Nicola Sturgeon and SNP must share blame for likely disaster of no-deal Brexit

It seems hypocritical for SNP’S deputy Westminster leader, Kirst y Blackman to “hit out at the Scottish Tories for not taking a strong enough line against a no-deal Brexit” (your report, 15 July).

With their refusal to accept the democratic results of two referendums, the national - ists themselves have a lot to answer for as regards the current serious risk of the UK leaving the European Union on 31 October without a deal.

Because she does not honour the result of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum,

Oil for nothing

Martin O’gorman (Letters, 15 July) suggests that Scotland would pay a heavy price for independence. It has already paid a very heavy price for being part of the UK and seems likely to continue to do so if it stays in the UK.

To take one of many examples, oil may now be of debatable va lu eduetoc limate change but the bonanza which helped Norway become extremely rich could have done the same for Scotland had we been independent at that time, or perhaps even if we had been told the truth about its value and taken independence as a result.

Water may, in the long term, be more valuable than oil. I hope Scotland resumes independence while we still have control of our own supplies.

DAVID STEVENSON Blacket Place, Edinburgh

A report in The Scotsman of 15 July states that a study shows a dramatic slump in investment in Scottish property attributed to uncertainty over Indyref2. The Scottish Government then says that inward investment is rising! Well there’s a surprise.

Now, both cannot be right –or indeed wrong–but it does seem that each time bad news is published, the Scottish Government sees fit to deny it. Is there no way we, the the First Minister chose to overstate the significance of 62 per cent of Scotland voting against Brexit as, in her wishful thinking, Scotland is no longer part of the UK.

Because of this, Ms Sturgeon made absolutely no effort to co-operate with Mrs May’ s efforts to honour the democratic decision of the EU referendum, manipulating Brexit to further the drive for Scottish independence.

Indeed, by her grandstanding efforts in Europe; her constant personal abuse of Mrs May and her MPS in West

poor confused electorate, can access the data both are using to make sure that the figures are based upon the exact same premise and so get a clear picture of the situation?

It would appear that nothing has been learned from the despised telling of half-truths and half-lies that plagued the Brexit referendum, and which continue to besmirch the reputation of most elected politicians. Oh, for some truth in the matter.

DAVID GERRARD Spylaw Park, Edinburgh

Coorie-osity

Apparently the S cots dialect word“coorie” is being put forward as the Scottish equivalent of the Danish “hygge” – roughly equating to “happiness”.

Cooriec an mean to cuddle down – it’s often applied to young children, so it is a positive word in that meaning. However, the origin of coorie is the English word “cower”.

The Concise Scots Dictionary defines coorie as a verb meaning to cow er or bend lower; as an adjective, ti mid and cringing. Burns’ s mouse is described as“cowr in ”– usually pronounced coorin – and tim’rous. These meanings of coorie are still in use, as well as “to snuggle or nestle”.

My conclusion? Unless we are happy with ti mid and cringing as characteristics of Scots character we had better find another Scots word synonymous with hygge.

WILLIE WAUGH Cleikhimin, Penicuik

Channel no flop

Dennis Forbes G rattan is again wrong when he writes about the BBC Scotland channel and licences for the over 75s (Letters, 12 July).

Contrary to what he says, the new BBC Scotland channel has performed in line with Ofcom expectations since its launch and continues to be the digitminster, and voting down on principle Mrs May’s deal three times, Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP must share blame for the likely disaster of a no-deal. SALLY GORDON-WALKER

Caiystane Drive, Edinburgh

SN PB rex it secretary Mike Russell plays politics with our futures, as he seeks to heighten levels of concern over the impact on the supply of medicines (“Russell ‘scaring public’ over drug fear”, 16 July).

The president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society pointed out the dangers of

al channel that reaches most people in Scotland between 7pm and midnight out with the main five.

So, although it’s still early days, the initial reaction to all the additional new content provided especially for audience sin Scotland has been Mr Russell’ s scaremongering becoming a self-fulfilling prediction, as his words risk triggering panic buying.

