The most important election in Scotland’s history or just the same old story?

Nicola Sturgeon has stated that next year’s election will be the most important in Scotland’s history (your report, 18 August).

I expect she is being hyperbolic and knows it. It will almost certainly be a repeat of every single election in Scotland since 2014.

I do not possess the electoral foresight of Professor John Curtice, but I expect the SNP will campaign to stop the

Tories, stop Brexit, say we are powerless to change society – it’s Westminsters fault, let’s have another Indyref (with the false additional claim that Scotland did better with Covid-19).

Meanwhile, as always, and as opinion polls prove, the majority of Scotland considers the constitutional issue decided and wants to move onto such “everyday” matters as the economy, education, NHS, and the coming global recession. Not that it will matter in 2021 where we will all tread the same ground since 2014 thanks to the SNP’S intransigence.

DAVID BONE Hamilton Street, Girvan

The First Minister may well claim that the 2021 election could be “the most important in history” but not for the explanation given in the article by Katrine Bussey. Up to ten years of austerity to eliminate a £5 billion GERS deficit as stated in the Growth Report, initiated by Derek Mackay, is economics straight out of a George Osborne manifesto.

The recommendations in the report by the Climate Emergency Response Group have all been accepted by the Economic Secretary but there was no reference by Nicola Sturgeon to the £150bn price tag. Based on the Growth Report, eliminating such a debt will result in around 300 years of penury for the taxpayer.

The First Minister has yet to comment on the claim that renewable energy is too expensive for the Scottish consumer, hence the bill must be passed to the taxpayer.

A ban on gas results in a four-fold increase in energy bills hence, if energy is free at the point of use, what will be the tax burden imposed on 2.4 million Scots ? If the First Minister refuses to implement such a policy, what will be the impact on 1.5 million Scots living in fuel poverty ?

May 2021 is, therefore, a time for Scots to decide on independence with decades of austerity or to save the planet and save lives!

IAN MOIR Queen Street, Castle Douglas