Not the UK we were promised

Sir, – With the Supreme Court’s ruling and the blocking of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), along with bypassing Holyrood with UK cash going directly to green freeports and levelling-up projects chosen by Westminster, the UK is now systematically undermining the authority of the democratically elected Scottish Parliament.

It seems Rishi Sunak’s government of integrity and accountability is falling apart as Westminster ignores devolved administrations.

For example, the GRA, after years of discussion and debate, was passed by 86 votes to 39 by MSPs from all parties at Holyrood. As a purely devolved matter, this was a lawful Act.

It is preposterous that the UK Government should now disregard the Scottish right to make Scottish laws for the people of Scotland.

As the Tory and Unionist mantra has changed from “now is not the time” to “never” for Indyref 2, there is a growing realisation that the people of Scotland are trapped within a once mutually agreed Union. This certainly is not a “Union of equals”, as only rampant English nationalism seems to function in an insular Brexit Britain.

Scotland exists in a nearbankrupt UK with food and fuel poverty, workers’ strikes in a cost-of-living crisis, Tory administrations fantasising about global Britain and ignoring Europe, a Trident system they can’t afford, an aircraft carrier with no aircraft, more admirals than ships, and which has followed the USA on doomed ventures into Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. With the folly of Brexit, a deadly mismanaged pandemic and rule by dysfunctional Tory governments that Scotland did not vote for, a future of low wages, unemployment and insecurity awaits Scotland.

With little or no say in it all, this is not the UK that was promised to the people of Scotland in 2014.

Grant Frazer, Newtonmore.

Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin has remained in post.