perpetrators.
Stalking can take many forms. In addition to following or watching a woman, it can also include intrusive behaviours such as verbal abuse and public humiliation, unwanted letters and texts, Twitter trolling, the spreading of rumours, threatening a victim’s family or physical violence.
Stalking curtails a victim’s freedom.
Fortunately, stalking is taken very seriously by the police. We encourage women who are experiencing stalking to tell the police.
We also encourage them to keep a diary of incidents, including any witnesses, and to share this information with the police. We are also here, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 0808 802 5555 to provide free and confidential support to any woman who needs our help.
Ellen McCance.
Fundraising and communications worker,
Fife Women’s Aid,
Saltire Centre,
Pentland Park,
Glenrothes.
Secularism under threat
Sir, – The Turkish constitution was changed to remove the requirement that the religion of the state was Islam in 1928 despite the fact that 99% of the population subscribed to that faith.
It was committed to a secular society with its security guaranteed by the army but recently the political establishment has been reversing this situation.
While the term democratic state may loosely apply to Turkey it is hardly what its great political reformer Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had in mind for the bridge between Asia and Europe.
Given the outcome of the coup, it would appear the Turkish public are not disposed to fight for secularism. It is hoped that secular-minded politicians will become the party in power next time around, if not, Turkey will become just another Islamic state with all the grim prospects that bodes.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.