From the day the EU referendum result was announced, the SNP leadership has done everything possible to undermine the Brexit process, and has peddled a narrative of doom without care for the impact on us all. Their objective is clearly to stir ill-feeling and division.

Sadly, there is little evidence of any serious thought being given to how their preferred alternative of breaking up the

very positive. On the licence fee for the over 75s, any household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit will be eligible for a free TV licence funded by the BBC from June 2020.

The BBC believes this is the fairest option to help the poorUK will not further exacerbate current risks and uncertainties.

KEITH HOWELL West Linton, Peeblesshire

Rodney Pi nd er( Letters, 16 July) fails to differ en tiate between nationalism, as espoused by the likes of Gandhi and those in Scotland who strive peacefully for democratic self-government, with state nationalism that demonises foreigners or blames immigrants for their woes.

The “most successful union in the world” has only existed in its current form for about

est pensioners. It is also the fairest option for all licence fee payers, as this means everyone will continue to receive the best programmes and services that the BBC can provide. The decision does, however, pre - vent unprecedented closures of services which would have been required had we copied the Government’s scheme.

IAN SMALL Head of Public Policy,

BBC Scotland, Pacific Quay, Glasgow

Wind won’t work

I was reading the article entitled“Wind farms could power every home in Scotland” (15 July) and noted comments such as “figures from Weather Energy indicate that the turbines provided enough electricity to power the equivalent of 4.47 million homes for the January to June period” and more along the same lines promoting wind energy.

I have just looked at the GB national grid status website and currently, as of 21.45 on 15 July, wind is providing 0.28 GW or 0.89 p er cent of total demand. I wonder just how many houses are being powered by wind rather than nuclear 5.49 GW (17.53 per cent) or gas 19.37GW (61.87 per cent), just to mention the two main providers of energy.

The statements promoting wind energy by taking the energy provided over a lengthy period without clarifying that there are frequent periods without any supply, because of the vagaries of wind, are perhaps a bit misleading. The facts are that wind and solar are not dispatch able energy sources, cannot provide reliable energy, and never will.

Gas and nuclear have to come to the rescue again and again, and during winter peaks the coal-fired plants need to be started up as well. You can double or triple the number of wind turbines and when the wind decides not to blow, they will all stand still.

There is currently no way a century, whereas Scotland was an independent nation for 700 years before being coerced into a union with England in 1707. The USA is by far Canada’s biggest trading partner but they don’t need or wish to be ruled from Washington.

There’ s a huge difference between the outward-looking civic post-national nationalism in Scotland and the unpleasant insular and xenophobic nationalism of Trump and right-wing Brexit politicians.

FRASER GRANT Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh

round the need for dispatchable energy based on nuclear and fossil fuels. There are no reliable alternative sources that can be scaled up to pro - vide a reliable alternative to nuclear and fossil fuels. JOHN PETER

Monks Road, Airdrie, Lanarkshire

Fair points?

I refer to the letter from David Ho ll ing dale about it being unfair that the same prize money was awarded to both the men’s and women’s Wimbledon champions (16 July).

I’m sure almost everyone would agree that the two matches were completely different in the time and effort put in by the contestants and each year we hear the same complaint. I don’t know what the solution is – should payment be on the amount of time spent on court or take into consideration that in some of the early rounds some men win easy three -set matches while some women fight out long three-setters.

In the Olympics the eventual winner of each event is awarded a gold medal whether it is in the 100 metres or the pentathlon and the resulting lucrative sponsorship deals are rarely accorded to the winners of longer events.

As far as fairness or equality in financial terms go, I see that in last year’s list of the 100 top earning sportspeople only one woman is mentioned – Serena Williams – so I don’t think that we should take the equal earnings in the tennis grand slams as any indication that either fairness or equality is ever going to happen.

M SWANSON Learmonth Street, Falkirk

Build a wall

I hope President Trump himself will not be forced togo back to his roots, Scotland does not deserve that.

COR GROENEWEG Amstelveen, Netherlands

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