Readers' Letters: Scottish government must help tenants at risk of homelessness

Fife Council is looking at legal ways to prevent these tenants from becoming homeless. Surely we need the Scottish government involved. They talk talk talk, delay delay delay and confuse confuse confuse and a few years of this will see Torah Capital give up.

While this is going on the current legislation, which doesn't provide the best protection for vulnerable tenants, can be updated and backdated. If Torah Capital decides to go to court then, as they frequently do, the Scottish Ministers can drag it out by using their delay delay delay tactics and their favourite, “These are rules we do not recognise” – and for once I would agree with them.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Art of budgeting

Regarding the lead story’s “Support the Arts” plea to Holyrood (31 January), those backing the campaign to have the Scottish taxpayer fork out more for the arts would do better to campaign for tax relief on artists' work.

The average Scot has far higher priorities than ballet, orchestras etc, such as paying housing or health bills. Patronage of the arts should be a purely private matter.

George Morton, Rosyth, Fife

Tackle China

In 2025 UK exports to China totalled £30.5 billion, down 10.4 per cent, mostly in services.

Our imports were £72.5bn, double our exports, up 4 per cent on the previous years and mostly manufactured goods such as blades for Scottish wind turbines. Foreign direct investment in China was £8.9bn, inward investment from China was £3.7bn.

Apart from the fact we are at a self-imposed disadvantage due to higher energy and labour costs and a less productive workforce, we should surely be doing more to encourage import substitution; boost manufacturing, for example, imposing tariffs. It seems the Chinese have more to lose than us.

Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

Secure energy

Energy security should form the basis of government planning for energy, not a slogan, suggests Nicola Macleod (Scotland on Sunday, 1 February).

Why is it that, after various examples of the faultlines exposed by offshoring responsibilities for energy and manufacturing, our governments still insist on partnering with outside agencies that can and do move their level of support as markets dictate?

The latest example of this comes under the heading of the Hamburg Declaration whereby nine countries, including the UK, share an North Sea offshore wind grid that will enable offshore wind power generation to be fed into various energy grids as required. For those of a bureaucratic mindset this provides the perfect route for energy distribution and security and, of course, brings us yet another step closer to our European neighbours. What could possibly go wrong?

Obviously, a lot depending on the clout of the country in its moment of need.

Energy security is too important to be left to the whims of our “here today, gone tomorrow” politicians, as are the blinkers that blind them as to the essential requirement of an energy supply that can generate power capable for the production of high quality steel essential for all manner of the country’s needs.

What we need when our politicians arrive at their priorities is a clear understanding of how this will improve the lot of the vast majority, timescale for improvement, realistic costs and monitoring system, complete with those responsible for delivery.

Nothing less will enable the voting public to start to regain trust in those we elect to run our country and give some hope for our future energy security.

A Lewis, Coylton, Ayrshire

Admit blame

Stan Grodynski yet again makes false claims about the SNP (Letters, 30 January). He claims they are not to blame for Britain's economic demise.

However it is documented that the SNP threw away the chance to remain in the Customs Union in March 2019, so they had a big hand indeed in costing Britain billions every year. This will have hurt everyone from Shetland to Land's end, and will continue to do so.

The reasons Nicola Sturgeon ordered the abstention that caused this complete exit from Europe need to be shouted from the roof tops from now until the election in May.

Jonathan Davidson, Stow, Scottish Borders

Sorry saga

The ferry saga continues. How much longer? Who knows? I wonder how many more elections will be held before the second ferry, Glen Rosa, is finally completed? The latest six-month delay has increased costs by £12.5 million (“Ferries fiasco: Glen Rosa cost increases yet again to four times original price”, 30 January).

There have already been two Scottish Parliamentary elections since the SNP announced the ferry contract in 2015 with another in May this year. MV Glen Rosa was due to be delivered eight years ago. We’re now told it won’t be ready till the end of this year. I won’t hold my breath.

One has to ask what kind of political party could make sure a complete and utter pig’s ear of issuing a contract for two ferries. The cost has risen from £97 million but the cost to the Scottish taxpayers has already passed the half a billion mark.

Who in their right mind would vote for a party that can’t oversee the building of two ferries on time and within budget?

Jane Lax, Aberlour, Moray

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