SNP flies high

When the latest Scottish Social Attitudes Survey shows that three times as many people trust the Scottish Government to act in their best interests than have faith in the UK Government to do so, the following examples illustrate why SNP MPS are right to insist on having cast-iron guarantees of increased landing slots for regional Scottish airports before backing a third runway at Heathrow.

Over 70 per cent of gin consumed in the UK is distilled in Scotland, with a dozen producers in Edinburgh and Lothian. So why did the UK Government’s Scotland Office choose to promote a gin company based in Macclesfield as an example of great exporting?

Powers over the Crown Estate were devolved to Scotland in April 2017 but the UK Government made an exception of its share in Edinburgh’s Fort Kinnaird retail park, which it has now sold for £167.3 million. the proceeds of which would normally go to benefit local communities, but seemingly not this time.

Despite more powers coming to Scotland, the Scotland Office has increased its staff from five to 71 since 2010 and now seems to be a mere propaganda unit of the UK Government, spending £686,000 on media engagement. Even worse, its budget of £9m a year is deducted from the money the Scottish Government can spend without Edinburgh having any influence whatsoever over the Scotland Office’s operations.

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh