Sir, – Mr Windsor is perfectly correct to cite England as an example where the Conservative government forced school staff and pupils to attend until the bitter end (Letters, December 28).
However, he is wrong to say that the Labour government in Wales also failed to close schools early.
Welsh secondary schools and colleges closed their doors on Friday December 11 in favour of home tuition in the lead-up to Christmas.
On the subject of blended learning, Mr Windsor’s assertions that the teaching unions were against staff and pupils working from home are a little disingenuous.
Quite astonishingly, despite education minister John Swinney’s incessant boasts of “record investments in education”, there are still many youngsters from cash-strapped backgrounds who have yet to be given or even lent the most basic of laptops from Mr Swinney’s government department.
Jamie Buchan.
Grove Rd,
Dundee.
SNP not to blame for ‘disastrous’ Brexit
Sir, – Arch unionist Jill Stephenson surpasses herself in her letter (Softer Brexit if SNP MPs had voted for it, December 30) when she attempts to lay the blame for Brexit at the door of the SNP.
Has she forgotten that the Scottish people voted, in every single area of Scotland, against Brexit, by a majority of 2:1?
She ignores the fact that this most incompetent Westminster government of cronies and vested interests was overwhelmingly rejected in Scotland, with their representation at the last election more than halved, and the three unionist parties winning only 11 out of 59 seats.
Might I also remind her that the Conservative Party, which has brought the UK to this sorry state, has not had a majority in a general election in Scotland since 1955.
It could not be more clear that Scotland rejected Brexit, and its architects and, as it becomes increasingly obvious, that there is no upside for Scotland.
So why does Ms Stephenson think that the only party which specifically represents the interests of the people of Scotland should support this disastrous deal?
Les Mackay.
5 Carmichael Gardens,
Dundee.
Time for change of lockdown strategy?
Sir, – The latest official figures on Covid deaths show in the UK that only 438 people under the age of 60 have died from the virus.
Of those who were under 19 only six have died.
Now that a vaccine exists should we not have a change of strategy locking down only the vulnerable until they are vaccinated?
Ask younger members of families not to visit any older relatives to save passing on the virus.
Hospitals are being overwhelmed by older, vulnerable patients not the young.
All business and public transport must get back to normal to stop long term unemployment especially amongst the young who are unlikely to die from the virus.
Eric Gibbons.
112 Coldingham Place,
Dunfermline.
Politician ‘working her socks off’
Sir, – I would like to pay tribute to a woman working her socks off to ensure the success of her country post-independence. Sit down Nicola. I refer to Liz Truss whose team has negotiated global trade deals. She has done this quietly, simply getting on with the job for which she is paid.
David Mair.
11 Gowan Rigg,
Forfar.
Benefits of being together’
Sir, – Isn’t it fantastic that as part of a UK we have access to the biggest lifesaver of this century by immediately being supplied with large numbers of the new vaccine developed in England and the research and production paid for by a forward thinking UK Government.
We must appreciate the benefits of us all being together.
Jim Wallace.
Barry,
Carnoustie.
