Scotland will only be safe when we have independence

The Herald Scotland

4 days ago

As long as the UK retains imperialist global ambitions Scotland's young men and women may be called to fight in wars abroad and perhaps even to fight in illegal wars such as with the invasion of Iraq. Furthermore, with the UK Government continuing to support a fanatical Israeli regime in massacring civilians in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, Scotland is increasingly likely to suffer future terrorist attacks from those who consider Scotland, as part of the UK, complicit.
Instead of spending a billion pounds on US F35-A jets to drop nuclear bombs, never mind the many tens of billions more to be spent on offensive military hardware and additional nuclear power stations to provide the nuclear material for nuclear bombs, these funds could be committed to building more purpose-built ships (preferably in Scotland) to better defend Scotland's territorial waters, as well as to building a state of the art drone network to both defend our country and to support our troops engaged in UN peace-keeping missions overseas.
The Clan Gunn motto is 'Aut Pax, Aut Bellum', which translates to 'Either Peace or War'. Independence would not only be a significant step forward in making Scotland a safer country (with Scotland less likely to be dragged into another illegal foreign escapade by the US) but would enable Scotland to be a stronger voice in the world for peace not war.
Stan Grodynski, Longniddry.
A raw deal for Grangemouth
On Monday (June 30) BBC News reported that the UK Labour Government is funding the Official Receiver to ensure the safe operation of the Prax Lindsey oil refinery which is located in north-east Lincolnshire. Speaking on the matter in the House of Commons, Energy Minister Michael Shanks stated: "The Government will ensure supplies are maintained, protect our energy security and do everything we can to support workers".
While any action on the part of the Government to save jobs is commendable, I know that Michael Shanks and his fellow Scottish Labour MPs are aware of the recent closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery whose importance to energy security was every bit as vital to Scotland as the Prax Lindsey refinery is to the people of the east of England. It is not an unfair question to ask Mr Shanks and the UK Labour Government why they were prepared only a few months ago to sit back and watch the Grangemouth refinery and its workers being thrown onto the scrapheap, yet now when a refinery based in the east of England comes under threat of closure, immediate measures are being put in place to save it?
Prior to last year's General Election Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar went on record to state that if Labour was elected it would prevent the closure of Grangemouth. The people of Scotland now know that Labour did nothing to save Grangemouth. The Labour Party and particularly, Messrs Shanks and Sarwar, need to explain why keeping open the oil refinery in Lincolnshire is more important than the same action for Grangemouth.
During the 2014 independence referendum the Labour Party in Scotland was in the vanguard of the Better Together campaign. Some workers who've lost their jobs at Grangemouth might be asking themselves: "Better for whom"?
Jim Finlayson, Banchory.
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Investment not so impactful
The heightened risks and uncertainties of doing business in today's global economy is, unsurprisingly, taking its toll on investor confidence: the E&Y Attractiveness Survey published in May reported falling project totals for inward investment to the UK in 2024. Scotland managed to retain its position as second to Greater London and, given the dearth of good economic news, the Scottish Government took full advantage of the headline. Numbers alone, however, say little or nothing about the economic significance of inward investment projects.
Just published, the Government's inward investment results for 2024/25 confirm the recent downward trend. Importantly, the report also sheds light on the economic impact of this investment. On standardised measures – for example, jobs created and safeguarded per project – regional ranking places the North West, London, the South East, Wales, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humberside ahead of Scotland. Not so impressive.
In the Trumpian era of unpredictable tariffs, the experience of our Irish neighbours flags the dangers and risks of placing your most important economic eggs in the inward investment basket. The over-arching imperative for Scotland is to develop a set of more keenly focused policies together with more powerful interventions which address the structural constraints and challenges that have bedevilled our indigenous growth.
Key challenges here include, for example, Scotland's inability to nurture and scale internationally competitive businesses in sufficient numbers and Scotland's vulnerability to outside acquisition (sometimes hostile) of many of its most promising start-ups. (NB Both features are not unrelated.)
Ewen Peters, Newton Mearns.
Scotland and the Crown Estate
The article on the Crown Estate by Ellie Crabbe ("Record Crown Estate profits set to drop as offshore boost fades", The Herald, July 1), is poorly researched and quite misleading. It is stated 'the Crown Estate owns the vast majority Britain's seabed …' which is true but makes no reference that Scotland is in control of the Crown Estate here and of a seabed which is longer than the seabed of England and Wales combined. The various figures and most of the information which then follow in the article do not apply to Scotland at all.
Sadly, this is another article penned furth of Scotland which ignores Scotland.
Alan M Morris, Blanefield.
Why not back the victims?
The heroic UK Labour Government has vigorously gone after groups who speak up for the Palestinian people.
Palestine Action has campaigned for the rights of the Palestinian people for decades. It has killed nobody and starved nobody. The rap duo Bob Vylan denounced the Israeli forces who have murdered 50,000 people in Gaza. Bob Vylan has killed nobody ("Probe into gig remarks at festival launched by police", The Herald, July 1).
The Israeli "Defence" Force has killed tens of thousands, destroyed homes and imposed starvation on a whole population. The UK Government excuses this on the grounds that Israel "has a right to defend itself ".
The UK Government makes no condemnation of Israel's actions and even sells weapons to the perpetrators and sends military aircraft to the Middle East to support Israel. But in the eyes of the brave UK Government the real culprits are a campaigning organisation and a rap duo. It is clear where its pathetic priorities lie and they are not with victims of genocide.
David Currie, Tarland.
Establishment out of touch
The furore in much of the UK press over the support of Palestine and protest at anti-Israeli sentiments expressed at Glastonbury shows how much the UK political establishment is out of touch with the general population, especially the younger age groups.
Most people I know support Israel 's right to exist but do not approve of its expansion to recreate the biblical Israel as destroyed by Rome, as is the policy of the current government there. After all, where I live was once under Roman rule; not many of us fancy being run from Italy today.
Perhaps those of a Biblical disposition should concentrate on the New Testament rather than the old version.
Drew Reid, Falkirk.
There has been much controversy over Bob Vylan's appearance at Glastonbury (Image: PA)
Why were they allowed?
As the Glastonbury row rumbles on, too little attention has been paid to why the controversial acts were allowed to perform at all.
Both Kneecap and Bob Vylan have a known history. Glastonbury has a history of a left of centre stance, be that from "ban the bomb" to guesting Jeremy Corbyn. The warnings of problems this year were there from even the Prime Minister but were ignored.
When performers chant for a "free Palestine" why not also chant "free the hostages"? Whilst Palestinian flags were in abundance where were the Israeli flags? Glastonbury is fast becoming a very political music festival, not the open event it ought to be.
Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.
IDF is not succeeding
Otto Inglis (Letters, July 1) concludes his letter regarding the outrageous chants at Glastonbury by stating that all decent people should wish the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) a speedy and thorough victory. Unfortunately the IDF is neither speedy nor thorough.
This war has been going on for almost two years and the Hamas rebels appear to be as strong as ever. The IDF, a conscript army, has assassinated leading members of Hamas while at the same time killing both innocent children and its own people who had been taken hostage. Most decent people want this conflict to end with no more slaughter on either side.
Sandy Gemmill, Edinburgh.