Census failure is just the latest fiasco under Sturgeon

Sir, – The Scottish Government’s massive failure in delivering ferries, operating a railway, providing a decent education for our children, ensuring that the nation’s infrastructure is up to standard and making our NHS fit for purpose may be recoverable over time if the present incompetent administration is removed from office and their obsession with constitutional change shunted into the sidings.

However, while many blunders can be righted, it is not so the case with the

Scottish Census which has been an abysmal failure and fiasco.

It is a one-off event which can never be repeated for the current period and needs a response rate of approximately 94% to be worthwhile.

It has been described as a “shambolic exercise” and an appalling waste of £148 million because there hasn’t been enough response to make the data useable.

As a result, the poorest in our community will suffer injustices.

While MSP Angus Robertson opined that “there are lessons to be learned” we should ask why the census was delayed in the first instance when in the rest of the UK it took place without any problems and had a response rate of 97%.

Ms Sturgeon’s style of government employing grievance, gripe and blaming Westminster for her inadequacies can’t be used in the case of the appalling handling of the census and the long term, unwelcome problems that will surely materialise.

Without accurate data there cannot be effective government.

And finally, will the Scottish Government pursue those who didn’t return their census forms having been warned that it was an offence not to do so with fines of £1,000 being imposed?

If Ms Sturgeon doesn’t insist that the law in this case is upheld, it is highly unlikely that something as vital as the census can ever be held again. What a disaster.