I'm grateful to the SNP when I recall the harm Tories and Labour did
As a last resort, I will be told to attend the surgery after 11am, but that I will probably have to wait a while.
None of this is perfect, of course, but given the state that Scotland has been left in after my lifetime of Jim Callaghan's Labour, Thatcherism, Blair/Brown light-touch financial regulation, and 14 years of Tory austerity, I am glad that I have the SNP Government doing its best to protect me from the likes of Nigel Farage, Reform, Scottish Labour and the hapless Tories.
John Jamieson, Ayr.
The Brexit deficit
When I first read Ian Lakin's letter (May 10) I thought it was a UK Government press release but then I realised he was being serious. Evidently the SNP are "narrow nationalists" for wanting Scotland to rejoin the EU (some contorted logic there) while Mr Lakin is apparently oblivious to the fact that Brexit was brought about by narrow nationalism of the "little Englander" variety. Basically, people were conned during the EU referendum campaign by a mixture of blatant lies, sophistry and subterfuge (remember the Leave assertion that departing the EU would mean an extra £350 million per week for the NHS?).
The Independent published an article in March which revealed that Brexit was costing UK business more than £3 billion per month. If Mr Lakin believes the agreements he refers to in his letter will offset this then all I can say in response is dream on.
Alan Woodcock, Dundee.
Read more letters
Indy is the way forward
My mother was a repository of wonderful clichés; I was reminded of one, the oft-cited "if wishes were horses then beggars would ride", when reading Robert IG Scott's letter (May 12).
Contrary to all evidence he predicts the return of a Labour/Liberal return to power at Holyrood. Surely he will acknowledge that the Starmer/Reeves Axis of Callousness, in dismantling winter fuel payments, ghosting the Waspi women, signalling their utter tone-deafness in relation to people with disabilities and prattling on about "working" people hasn't exactly made their local branch representatives very popular. I don't know what my mother would have said if confronted with such an obvious disconnect with reality.
The Scottish people are canny and many of them have already figured out that the way out of this morass is to ensure there is an overwhelming independence vote on the list to provide the backbone required to release us at last from what Alex Salmond once called "the yoke of mediocrity".
Marjorie Thompson, Edinburgh.
• When faced with explaining 19 years of party failures on the election doorsteps the clever people in the SNP have come up with a campaign novelty to divert the subject: independence ("Indy will be 'central' to SNP 2026 election campaigning", The Herald, May 12). This has been done, lost and subsequently endlessly reborn before.
Mr Swinney wants a 60% to 70% vote in favour this time, which sounds like a de facto referendum but in an even less doable form. If a referendum is really needed what about asking the public if they still want to retain Holyrood at all given its very questionable track record? Does this recycling of the independence tactic not demonstrate an underlying sheer desperation to hang on to power?
Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.
Backlash to Trump's tariffs
'Squeeze til the pips squeak' – first quoted by Sir Eric Campbell Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty re German reparations at the end of the First World War – has come to mean the exertion of maximum pressure to extract maximum compliance: something President Trump has so far failed to inflict on Vladimir Putin but has been happy to do to the global trading system courtesy of his tariff policy.
And 'pips' have indeed been squeaking. In a brash and somewhat vulgar post-Liberation Day statement, the US President informed the world that they are all calling up and 'kissing my ass'. (The 'they' in this instance being the countries affected by blanket tariffs of 10%, with the threat of more and higher to come.)
The UK squeaked quietly and politely and has come away, not with a comprehensive trade deal, but a memorandum of understanding on tariffs with headings on automotive, steel, aluminium and beef etc – with serious work still to be done. Effectively we received a slap on the wrists rather than a full-blown Glasgow kiss for being an economy that's a little too 'closed' according to President Trump.
More significantly, perhaps, the 'pips' of US big business are now squeaking louder in opposition. Apple, Tesla and Boeing, for example, each employ between 140k-170k people and anywhere between 30k70k of these are employed in overseas subsidiaries: these are flagship firms at the heart of key global value chains.
Like it or not, US Inc remains integral to, and therefore dependent on, a global trading system created in its own image in the post-war period. This represents a massive, fixed investment (and legacy) that cannot be changed overnight by a tariff policy designed by a property developer and economically illiterate White House sycophants.
This is one of the reasons why Trump tariffs, if they stay, will go down as one of the biggest acts of economic self-harm in history.
Ewen Peters, Newton Mearns.
