Sir, What’s all this fighting talk about what will cease to be British and become the property of Scotland, or what’s left of Britain?
Alex Salmond is great at plucking figures, themes, homecomings and assets out of the air.
He says Scotland will accept its share of the national debt for “her rightful due” by way of assets, armed forces, bits of the NHS, pensions, and so on.
Well, that may be a fair idea. Let’s divi up on a population basis. That should be quite fair.
Let’s see now . . . GB population: more than 60 million and heading for 65, and estimated to reach 85 on current immigration rates (government figures) and Scotland: 5.2 million rising slowly.
Scotland has one-twelfth of the UK population at the moment.
Oil reserves have been, since 1970, and are currently in UK waters. So, try this deal, Alex. Using your method of asset distribution. One-twelfth of the oilfields to Scotland and eleven-twelfths to what remains of the UK.
That’s fair isn’t it?
K J MacDougall. 3 Logie Avenue, Dundee.
Should have informed us
Sir, SNP Treasury spokesman Stewart Hosie demonstrated a total lack of initiative in his letter (Tuesday). Instead of berating George Osborne over the anticipated budget statement he should have been stating what we could expect from his party.
He is possibly awaiting an official statement from the SNP on their fiscal position, which is extremely unlikely since they have not even published a statement about the currency they propose using.
With only six months until the referendum date I think it is only fair to ask what currency does an independent Scotland propose using and what input will a proposed “independent government” have in its control?
Willie Robertson. Grianan, Lynton, Stanley.
Develop our own resources
Sir, However the Ukrainian farrago pans out, the EU is likely to heed Margaret Thatcher’s old warning and look for ways to diversify its energy needs away from Russia.
In the short term Europe’s leaders could press the US for larger exports of liquefied natural gas but in the longer term it makes sense to develop their own resources.
Scotland may continue to bet the house on wind, but practical nations like Poland and Germany will use what lies to hand, including coal and France has its nuclear stations.
England may choose to exploit its newly-found shale beds in the southern counties which appear to be as vast as those already available in the north of the country.
If Scotland does decide to follow Alex Salmond off into the Celtic twilight it could find its highly-priced wind energy as unsellable in a few years as Russia’s natural gas.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
Meeting those objectives
Sir, With regard to your two-page Madras special in Tuesday’s paper; until 2012, the council’s Madras College objectives were :A single site, convenient for majority of pupils, fostering university co-location synergies. All its all-weather sports facilities onsite or nearby. Land at fair exchange/cost, suitable for existing template; manageable drainage, scope for expansion, facilitating disposal of South Street and Kilrymont. Safe drop-off points, bus access/egress; good parking, biking and public transport provision. Maximising educational content of £40m budget, despite including all mitigation/exceptional works and required South Street upgrade. Meeting Audit Scotland’s “Best Value and Lifetime Cost” principles. For ever after: no HGV pollution, traffic disruption, school buses in-town; no impact on housing, hospital/hospice, ambulance, fire, police services, or loss of hospital’s scope to extend eastwards per NHS 2008 plans.It is doubtful Pipeland can meet any of these. North Haugh can probably meet them all.
John Birkett. 12 Horseleys Park, St Andrews.
Indoor bowlers in the dark…
Sir, As a member of Perth Indoor Bowling Club I think it is about time that Live Active and Perth and Kinross Council entered into discussions with the indoor bowlers regarding the future of our club at Dewars Centre.
At present we have the finest indoor stadium in Scotland, much favoured by the Scottish Indoor Bowling Association for international games and the World Bowls Championships. Having read in the press that this first-class stadium is to be demolished and replaced with a £25 million complex encompassing curling along with many other sports facilities, yet excluding indoor bowling, I am very concerned our sport is not being catered for.
Rumours are rife that we will be accommodated at a new building at Perth Bowling Club at the North Inch, but again there has been no discussion whatsoever with the indoor bowlers. Perth Bowling club is a private outdoor bowling club with no connection to the Indoor Bowling Club.
I believe it would be in the best interests of bowlers, Live Active, Perth and Kinross Council and whoever is promoting the North Inch venture, to enter into joint discussions regarding the future of indoor bowling in Perth. Douglas Copland.
Seniors Indoor Section President, Perth Indoor Bowling Club.