The facts are out. Yousaf and Matheson must both go
TODAY’S revelations have a simple outcome (“Michael Matheson blames teenage sons for £11k data roaming bill”, heraldscotland, November 16).
Michael Matheson assured Holyrood that his ipad was used on holiday solely for parliamentary purposes. He has now admitted otherwise – he therefore lied – and should immediately resign. Humza Yousaf “backed him 100%”, so he must now resign too.
Neither has any credibility left. Steph Johnson, Glasgow.
THE admission that Michael Matheson (1) provided the password to his parliamentary ipad to another party, and (2) allowed access by the unauthorised party to the device, which contains highly confidential information, is not a resigning offence. It’s a sacking offence. In any other organisation, normal people would be sacked. How fortunate for Mr Matheson to have a boss who will turn a blind eye to what is tantamount to gross misconduct.
Jamie Black, Largs.
How can he be trusted?
WHEN I switch on my laptop it asks me for a PIN (password) before I get into the main body of the computer. Without putting in that PIN I cannot get into my emails or Google or Amazon or anything. No-one knows my PIN/ password as I have been told repeatedly by my grandchildren that I must keep that secret to keep my info confidential.
Obviously Michael Matheson does not know the importance of keeping his password secret as he said his family used it without him knowing. After all, what would be on his government laptop that could be of any interest to cyber criminals, foreign countries and the like? Had his laptop been stolen on holiday what government business would have been read and what could be used against our country and/or to blackmail our politicians?
I think this calls into question how Mr Matheson handles all his constituency business, which he is probably told in confidence as well as how he handles the confidential information around his job within the Government. Elizabeth Hands, Armadale.
FM found wanting
LISTENING to our First Minister’s pronouncements of recent weeks it seems he is most sure of himself when calling on leaders outside of Scotland and telling them how to act and think (“Humza Yousaf: MPS who refused to back ceasefire in Gaza “unforgivable”, heraldscotland, November 16). This has included decision makers in distant war zones, world leaders on their environmental policies, and the UK Government on pretty much anything that it might contemplate.
Yet when it comes to all the areas for which he is actually responsible, Humza Yousaf is often found wanting, appearing out of his depth as he resorts to tactics of deflection and distraction rather than demonstrating a command of the matters at hand.
From NHS waiting lists to delayed ferries, from deleted Covid Whatsapp messages to the missteps of senior colleagues, this is a First Minister so concerned with political spin that he appears to have lost sight of how ultimately it is actions, not words, that really impact on the lives of the people of Scotland. Mr Yousaf works hard every day to present himself as being on the moral high ground, but will this help the people of Scotland pay their bills, get the healthcare they need, or secure a more prosperous future for our children? Keith Howell, West Linton.
JANE Lax (Letters, November 16) criticises the Scottish Government for holding a vote on a ceasefire in Gaza on the grounds that foreign policy is a reserved matter. But we send our representatives to Parliament to reflect the views of those living in Scotland. That includes both Jews and Palestinians. They have a right for their views to be heard with the subsequent view of parliament then being conveyed to Westminster so that they can decide how to act on behalf of the devolved administrations.
The proposition that this is simply an SNP ploy to dance on the world stage is rather undermined by Scottish Labour coming out in favour of a ceasefire against the wishes of their Westminster leader. In addition the Labour-run Senedd in Wales had already voted in favour of a ceasefire eight days ago.
No such vote on a ceasefire has taken place in Northern Ireland because the Democratic Unionist Party there won’t allow it. They won’t attend Stormont unless and until they have the final controlling say over Brexit. This is despite Brexit being an issue wholly reserved to Westminster. The consequence is that unlike Holyrood, public services in Northern Ireland cannot even be discussed in the chamber.
Robert Menzies, Falkirk.