The high cost of mutual support

IT is necessary to look further than Peter A Russell’s observation (Letters, May 17) that there is “a clash of philosophies” between himself and those who have responded to him.

Mr Russell seems to imagine that the words “interdependence and mutual support” are simple concepts, but the difficulty with them is that they depend on the “rules” by which they operate. What is the cost of mutual support? In recent years, this has included, but is by no means limited to, getting a government we didn’t vote for more than half the time, being taken out of the EU when the “Scotland region” clearly voted Remain, the consequences of this, the attempts by the Westminster Government to undermine devolution, and the various attacks on the “less welloff” through such as the “bedroom tax” and Universal Credit.

But at another level “interdependence” means the Scottish economy must operate in the dysfunctional UK economy, one where one or two regions (always London, and often the south-east) forge ahead, sucking in resources that could benefit the rest of the country if only the Prime Minister would do more than intone “levelling up”.

“Interdependence and mutual support” are fine moral concepts, and it is to Mr Russell’s credit that he continues to argue for them within the UK. But I would respectfully suggest to him that he needs to consider whether in practice they really offer Scotland a good deal.

Alasdair Galloway, Dumbarton.