Demise of another first minister?

SIR, – Ever since Nicola Sturgeon became first minister at Holyrood, she has been utterly obsessed with one thing only: independence.

A craving to be separated from the UK is much more important to her than all the problems with Scotland's NHS, economy and education.

One of the fundamental reasons for Scotland to remain a part of the 300-year-old union is an important economic one. Even though our block grant has been cut by Westminster, we get more per head in public services spending than England. To the penny, £10,536 is spent each year on people here in Scotland, which is £1,460 more than the UK average of £9,076.

If anyone is fooled into thinking that “local oil” tax revenues will maintain this spend, they better think again.

In the year 2001/12, Scotland’s North Sea oil was doing so well that the tax revenues were worth in excess of £9billion to the economy. By the year 2015/16, the last time the figures were assessed, that revenue had been virtually wiped out by the global fall in the price of oil. The revenue had gone from £9bn to £60m.

Last time round, it saw the demise of the then first minister, Alex Salmond. Maybe Nicola Sturgeon has done us a very great favour in calling for another referendum, so that she too might at last disappear forever from Scottish politics.

She might be a great woman of learning, but she has very little concern for the people of Scotland.

Donald J Morrison, Old Edinburgh Road, Inverness