Focus, Fergus

Fergus Ewing has sadly caught a dose of the condition called “Fighting for Scotland”.no doubt this is an infection caught from his leader, Nicola Sturgeon, who has often declared herself to be in the grip of it. One of the troubling symptoms seems to be an inability to answer the simple question: “What is my real job? What am I for?”

May I remind Fergus Ewing that he was parachuted into Rural Affairs to clear up the muddle created by the disastrous £180 million failed computer system brought in by the SNP government? An 80 per cent part payment of the CAP support payment to farmers in November has been followed by nothing except a long silence. Job done? I don’t think so. Will silence be maintained until they hit the buffers in June and find themselves liable for a hefty EU fine for late payment of the balance outstanding?

I see from a report of Mr Ewing attending the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels that he is pushing the UK government to “get the best possible deal for all farmers in the UK in light of the uncertainty caused be the decision to leave the EU”! It would be funny if it were not so serious.

The SNP government are the single greatest producers of uncertainty on these islands. Single handedly, since the Scottish Referendum, they have continued to warn Westminster, threaten another referendum ad infinitum and we are thoroughly sick of their devious opportunism.

No need to enquire why Scotland has failed to match the unexpected UK progress in the economy and employment. In these circumstances would you choose to invest in Scotland? ALISON FULLARTON Lumsdaine, Eyemouth