The English royal family
I note with interest Mark Smith's column ("Not My Scotland: anti-royal protesters have got it wrong", The Herald, May 12).
The royal family are all born in England, live in England and their titles and ceremonies are reflective only of English history. Scotland plays no role at all in this: the coronation is an Anglican service in continuity with coronations preceding the Union of 1707, the regnal number is reflective of England's monarchy and while the heir to the throne could, if he wanted, use his title of 'Prince of Scotland', he only ever uses the title reflective of an English narrative (and conquest) of 'Prince of Wales'.
Monarchs require simple, uncritical, loyalist followers to maintain their position; people who don't mind them pleading poverty ('oh, the polo ponies'!) while being extremely wealthy, with property in many countries, and as the Panama Papers showed, hiding wealth abroad in tax havens where the taxman cannot get them (though they don't pay much tax anyway).
GR Weir, Ochiltree.
Prince William is also the Prince and Grand Steward of Scotland (Image: PA)
The voice of religion
The 2025 Church of Scotland General Assembly, which opens on Saturday (May 17), presents the Kirk with an opportunity to reflect upon the fact that according to Unicef (the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide) there were two million (in October 2024) severely malnourished children globally at risk of death due to funding shortages for therapeutic food.
With both Donald Trump and Keir Starmer cutting foreign aid that situation can only deteriorate. In that context the Assembly cannot forget its obligation to speak truth to power in both Westminster and the White House, not forgetting in the Israeli Knesset which is responsible for the suffering and death of so many innocents in Gaza. The Irish Times suggests that 'the siege has prompted a whole new level of suffering'. This particular human catastrophe defies comprehension.
I, from my Presbyterian perspective, was impressed by Kevin McKenna's recent article ('How new Pope and Catholic Church have mesmerised our Godless societies', The Herald, May 10). The General Assembly must recognise the wave of hope amongst impoverished populations generated by Pope Francis, by the appointment of Pope Leo XIV and by the words of Professor Jim Conroy of Glasgow University in the aforementioned article: 'We're living through the most extraordinary attack on what it means to be a human being' but 'the power of the Gospel can counteract this'.
It is good to see the voice of religion speaking out when politicians are failing miserably.
John Milne, Uddingston.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Why didn't the SNP act when they had power in the UK?
As I have said many times in these pages and to SNP leadership, when we had a majority of SNP MPs at Westminster, and were the third-biggest party there, that if the FM spent less time strutting around like a world leader, distracting from the job at hand, and allowed the SNP group at Westminster to actually do their job, we could have had either independence or another referendum by now. As I said, in my simplistic view: 1. In 1707, it was Scottish parliamentarians who voted to unionise with England, not through a referendum or public opinion which was very much against it at the time. 2. The [[SNP]] in 2011 achieved what was meant to be improbable, due to the way the proportional representation system was set up at [[Holyrood]], and won a majority. Independence polling was in the low 30% at the time and [[Westminster]] thought they would lay to rest once and for all Scottish independence and reset the narrative. READ MORE: 'Not in our name': Hundreds gather in Scottish cities to protest Donald Trump Scots sensing freedom rallied around the cause as the polls rose, only for Westminster to panic and reach out to the vast Union media to spread doom and fear about Scotland's chances to surviving on its own (see point 5). Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon were not prepared for the referendum fight that ensued, failing to deliver on the big questions in debates. Which isn't surprising because the [[SNP]] were probably taken aback when David Cameron said yes to a referendum, the [[SNP]] hadn't done all the preparative homework (ie currency, pensions, trade, the border, etc) to allay the fears of Scots never mind that of Scottish businesses and institutions. Even now, they are not prepared 11 years on and the SNPs hierarchy of 'it's my way or the highway approach to independence' is a flaw in their DNA. Scots' democracy is a consensus-based system, that's how the convention brought about devolution, and it's about time the SNP woke up to this fact. The SNP hierarchy don't even listen to their own rank and file or their activists! Even Swinney's recent independence reset is so bland, it wasn't worth the airtime. The concern of independence voters is who will be their political voice, certainly not the SNP at this time, the reason more than half a million voters failed to vote for them last time not many of these voters jumped the divide to Labour if you look at the voter breakdown. Worrying times indeed for both the SNP and independence voters. The independence voter churn is likely to continue. (Image: PA) 3. [[Westminster]] and the House of Lords (monarchy) demand power and obedience to rule which make the privilege richer and give the middle and lower classes just enough to keep them in line. So, the [[SNP]] need to be strategic and be prepared to gamble all to deliver independence. They had a whole parliamentary term when they were in the ascendancy to do this and failed miserably, partly due to internal squabbling at [[Westminster]] and interference from the FM and the FM's inner circle who acted as though [[Holyrood]] had political precedence and would deliver independence. Oh how wrong this attitude was, and it's been a slippery downward slope ever since. The best they could do was ask 'please sir can I have one more referendum?' and their reply was 'more, you had your day and the people of Scotland voted to remain, now is not the time for another referendum'. 