Readers' Letters: Government must admit it has role to play in bins dispute

Furthermore, that GMB Scotland submitted their pay claims in January and that Cosla had only produced an offer in May which was subsequently rejected. Since then, the GMB said, no meaningful talks had taken place between council leaders and trade unions.

This begs a number of questions: why have their been no meaningful talks since May? It is now July and a strike is planned in two weeks’ time.

Cosla, as we know, is a local governmental quango but it has direct relations with the Scottish Government, who must surely have an an input here? For the Scottish Government to take a Pontius Pilate approach to a strike which will take place nationally across 13 councils in Scotland is simply not an acceptable position because we know what happened in 2022!

Moreover, GMB Scotland’s senior organiser for public services, Keir Greenaway, said: “Council leaders refuse to have meaningful talks – while blocking the Scottish Government's intervention to deliver a pay offer that matches our members value.” Yet the Scottish Government claims it has no role in the dispute. As citizens we need to know the truth.

What is clear is that heads need to be knocked together to come up with a solution in the short time available in order to avert a calamitous strike in Edinburgh. Just get it sorted now Mr Greenaway, Edinburgh City Council leader Cammy Day, and First Minister John Swinney!

Jim Park, Edinburgh

Tragic Trident

Following the disastrous US Presidential “debate” The Scotsman leader solemnly announces that Prime Minister-to-be Starmer will need to prioritise “making sure that the Trident missiles designed to carry the UK’s nuclear arsenal actually work” in order to “project strength that Putin will respect”.

This would be laughable were it not so tragic. Anyone who pays any attention to these matters knows that Trident is clapped out and that its replacement, Dreadnought, is delayed and over budget.

In the meantime the genuine defence needs of Britain have not been addressed. Troops have been reduced in numbers; there are few, if any, firefighting helicopters available to us, despite the increasing frequency of fires due to climate change. Resource security (energy and water) hasn't been addressed. Britain is living in the past with a workforce suffering a decline in real wages not seen since the Napoleonic Wars, the return of diseases associated with poverty and extreme deprivation, and the rapid decline in service provision most starkly represented by its inability to provide clean drinking water to the bulk of the population not fortunate enough to live in Scotland.

Finally, Trident is serviced in King's Bay, Georgia, in the United States, and is very likely targeted by a NAVSTAR satellite controlled in Omaha, Nebraska. Putin knows this, even if the British public doesn't.

It's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Marjorie Ellis Thompson, Former Chair, British CND, Edinburgh

Embrace change

The postal vote shambles (your report, 4 July) would have been easily resolved had antiquated Westminster embraced real change and modernised itself into a proper democracy.

In the last 20 years Estonia has held 13 elections at local, national and EU level where e-voting can take place, and last year a majority of citizens voted online by scanning their ID card and entering a unique pin number as a digital signature to confirm their vote.

Westminster’s first-past-the-post system is an insult to democracy and not a true reflection of public opinion, while the House of Commons voting system should be electronic, thus saving hundreds of wasted hours, both by copying the Scottish Parliament’s procedures.

And it is farcical that an overseas resident who hasn’t lived in the UK for 60 years can vote in a general election but not an EU citizen paying taxes in the UK.

Also, Prime Minister’s Questions should be extended to give minor parties with, say, six or ten seats, a couple of weekly questions, in order to highlight different opinions.

While they are at it, perhaps the next UK Government will outline the democratic route to Scottish self-government. Now that would represent real change, but I won’t hold my breath.

Mary Thomas, Edinburgh

Follow the rules

A leading nationalist, Fiona Hyslop, demanded pre-election that an incoming Keir Starmer government must “repeal dangerous anti-devolution legislation”.

Coming from a party that could be struggling after suffering losses at the general election, that is indeed a big ask. If she is referring to the legislation that saved Scotland from going down the very dark road of the SNP-Greens Gender Recognition Reform Bill, may I say that there are many Scots only too grateful that the UK Government was able to control the extremist elements of the SNP-Greens involved and have the Bill thrown out in a manner that was perfectly legal. This is the crucial system of checks and balances needed to keep the worst features of extremism in every corner of the UK under some kind of overall control.

Would it not be infinitely better for every party to operate within the agreed rules?

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Haste ye gone

Why does this absurd notion of an independent Scotland remain top of the SNP agenda?

For 14 years it has diverted the Scottish Government from focusing only on the competent running of the Scottish state.

John Swinney’s election manifesto is really just a final suicide note before the SNP is unseated as the power – I use the word loosely – in the land and the Unionists and sanity take over.

Speaking entirely hypothetically, if Scotland became independent it would suffer a level of austerity which would bring Scotland to its hypothetically kilted knees. Yet successive nationalist first ministers have shamelessly persisted with living a lie that simply does not address what is right and best for Scotland.

It’s time for them to go. To a sizeable number of Scots, this can’t come a moment too soon.There’ll be no “Haste ye back” here.

Doug Morrison, Tenterden, Kent

Lost generation

The SNP and Labour claim there will be gainful employment after they stop North Sea oil and gas production for the 100,000 currently employed in that sector, but totally fail to provide any detail.

Ownership of the new, Green companies is also an issue that they are silent on.

A report is available on the BBC News site about the commissioning of the latest, offshore windfarm, Moray West – cost £2.5 billion, with finance raised by a Google and Amazon-owned lender – no British banks involved!

The massive turbine blades are manufactured in Hull by a German-owned company, Siemens. The benefit to the UK economy of the project is only 20 per cent of the total and once complete, just 70 employees will be required for maintenance work.

Here’s the real kicker, though. Moray East and Moray West will produce enough electricity to power all of the homes in Scotland but all the revenue will be flowing out of the UK to the French and Portuguese companies whose project this is.

The Scottish Nationalists accuse Westminster of raiding the Scottish economy... they need to wake up and smell the roses!

Michael Officer, Bridge of Earn, Perthshire

Mine fossil fuels

Is it just me or am I missing something here?

We currently don't have enough money to accelerate the development of green energy in Scotland, but we are literally sitting on a wealth of gas and oil.

Surely it is not beyond the wit of man to realise that if we direct all the tax profits from oil and gas into a programme to develop green energy, both to transition the jobs and cut costs, we would be able to accelerate the process and get the benefits sooner.

We can have the cake from a green oven and eat it.

John Cutland, Kirkcaldy, Fife

Blessed relief

Excellent comments from Martin O'Gorman on the Labour proposal to impose VAT on the fees charged by private schools (Letters, 3 July). He writes: “State education is already struggling with class sizes, workload, staff shortages and lack of resources.”

One way to solve this would be to give tax relief on private school fees and thus encourage parents to go private, leaving the local authority teachers with the smaller classes and higher standards that devious politicians have promised for decades.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Too late

Andrew HN Gray is a bit late with his sensible suggestion of a school fees loan (Letters, 3 July). Bank of Scotland brought one out more than 40 years ago. Perhaps they’re still available.

Ian Lewis, Edinburgh

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