Do we really need Holyrood?

Sir, - Recent letters, including, Scotland needs an opposition (June 15) give me some reason to believe that the people of Scotland might be beginning to wake up and question what our present devolved government has actually achieved.

They are expert at rhetoric, grandstanding and general politicking but what do they actually do?

True, we have no student fees, free prescriptions and a freeze on council tax but that’s not too difficult to achieve with a favourable Barnett Formula allowing public spending to be at least £1200 per head higher in Scotland than it is in the rest of the UK.

It will seem like heresy to many but I begin to question whether Scotland is actually any better off since devolution than it would otherwise have been, especially in the key areas of health, education and welfare.

The evidence in those recent letters would suggest not.

Has our devolved government just been an expensive waste of money that would have been better spent on direct services?

Our present government argue that they need more powers to make a real difference, but if they haven’t done anything with the powers they have had so far, that is not a good argument for giving them more.

In short, it is time this devolved parliament started actually doing something, achieving something and making a real difference.

They need to prove their worth. Hugh Laidlaw. North Lodge, Monimail, Cupar.