4. At this time, the SNP should have shaken this up by electing a 'majority Scottish leader' at Westminster. Reintroduce the Scottish Grand Committee to review all Westminster's reserved matters like the constitution, eg another independence referendum or to vote on the impact of Westminster land-grab legalisation the 'Internal Market Act'. To vote on these and relay to the speaker of the house and the government the Scottish MP majority outcomes are token and disruptive gestures maybe, but it does echo the Scottish electorate will to the Parliament. More importantly, at this time the UK was out of Europe, a fundamental material change from the referendum debate of 2014 where membership of the European Union was one of [[Westminster]]'s key fear strategies, and from a democratic perspective, the [[SNP]] were the third-largest party at [[Westminster]] (unheard of achievement), the biggest party at [[Holyrood]] and biggest party of elected councillors in Scotland. If I was in charge at that time, I would have given the Westminster government the simple either/or ultimatum; to grant a second referendum or Scotland will unitarily leave the Union based on the elected mandate. The latter throwing the UK into a constitutional crisis, spooking the Bank of England (not UK!) and the financial markets. I am sure this would have led to a lot of activity behind the scenes as when the city of London catches a cold, Westminster sits up and takes note and then there is the probable granting of a second referendum. As I said, gamble big, better than the limp approach to the English Supreme Court approach! 5. Many countries have successfully left British rule and never looked back. As stated at point 1), Scots parliamentarians decided to join England in an Union, so it is not unrealistic to do the same in reverse, irrespective of the language of the treaty. Labour rules the UK with only 33.7% of those voted, so having greater than 50% is not necessary. Also, when a small group of Tory MPs like the 1922 club can oust an elected leader that won them a general election, it just goes to show how democracy works for English privilege and not for the democratic masses, like for Scotland. Also, when a Westminster party comes to power, there is no penalty or forfeit for not following their manifesto, so just because the SNP manifesto didn't explicitly say Scotland would leave the UK, anyone that votes for the SNP knows their DNA is independence, so shock horror if they deliver on it. From an European perspective, precedent was set when the Slovakian party announced the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, resulting in the separation in 1992 and the resultant independent sovereign states of Slovakia and Czech Republic where future EU ascension wasn't an issue, so why would Scotland's independence be a roadblock to independence or EU ascension, certainly not now after Brexit? A Wilson Stirlingshire THE Government has recently announced changes to the Contracts for Difference scheme, with a view to speeding up the development of renewable energy projects across the country. One of the new changes to the scheme is to extend the length of contracts for onshore and offshore windfarm project development. This provides an incentive for developers bidding for new contracts, as it gives them more time to recoup their costs. The new cycle for applications to the scheme opens on August 7, 2025. This incentivising highlights the point that Pat Kane made in his article on July 12, titled 'Scotland is heading back into a cycle of 'extraction without consent'', that after oil comes wind power. He also made reference to Lesley Riddoch's equally excellent article of June 19, about the multiple windfarm applications which are currently being made across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Kane reflected back to a time when the play, The Cheviot, The Stag And The Black, Black Oil, by John McGrath dramatised the issues surrounding oil extraction in Scotland's waters, and went on to ask rhetorically, 'What kind of single dramatic 'representation' could take purchase?' in relation to the issues surrounding renewable energy generation in Scotland today. He lays down the gauntlet when he suggests that: 'Creatives worth their salt should rise to the challenge'. In the comments section at the end of his article, I did point out that in terms of dramatising the issues surrounding renewable energy being generated in Scotland, much of the problem creatives like myself face is getting our work heard. It's not that we are not offering a commentary, or perspective, on these issues, but without the following which the celebrity cult seems to generate in today's publishing world, it is hard to get your work noticed. Oblivious as to whether or not I am one of those who are 'worth their salt', I had just started the process of uploading, finalising and then releasing my latest humorous novel, An t-Eilean Dorcha (The Dark Island) at the time of his article. This was finally released in