Top-heavy rule

In these days of austerity it is now time to look critically at our top heavy Scottish government of four layers and decide on the basis of cost and effectiveness what layer should go.

I can only remember two bills of any consequence passed by Holyrood since its inception in 1999 that had any meaningful effect on the way we live in Scotland. The first was the abandonment of the ancient property feudal system, which was well past its sell-by date. The second was the smoking ban in Scotland that helped clean up our public places.

More worryingly, our essential services, such as education and the NHS, in the last few years of control by Holyrood have gone from bad to worse, with no remedy found for the current staffing crisis which seriously threatens their very survival.

I can’t for the life of me understand why our MSPS need three political assistants paid for by the taxpayer on top of their very generous expenses when the Scottish parliament sits for only three days for a few hours, and even then is sometimes almost empty.

Time should be called on Holyrood as it is an expensive white elephant club for MSPS that we simply cannot afford and we should revert to our national MPS for our democratic representation. DENNIS FORBES GRATTAN

Mugiemoss Road Bucksburn, Aberdeen