US trip is a smokescreen

YET again we note that Nicola Sturgeon is exceeding her authority as First Minister of the devolved Scottish Parliament. The Scotland Acts under which the Scottish Executive, now referred to as Government, was inaugurated by Westminster make no provision for Holyrood’s involvement in foreign affairs. Such matters are reserved to the UK Government. Why therefore is Ms Sturgeon swanning about in the United States (“Sturgeon calls for ‘sustainable approach to energy security’”, The Herald, May 16) on what can only be described as non-holyrood matters?

It is obvious to most people that the SNP administration’s handling of devolved matters such as education, health, public transport – including west coast and Clyde ferries – policing, environment and much more have proved less than acceptable. The granting of further powers would merely exasperate this situation.

Surely it is obvious that Ms Sturgeon’s attempts to interfere in non-devolved matters are merely a smokescreen to divert the electorate’s attention away from the gross inadequacies of the SNP minority administration.

Robert IG Scott, Ceres, Fife.