Scotland needs urgent population boost

Sir – Being a parent is one of life’s great joys. Being a mother is even more rewarding and demanding and worthy of celebration.

It is sad to report that yet again, Scotland’s birth rate is falling.

Births are more than a third less than needed to maintain our working age population.

All the while, the number of deaths registered exceeds births as our population shrinks.

There’s been negligible overall growth since the 1961 census. Our 2011 survey gave Scotland just 100,000 more people. All of those were pensioners.

A large part of our problem is that we have persuaded women that having a career is somehow more rewarding than being a mum and a homemaker.

Why aren’t we helping young women to have both a paid career as well as investing in all our futures by becoming a mum?

While Scotland’s population declines, the birth rate down south keeps growing.

Why isn’t there more support for young families, and for opportunities for mothers to resume their careers once their children are growing up?

In the first five months of this year, Registers of Scotland has recorded only 21,742 births.

Last year, births were 664 higher during those same months. Ten years ago there were 3,275 more births than we’ve gained so far this year.

For all of the free university places we make available in providing education to foreign students, only a tiny minority remain here once they have their degrees.

Perhaps some policy adjustments are needed?

Among our five party leaders in Holyrood, they only have two children, which might indicate their personal priorities for Scotland’s future.

Scotland’s party leaders, from left, Patrick Harvie, Ruth Davidson, Nicola Sturgeon, Kesia Dugdale and Willie Rennie.