Sir, – The results of Sunday’s German regional elections are the latest sign that the times are changing in Europe.
While the vote share of Angela Merkel’s CDU plummeted, the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany entered the three contested regional parliaments, gaining 24% of the vote in Sachsen Anhalt.
The success of three-year-old Alternative for Germany can be traced back to last summer’s reckless decision by Mrs Merkel to throw Germany, and indeed the European Union, open to mass immigration from the Middle East.
Before that decision, Alternative, which was founded on opposition to the euro, had only limited appeal to German voters.
After all, while the euro has been calamitous for southern Europe and catastrophic for Greece, it has benefited German exporters by keeping their products price-competitive.
No doubt Mrs Merkel and the Brussels bureaucrats will be unmoved by these results.
However, national governments eventually have to answer to their electorates; this is why so many of them across the EU are throwing up fences and new border controls in complete contradiction to the Schengen agreement.
This dysfunctional and anti-democratic arrogance in the face of popular concerns about mass immigration is yet another reason why the EU is doomed. We should not wait for the final act of this tragedy but vote in June to leave.
Otto Inglis. 6 Inveralmond Grove, Edinburgh.
Scotland no one-party state
Sir, – Dr John Cameron claims that Scotland is now a one-party state (March 15). His reason? Holyrood has a single chamber.
He forgot to mention any of the other tyrannical hellholes with unicameral legislatures.
How about Denmark, Sweden, Finland and New Zealand?
All of these benighted countries are independent and, therefore, don’t even enjoy the benefits of Westminster taking the big decisions for them.
What Dr Cameron’s tirade boils down to is that devolved Scotland is less totalitarian than New Zealand. Frankly, I’ve seen scarier scare stories.
Perhaps the opponents of the SNP should acknowledge that the SNP’s dominance is due largely to the abysmal performance of the opposition parties.
Sorting out the abject opposition would be a far more constructive contribution to the democratic process than issuing risible smears like one-party state.
James Christie. 2 Dryburgh Crescent, Perth.
Democracy in action
Sir, – I note that the expert-on-everything, Rev Dr John Cameron, is trying to perpetuate the ludicrous myth that Scotland is a one-party state.
As one of your previous correspondents pointed out, Scotland is not North Korea.
At elections the voter is faced with a ballot paper containing a wide variety of choices. They don’t get that in Pyongyang.
The fact that all but three of the Westminster parliamentary seats and a majority of Holyrood seats are held by the SNP is an expression of the will of the Scottish people.
I suggest that Dr Cameron turns to his dictionary and looks up the word democracy.
It comes from the ancient Greek and simply means rule by the people. It developed in ancient Athens and its modern equivalent, representative democracy, is what we have today.
Just because Dr Cameron is at odds with the majority of Scots does not make Scotland a one-party state. It does indicate, however, that Dr Cameron is out of step with the majority.
Jim Robertson. 194 High Street, Montrose.
Take shackles off Scotland
Sir, – It is that time of year again when the GERS (Government Expenditure and Revenue for Scotland) figures hit the headlines and are inevitably used to attack the case for Scottish independence.
A budget deficit twice that of the UK is seen as a means to oppose independence, but such figures tell us little about the opportunities that independence presents as this is within the straitjacket of the current union.
It is impossible to use these numbers in reference to the fortunes of an independent Scotland as the whole point of Scottish independence is to gain control of the fiscal levers so that they can stimulate the economy, whether there is oil or no oil.
Even after the Smith Commission powers are fully implemented, 71% of taxes raised in Scotland will be controlled in Westminster, so we will still be strongly tied to the whims of Westminster.
There will no control over Corporation Tax, Capital Gains Tax or National Insurance. And our ability to grow our population and our tax base is limited by the UK Government too.
Scotland is rich in human talent and natural resources, full of potential if we want to use it.
But what we lack are the economic levers to maximise growth in our economy, and invest according to our own priorities.
With independence, the Scottish Government could design policies that are tailored to Scotland’s not the UK Government’s circumstances. It is still very much a bright horizon towards which we should walk.
Alex Orr. 77 LeamingtonTerrace, Edinburgh.
Cash flows into internet
Sir, – We should be wary of drawing misleading impressions from statistical surveys.
For example, recent housing surveys celebrated uplift in the volumes of sales in Scotland, which appears to be encouraging.
But the truly significant information is missed. The average values of all categories of properties sold in Scotland and measured independently by both the Halifax and Nationwide’s own records, show a decline of 2% in Scottish home values.
Property prices fall when sellers are more numerous than buyers. This may well reflect falling public confidence in buying domestic property.
Another big difference in Scotland is that our overall population is static as deaths continue to outnumber our falling birthrates. Net migration appears to be close to zero.
Likewise, the good news in the annual PWC survey of shop openings and closures shows that takeaways and four-star hotels are Scotland’s fastest-growing sectors.
This may reflect the growing opportunity in Perth of eating out. The really big story from that retail survey is that more and more retail sales are migrating to the internet and to local delivery vans. This is where business investment is booming.
Andrew Dundas. 34 Ross Avenue, Perth.
Action on Angus health services
Sir, – Five years ago, I had to make a very fast drive to Montrose Royal Infirmary so that my youngest grand-daughter could be born at the maternity unit, and not in my car.
If I’d had to drive to Arbroath or Dundee, then she would have been born in the back seat of my car.
Last week, I was at the infirmary again, visiting my 84-year-old brother, who’d had a nasty fall.
Now it looks like the infirmary is threatened with closure again.
There is a threat to the Mulberry Unit at Stracathro which was just built a few years ago.
Now they’re talking about closing the unit and centralising everything 30 miles away.
Those of us involved with Angus Against Cuts, and all those who have been involved in opposing cuts in services by Angus Council, know that just getting up a petition isn’t enough to stop the authorities doing what they have already decided on. It is going to need more than just petitioning, and more than just relying on councillors or politicians as well. Prepare for direct action.
Dave Coull. 7 Inglis Court, Edzell.
Time to scrap high-speed rail
Sir, – The proposed HS2 project, costing upwards of £50 billion, may not be so high speed after all, due to recently discovered track problems. That news, taken with proposed further benefit cuts for an ageing population, would sensibly suggest cancellation of this dubious vanity project, that will cost at least £800 for every person in the UK.
Care of the elderly and disabled surely has higher priority than saving 20 minutes on a train journey for a few people.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood.