Readers' Letters: Candidates should concentrate on local issues and frontline services

Nigel wants to “make Scotland the most successful nation in the UK” yet his letter came from Feltham in Southern England. He’s trying hard.

John could only manage four short paragraphs with soundbites like “a vote for the SNP is a vote for a party that always puts Scotland first”.

Alex wrote that he needs my support to keep up his fight against the SNP. I would rather he addressed the needs of his constituents on issues like road safety and potholes.

Christine, my MP, like Nigel is not even standing and wrote about SNP failures. She blames potholes on “SNP power-grabs” (Perspective, 6 April), offering no solution from the party that “believes in the power of local government”.

I agree with other correspondents’ concerns about a low turnout as no politician has the imagination to solve local issues and reallocate resources to properly fund frontline services, reform welfare and create highly skilled jobs. I am one of the undecided 40 per cent who will likely be unimpressed with what they are hearing from our politicians. Expect voter apathy and a 60 per cent turnout.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

Dress in black

Voters have ditched Viktor Orbán, whose Hungary is said to have become a corrupt state. His party has ruled the state for 16 years.

Compare that to Scotland, run by the SNP for 19 years, in which people are told that Scotland subsidises the rest of the UK – an utter falsehood. SNP MSPs led the gender wars by saying that should be allowed to change their gender without medical involvement from the age of 16. That is something which is not physically possible.

They also previously wanted everyone to have a “Named Person” up to the age of 18, but also allowed the same people to have the vote! So, you're a child when they want to decide things on your behalf, but you're an adult when they might get your vote?

Scottish police have doubled the number of officers looking into hate speech crime. Doesn’t it make you feel good to live in a country that can imprison you for saying something? The UK used to be a free country.

The SNP doesn’t manage to do anything that matters, like dualling the A9, but they will allow you to shoot up heroin if that's your thing. If you want a ferry, they can build one for you with a wooden funnel and painted-on windows, but it's frae Scoalun’ so they must be worth a vote. Just don't expect any jobs in oil or gas, unless there's an election coming, of course.

Even SNP supporters can't be relied on. I read that some think John Swinney looks like a funeral director. Quite right – and it's Scotland's funeral.

Andrew HN Gray, Edinburgh

Good news

One ray of sunshine, hopefully spreading over Europe, is Peter Magyar’s landslide victory in the Hungarian election. Despite, or more likely because of, the support from both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban had to concede defeat on Sunday evening.

It is to be hoped that Hungary's victory for democracy, with an amazing turnout, will spark a change of fortune, negatively, for the far right in Europe. Their grip has certainly slackened, not least in the UK itself. While Viktor Orban was a mentor for both Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, we can only hope his downfall will be followed by theirs, sooner rather than later.

Orban's defeat is a victory for the EU, who can welcome Hungary fully back to their fold. It's good news too for Ukraine, with a return of Hungarian support, albeit financially. It's bad news for Russia, who have lost an ally, which is good news for us all.

Ian Petrie, Edinburgh

Swinney bridge

John Swinney has claimed that an independence referendum “could be held in 2028” (“Swinney under pressure on NHS in first TV debate”, 13 April).

Do SNP supporters have short memories or are they just gullible enough to believe what Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and John Swinney have been saying for the last 12 years every time there is an election?

If you believe Swinney will get you a referendum in 2028, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

Jane Lax, Aberlour, Moray

Unbelievable

As we get closer to the Holyrood elections, politicians and their support teams will be in evidence everywhere.

In my view, if the Scottish Parliament is destined to continue, and as far as I am concerned that is not a foregone conclusion, then sweeping changes will be necessary.

The SNP/Greens coalition was merely a convenience to maintain a majority; it is obvious that as partners they had remained quite far apart. They had very little in common.

No matter how much the leaders of the SNP try to assure us all of their good intentions, there is no way Scotland could survive as an independent country economically, administratively or from a defence point of view. Any such beliefs are a false notion on the part of the SNP pundits.

What Scotland needs is a less extreme form of administration; whether such a body is formed by one party, or a coalition, most emphatically a change of the status quo is essential. We have all had enough of the same old emphasis from the SNP about “independence”. They lost that argument at the time of the 2014 referendum – it is now just “cauld kail het”.

Robert I G Scott, Northfield, Ceres, Fife

Who’s a patriot?

So Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says Sir Keir Starmer is the most unpopular prime minister in living memory. Also without doubt the least patriotic prime minister in history.

I dispute both these claims, there have a few more unpopular. As far as being patriotic, he stood up to Donald Trump and in spite of all Trump’s insults said we would not be directly involved in his illegal war. Farage, on the other hand, would jump to Trump’s demands.

Is this what he calls patriotism? For the sake of our country we must ensure he never gets the keys to No 10.

Charles Sinclair, Kirkcaldy, Fife

Cross your legs

Have you ever wondered what the NC in “NC500” actually stands for?

Reading Alastair Dalton’s article questioning the impact of “The Good, The Bad and the NC500“ – the answer becomes all too obvious – The No Convenience 500!

Communities in the North of Scotland have been so starved of cash by SNP Central Belt politicians there are few facilities, and hardly a public toilet remaining open on our number one tourist route.

On top of that, our idiotic Highland councillors are proposing a visitor levy, which will inevitably damage our already beleaguered hotels and B&Bs, and discourage “staycationers” with yet another tax.

Surely it is time the entirely parasitic wind industry multinationals, foisted on Highland communities against their express wishes, with their obscene level of subsidies, stumped up and handed back what is effectively our own cash.

This could be used to prioritise pothole repair, road improvements and essential services like toilets, car parks, campsites and so on.

It would be just compensation for our hard-pressed tourist industry, our visitors in total desperation, and blessed relief all round.

Here in the Highlands, we do NOT need a tourist levy. We need a tourist lavvy!

George Herraghty, Elgin, Moray

Island emergency

The people of the Scottish islands have felt the cost of the poor management of their ferries under the current Scottish government. They should be prepared for more bad news.

The Iran war means the cost of diesel and marine fuel is already prohibitively high but no one in government mentions the effect it will have on island transport costs and the impact it will have on food and other raw materials delivered by ferry to the islands.

The effect of degraded transport links due to failing ferries along with rising energy costs will damage, perhaps beyond repair, the agriculture, fishing, whisky and tourist sectors. We have all heard of the housing emergency – well, it is about time an island emergency was declared.

Alan Black, Edinburgh

Dumf-struck

I read Barrie Cunning’s article on Brand Scotland (13 April) with interest as I used to live in Wigtownshire. The writer points out that actor Sam Heughan is proud of his roots in the South of Scotland, then talks about the need to promote an area so often overlooked.

A good starting point might be accurate geography. New Galloway is not in Dumfriesshire but in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. The three historic counties of the south-west were lumped together as Dumfries and Galloway for the purpose of local government and too often places are now described as being “in Dumfriesshire” when they are not.

Margaret MacArthur, Perth

Chocs away

I read that the manufacturers of Nutella are claiming a product placement scoop on the Artemis II spacecraft.

I rather thought the three parachutes used on the descent of the spacecraft were a product placement scoop for Tunnock’s Teacakes

Alastair Paisley, Juniper Green, Edinburgh

Wr ite to The Scotsman

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