paperback on July 21 on Amazon. The novel focuses on a renewable energy project which is proposed for a small island, and the community has to evaluate its impact and consider how best to respond. My hope is that as well as providing the reader with some light entertainment and an escape from their day-to-day life, it will also, give voice to the very real concerns people have expressed about renewable energy resource generation in the Highlands and Islands. Gordon Ian MacLeod via email MUCH angst has been expressed recently about the high cost of electricity in Scotland. Hardly surprising in the UK's cradle of green, affordable generation. Disgruntled consumers may hold meetings, march, post banners and write letters – all protesting against high charges. The privatised electricity companies will ignore them, assuming that people will pay up for this essential necessity; and most probably will. In 1915, at the height of the First World War, greedy landlords in Glasgow increased rents beyond what was reasonable. Already poor people were incensed, but didn't know what to do about it. That is until local woman Mary Barbour stepped in and created an army which united in a rent strike. They surmised that if they hit the landlords in their pockets they would soon begin to squeal – and indeed it was not long before they did back down, realising that some rent was better than none. All the passive actions I mention above will not disturb the power companies one iota, so I suggest that folk in the Highlands and Islands emulate Mary Barbour's army, and refuse to pay their electricity bills en masse until they are charged the same per kilowatt that Londoners pay, backdated to 2020. Yes, the companies will hold out for as long as possible, they will take a few people to court, and as with any strike there will be folk who capitulate. But with solidarity, mutual support and determination, I believe the people will prevail. Richard Walthew Duns THE article in the digital edition reporting on the sale of an estate near Fort Augustus indicates that there will be a lot of interest from overseas. If this parcel of Scottish land is sold to an overseas buyer then there should be a hefty tax burden on the buyer and they should only be allowed to purchase it if everything is transparent so that the people of Scotland know who owns the land that should belong to the people of Scotland. Audrey Maceachen via email YOUR article on the electric super highway mentions a subsea cable from Fife into England. Meanwhile, Scotland is faced with giant pylons ruining the land? Our 'green' electricity, for which we are charged extortionate rates, being fed into another country. Has Mr Swinney and the [[SNP]] anything to say in this? Or is this robbery getting the silence that Grangemouth got. Jim Butchart via email
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Labour must speed up plans to shut all asylum hotels, says party's red wall chief
Labour must shut down all asylum hotels 'a lot quicker' than its current plan to put a stop to them by the end of the current parliament in 2029, the chairman of the party's red wall group of MPs has said. Jo White, the MP for Bassetlaw, who leads a caucus of around 40 MPs in the party's traditional heartlands, said Chancellor Rachel Reeves ' plan to axe the use of asylum hotels by 2029 needed to be sped up. There are currently around 32,000 asylum seekers in hotels around the UK. Anti-migrant demonstrations last week outside one of those hotels, in Epping, led to more than a dozen arrests. The hotel was thrust into the spotlight after a man living there was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. The man, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and remains on remand in custody. Ms White told The Telegraph: 'There's a commitment to close down the hotels by the end of the parliamentary term. I think we all want it to be a lot, lot quicker than that.' 'There is a huge sense of unfairness because people work hard here in this country and commit to supporting the country and then there's the sense that what asylum hotels cost is a huge drag on what should be invested into our NHS, our schools and our infrastructure. 'So they have to close, we have to get those asylum hotels cleared out.' She added that she believes Labour ministers share her frustrations and went on to urge Sir Keir Starmer to 'stop the incentives' for those seeking to reach the UK illegally. A record 24,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, the highest tally for the first half of the year since records began in 2018. It represents a 48 per cent rise compared to the first six months of last year. Ms White welcomed home secretary Yvette Cooper 's plan to share asylum‑hotel locations with food‑delivery firms, calling it a sensible measure to crack down on illegal working. She also urged Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Cooper to revisit the idea of national identity cards, a proposal repeatedly ruled out by Downing Street. Reflecting on last week's demonstrations in Epping, however, she described the scenes as 'really frightening and quite scary', adding that while anger is understandable, violence against asylum seekers could not be condoned. It was revealed last week that plans to reduce the number of asylum hotels could see migrants rehoused in vacant residential properties and council‑owned homes. Public concern over the scheme has intensified as Sir Keir has vowed to significantly reduce both legal and illegal migration. At the same time, more than 40,000 failed asylum seekers remain in limbo, having appealed against their decisions and still requiring housing. A government spokesman said that since taking office, ministers had acted immediately to fix the asylum system, closing hotels and removing over 35,000 people with no right to be here.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Lone protester slams Donald Trump at golf course with brutal Scottish insult
