Obesity is the elephant in the room for care

Now that we have a new SNP cabinet with five years to attain Covid recovery, I hope they will start with fixing two key areas: Scotland's obesity crisis and the implementation of a National Care Service.

Obesity and its related illnesses are known to have been a major cause of more severe Covid effects and death. Even Sir John Curtice strayed off his usual topic of polls and independence to underline this on BBC Debate Night recently.

Not one Scottish politician mentioned this topic, its impactoncovid,nhsresources, mental health or the economy during the recent election.

They all preferred to queue up to support reforms of the care service as a priority.

But, just like former NHS head Derek Feeley in his Scottish government report on Adult Social Care Reform, they studiously avoided saying where the vast amounts of "investment", ie funding, is to come from.

The parties have also said they need work together on these issues. Well, the report is published, here's their chance. The brutal fact is, unless cuts are made elsewhere, Scotland's 2.5m income tax-payers, especially top rate payers, and people with decent savings and wealth, are going to have to pay more.

Previous proposals by the UK Conservative and Labour parties to inject some reality, including a governmentbacked insurance fund were strangled at birth by their opponents and labelled as "dementia" and "death" taxes respectively.

But the SNP are a socialist party, not dependent on middle class votes, and relevant ministers, Swinney (Covid Recovery) and Yousaf (Health) are experienced at driving through unpopular legislation such as Named Person and Hate Crime.

I wish them all the best in their battle with finance minister Kate Forbes, fellow and opposition MSPS and the media in their battle for a realistic, world beating care system for Scotland.

ALLAN SUTHERLAND Willow Row, Stonehaven