Hjul only looks at one side

Sir, – Once again I feel I must respond to an article by Jenny Hjul (“Buck now stops at Holyrood”, Courier, October 31).

This article not only lacks substance but is full of generalisation.

Monday’s Budget not only told us nothing here in Scotland but left the UK bereft of anything of economic relevance other than trying to resolve the pothole problem, albeit an English pothole problem.

As usual the rich got richer and the poor got poorer.

Does anyone other than Ms Hjul and the Tories really believe that austerity is over?

She once again trots out how Scotland is so fortunate in receiving nearly “£1 billion” as a result of the Barnett formula.

Many economists have debunked this formula and the advantages it provides to the Scots.

No mention, either, of the £3.5 billion that has/ is being removed from the Scottish allocation.

With Ms Hjul all you get is the one side of the argument.

She constantly complains about how incompetent and stupid the Scottish Government is, yet, in democratic elections over 11 years our voters continue to vote the SNP into power as the biggest party.

Once again out comes the old chestnut of the SNP obsessing on independence and not doing the day job.

Ms Hjul should open her eyes to the fact that Scotland is forging a different path than the rest of the UK.

Our country’s social democratic agenda is now moving forward apace, our NHS is different, our education system is different, our people’s attitude to wealth distribution is different.

Our fiscal and monetary policies, our social policies and priorities are different.

The elephant in the room is Brexit yet that is nowhere to be seen in this article.

Ms Hjul clearly sees no consequences for Scotland.

Dan Wood.

1 Charles Melvin Gardens, Kirriemuir.