Matt Halliday from Stranraer said he was disappointed more people hadn't shown up to Trump's golf course - while hundreds protested in Edinburgh and Aberdeen A lone protester braved the massive police presence at Donald Trump's golf course to protest against his visit to Scotland. Trump enjoyed a morning round of golf with the protection of thousands of British police officers - while protests against his trip to Scotland raged elsewhere. The US President is staying at Turnberry until Monday before heading off to his other golf resort in Aberdeen. Tomorrow he'll hold a meeting with EU chief Ursula Von Der Leyen, before sitting down with Keir Starmer on Monday. During the meeting, they're expected to discuss the fine points of the trade deal Mr Starmer agreed with President Trump in May. But while it's expected to be an informal session, they'll also discuss heavier topics - including work to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the war in Ukraine. Trump was seen playing golf on Saturday morning, and was shuttled around the course in a 15-strong motorcade of golf buggies. He wore a white USA baseball cap, and waved at photographers gathered outside the course's fence. The sole protester at Turnberry - Matt Halliday, 55, from Stranraer - came to Turnberry today bearing two placards. One featured a picture of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, and another of a set of bagpipes. The message read: "TRUMP GO HOME: The only "blowhard" pumped up windbags that we want to listen to are these bad boys". The second placard was much less family friendly. "I'm here to show my displeasure at Trump being here," he told the Mirror. "I just find him morally repugnant. I see what he's doing in the states, rolling back civil rights for women and minorities, folk getting lifted from their houses, medicaid getting taken away - and he comes here and thinks he's got the authority to pontificate to us. "Because he wants us to do the same, and he'll try and bully us through tariffs and trade - similar to Canada which he wants to make the 51st state. "That's what's coming for us if we don't stand up to him." Protests raged in Edinburgh and Aberdeen today, with thousands expressing their displeasure at Trump's arrival. In Aberdeen, the group that gathered in the city centre were seen waving banners with anti-Trump slogans - with one demonstrator even dressed as the president with a large papier mache head. As speeches ended at the rally, chants of "Trump Trump Trump, out out out" could be heard, along with "Donald, Donald, hear us shout, all of Scotland wants you out". But the winding roads and windswept beaches of South Ayrshire, where Turnberry sits, remained calm and quiet. Mr Halliday suggested people had been put off by the enormous operation Police Scotland have put in place to protect President Trump - complete with a no-fly zone, a ground exclusion zone stretching for miles around the resort, snipers and as many as 5,000 officers reported to be policing the area. And the operation is much bigger than locals have seen during previous visits. "It's supposedly a private visit, and I've seen figures from £5 million to £14 million for Police Scotland, Mr Halliday said. "That's coming out of their budget. If you saw the convoy of 27 cars last night, there were even Scottish Ambulances at the back. And folk can't get them. It's madness." Get Donald Trump updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the world attempts to keep up with Trump's antics, the Mirror has launched its very own US Politics WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news from across the pond. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Mr Halliday said he was "very" disappointed to have arrived in Turnberry to find no other protesters - but he said he thought most people had gone to Edinburgh instead. Mr Halliday said he was "very" disappointed to have arrived in Turnberry to find no other protesters - but he said he thought most people had gone to the Edinburgh rally instead. Another man from Glasgow, who did not want to be named, said they were surprised people had not come to protest in Turnberry itself - and were dismayed that the huge police presence had been used to put people off. 'Especially since it's - apart from a couple of meetings - it's a holiday, it's a private visit,' he said. 'The resources that have been diverted from other places to protect him. It's mad.' One participant joined the Edinburgh rally against Donald Trump while wearing a Handmaid costume from the Margaret Atwood novel. Louise Brown, a healthcare worker, said she had travelled from Newcastle to the Scottish capital to protest the President's visit. She said: "He's a convicted felon - eroding women's rights, trans rights, gay right, immigration rights. There's too much to list. "I know he loves Scotland because of his mother. He doesn't normally care about protests but maybe he might care a little bit about one in Scotland, I don't know." She said there was more anger towards Trump following his first inauguration in 2017, but added: "Especially after those immigration ICE raids, I think the anger has now come back. "Because he's even worse than he was the first time."
