Remember Gaza when you cast your vote today - Readers' Letters:

Racism, Russia's military aggression and the need to uphold democracy are rightly highlighted. It is surprising, though, that no mention is made of the suffering people of Palestine where the UK Government, and its opposition, have stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel in lending it political legitimacy and providing military backing.

Surely we must ask ourselves, If either party stood shoulder to shoulder with Russia in its war against Ukraine, would we lend them our vote?

To vote Labour or Conservative – both of which defended the bombing and starving of Gaza's people, both of which even now will not commit to ceasing arms sales to an occupying state on trial at the International Court of Justice for committing genocide – may itself be seen by future generations as unwittingly racist: we are only prepared to turn a blind eye to such violence when differences in skin tone, culture and religion serve somehow to obscure such horror. I, too, am not endorsing any political party. But if we really believe in democracy, we ought to seek out an alternative to those intent on pursuing political gain by such profoundly anti-democratic means.

Martin J Johnstone, Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire

Going overboard

With yet another Reform Party electoral candidate leaving to join the Conservatives, is this the first example of rats boarding a sinking ship?

D Mitchell, Edinburgh

Austerity Max

Those watching election proceedings will have become familiar with the figure of £18 billion. It's the SNP's main – indeed only – election gambit. John Swinney proclaims that according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) such is the austerity faced by a Westminster government

He omits to mention that that figure relates to the next five years and also that it applies to the whole of the UK. The effect on Scotland would be a deficit in the region of £300 million per year, considerably less than Mr Swinney's favourite number.

It is not an insignificant figure of course – almost enough under SNP management to build two ferries. Or only £150 million less than the £450 million of EU money the SNP forgot to spend. Given the SNP’s profligacy will it even be noticed?

The Labour party is confident that their economic policies will more than offset any such potential deficit. What is the SNP proposal? You can probably guess.

But what Mr Swinney also omits to mention is that the IFS also forecast that “it is highly likely an independent Scotland would need to make bigger cuts to public spending or bigger increases to taxes in the first decade following independence than the rest of the UK would need to”. As with SNP projections generally, their austerity – made in Scotland – will be world leading.

Colin Hamilton, Edinburgh

Dump Westminster

It could be said that naivete – like beauty – is in the eye of the beholder (Michael Officer, Letters, 29 June). With Scottish Independence anyone in receipt of a UK state pension will continue receiving payment, just as ex-pats living abroad currently do. Austerity was imposed by the UK government (UKG) after the banking crash of 2008. UKG economic policy needs to end austerity, to allow the Scottish economy to reach its full potential, support business, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and allow further investment to improve vital public services like the NHS and schools

Under the Scottish Government (SG), Scotland’s public services are in a better state than elsewhere in the UK. In transport, it delivered the under-budget new Queensferry Crossing and increased rail services, with the nationalised ScotRail the best performing in the UK, modernising stations and increasing free bus travel

As for the poorest in society under the SG, Scotland is a much fairer place in which to live. It has established a new social security system, including the Scottish Child Payment scheme, which is the most ambitious anti-poverty measure anywhere in the UK. Free childcare was expanded and the Carer’s Allowance Supplement was brought in, giving 84,000 carers in Scotland the most generous support in the UK.

Brexit – English independence – has put a hard border down the middle of the English Channel. Despite voting almost 2 to 1 to remain in the EU, Scotland had Brexit imposed on us undemocratically by our more populous neighbour. Westminster’s “hostile environment” saw large numbers of European migrants leave Scotland’s hospitals and hospitality business to return home.

A National Bureau of Economic Research report highlights that Brexit is likely to have reduced UK GDP by 6 to 11 per cent, more than the OBR 4 per cent estimate. This is a loss of £2,000-£3,500 per person per year.

DW Lowden, Aberdeen

Back to basics

Broadcaster Nicky Campbell asked John Swinney a simple question. In response, Swinney behaved as if it were a major philosophical problem. “First Minister, how many genders are there?” asked Campbell. Long silence, then “Em… eh... well, I think there'll be quite a debate about that, Nicky, you know, I think there are... well, certainly from my point of view I recognise that... a woman is an adult born as a female and there are also transgender women”. Pressed further, after saying “people will debate and discuss that”, he conceded that there are male and female genders.

What “debate” is there to be had? I quite see that, at this time especially, Swinney doesn’t want to upset those who subscribe to the gender mythology that seems to have swept the country. It is long past time that leaders, decision-makers and teachers accepted and taught basic biology – that there are two sexes and that “gender” is a social construct. The starting point should be that you cannot change your sex. Children need to grow up understanding that. Swinney’s government needs to bring an end to the infiltration into schools of proselytisers of fake news beliefs – because it is a belief system, not fact – who have been allowed, or even invited, into primary as well as secondary schools.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Superglued

With D-Day upon us, we are still unclear about John Swinney and his party's declaration on the result. Apparently he claims a certain of number of seats will give him the right to open negotiations with the UK government, presumably for a referendum on breaking up the UK. So far, so clear. But what he refuses to answer is this: will not attaining the threshold he and his party have decreed result in his terminally wearying obsession being dropped?

Mr Swinney was almost as unclear when asked about genders. At least the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, eventually got off the fence in the “what is a woman?” debate. Mr Swinney seems superglued to his.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

City slickers

May I point out to Central Belt Scots such as Paul Brna (Letter, 2 July) that the Queensferry Crossing is of little use to those living in Galloway. Also, stations at East Linton or Leven are of minimum use to those living in Durness and data on ferry numbers is useless if there is no ferry for Islanders wishing to get to hospital appointments on the mainland.

Note also that Scotland is equally split between the Central Belt and those living in the rural hinterland, but upgrading the A96 and the A75 would have been a better choice than trams for Edinburgh, which already had an excellent bus service – a facility not readily available outside the Central Belt.

Ian Moir, Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway

Final whistle?

I am not a great television sports fan, though I have enjoyed watching Wimbledon and the Euros. I can appreciate that it would be “wrong” to fail to extend viewing where there is extra time and even penalties, but I do object to waiting for my news bulletin an additional period to listen to pundits discussing the match.

Come on, you sports fans; you have enjoyed the extended viewing, please let us have our delayed news as soon after the final whistle as possible. If the pundits’ explanations are necessary why not scrub the actual match and just listen to their explanation of the highlights and what happened and why?

James Watson, Dunbar, East Lothian

Charming hills

Ronald Turnbull's article was very interesting and a wonderful introduction to that most fascinating of leisure occupations, hillwalking in Scotland (2 July).

However, I must take exception to his somewhat disparaging comment on the Monadhliaths. They may lack the prestige of Ben Nevis or the cliffs of Skye and the Cairngoms but they have their share of Munros, the superb hill pass of the Corrieyairack and the views down the valleys are memorable. Also, do not forget Creag Dhubh, the war cry of Clan Macpherson, which towers over Badenoch.

So, do not forget the grey hills, they have their charm.

Sandy Macpherson, Edinburgh

Write to The Scotsman

We welcome your thoughts – NO letters submitted elsewhere, please. Write to [email protected] including name, address and phone number – we won't print full details. Keep letters under 300 words, with no attachments, and avoid 'Letters to the Editor/Readers’ Letters' or similar in your subject line – be specific. If referring to an article, include date, page number and heading.