Blaming English for Scotland’s ills is a gross distortion of historical facts

Richard Walthew’s letter (13 February) is a classic of its kind. Totally biased against the United Kingdom and/or England and blaming the British establishment for all the ills which (as he sees it) have befallen Scotland. He is a man with a desperate ignorance of history, but a willingness to believe hostile propaganda.

The idea that anything insig- nificant like world economic forces, or the actions of Scots themselves could be to blame is not even considered.

Having blamed (but not named) the English and, or Westminster, or the Tories, perhaps, for brutal suppression of the Scots, ignoring the devastation visited upon England by Parliament’s armies (and Scotland’s), he then blames the Clearances on the same people and not the Lowland Scots, who were in very large measure responsible.

Despite shipbuilding vanishing in the likes of Tyneside, steel at Consett and industry in the West Midlands, plus England’s huge coal industry etc being wiped out, it’s all England’s fault. It only happened to Scotland and they hate us, seems to be his message. His historically illiterate ravings typify the ignorance which is spread by extremist Nationalists amongst their unread fellows, perpetuating attitudes of misplaced hatred for non-existent sins.

Even his “few aristocrats” who signed the Act of Union in 1707 are slated. Just to be balanced, will he also slate Wallace, Bruce and Moray, the Scots aristocrats who fought the English in the Wars of Independence? Bruce did pretty well out of that. Do let’s be even-handed.

ANDREW HN GRAY Craiglea Drive, Edinburgh I can only assume that the rant by Richard Walthew is the result, to borrow from Jane Austen, of either too much of Mr Weston’s good wine or is simply a wind-up. Just about everything mentioned is a gross distortion of the truth and certainly not worthy of any detailed response, if indeed eliciting such was the aim of his contribution. (DR) A MCCORMICK

Kirkland Road Terregles, Dumfries