‘Nirvana’ of independence

Madam, – Stuart Hogg, Scotland’s rugby team full-back, said of his team’s defeat by Japan in the Rugby World Cup: “I don’t think it’s actually kicked in what’s happened. When it does, it will eat away at me for a long, long time. It’s going to hurt. But this is the place we’ve put ourselves in.”

What he said could be

a metaphor describing Scotland under the stewardship of Nicola Sturgeon and the situation her divisive politics have led the people of Scotland into.

Our education system once lauded as one of the best in the world has become beset by mediocracy and our society has been encouraged to look upon success as taxable and dumbing down as a legitimate means to improve the prospects

of those not prepared to engage in hard work, commitment and competitive enterprise.

Entitlement has become the mantra for a whole generation and independence the panacea for all the ills self inflicted on Scotland.

But as Stuart Hogg rightly says, like our rugby team, this is the place we’ve put ourselves in.

However, beyond the political smoke and mirrors of Brexit and

the siren calls to the nirvana of independence, the Scots electorate is beginning to see just what a dysfunctional mess the nationalists have created in governance with a failing health service, creaking infrastructure, poor transport facilities, demoralised local councils, an underfunded police force and the profligate waste of money on projects such as Gaelic language signage which curiously

they think will make us feel more Scottish.

On top of all this, not only are we the highest taxed part of the UK but we also have the highest deficit in Europe and Ms Sturgeon apparently prepared to accept that there could be a hard border with England after separation and decades of austerity on stilts just to break even economically.

If our nation’s performance reflects that of our national rugby team then the reality of our future under the threat of nationalist performance and ideology in government is clear and it’s no way to become winners at home or away.

Iain G Richmond. Guildy House, Monikie.