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The National
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
It's fantastic that Lewis Chessmen will reach a wider audience
The Chessmen have become unlikely diplomatic pawns between Britain and France. In return for the Tapestry, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings, the British Museum will loan the Sutton Hoo collection, the Lewis Chessmen, and other items to France. READ MORE: British Museum to loan Lewis Chessmen to France for Bayeux Tapestry The Chessmen – a famous hoard of 93 objects – were discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis. Eleven are in the National Museums Scotland collection, while the remaining 82 are in the British Museum's collection, six of which are on loan to Museum nan Eilean in Lewis. It is clearly fantastic to be able to showcase the Chessmen to a wider audience and allow others to check them out. Alex Orr Edinburgh
The Herald Scotland
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
We've suffered enough from Brexit. It's time to go back
Withdrawal from the EU has blown a £40 billion tax hole in the public finances between 2019 and 2024, according to a forecasting audit that finds that the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR's) projections on the impact of leaving the EU have broadly materialised. This equates to an estimated four per cent loss in the UK's long-run productivity, borne out by declining investment and trade volumes, in a period in which the Government raised taxes by £100 billion. A large chunk of these rises would therefore not have been necessary if the UK had voted to remain in the EU. At a time when the Labour Government is desperate to revive productivity and repair the public finances, it is trying to do this with one hand firmly tied behind its back. The OBR said the full impact of leaving the EU would be felt over the course of 15 years and estimates a staggering drop of 15 per cent in trade volumes, compared with if the UK had stayed in the bloc. The massive act of self-harm that is Brexit has severely damaged the UK economy, of that there is little doubt, and is now fully recognised by the public. It is now time for the politicians to acknowledge the greatest economic folly of a generation and seek re-admission into the EU. Alex Orr, Edinburgh. Read more letters Scotland can do better than this It is no great surprise that Martin Redfern (Letters, June 24), in another attempt to denigrate the SNP, does not want Humza Yousaf or John Swinney to openly question UK Government foreign policy decisions which do not appear to reflect the views of the people of Scotland. At the same time, Douglas Alexander, MP for Lothian East – who was complicit as a cabinet minister in the UK Government in taking the UK into an illegal war in Iraq and is now complicit in supporting a fanatical Israeli Government regime accused of genocide in Gaza and engaged in bombing Syria, Yemen and Iran – proclaims that Scotland is in a 'voluntary union' but yet he cannot state (as evidenced on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show) a democratic route for Scotland to leave this failing union. It appears to me that not only have Mr Alexander and the Labour Party abandoned democratic principles but they unapologetically have no sense of shame, having apparently learned little from past mistakes and resultant catastrophes. We can do better and the parliament we elect next year should have the power, on behalf of the people of Scotland, to conduct a constitutional referendum so that we in Scotland can determine our own future, including our own non-imperialist foreign policy, while furthering support for the poor and most vulnerable in our society. Stan Grodynski, Longniddry. Pare NHS to its essentials Another day, another article bemoaning the state of the Scottish NHS ("Doctors in warning Scots NHS is 'dying in front of us'". The Herald, June 24). I write as one of those fortunate enough to have been able to have hip replacements performed in a private hospital, with a waiting time of weeks rather than years. I have used private medicine for other treatments, too. But it is not that the NHS is incapable of excellence. I have twice used the Minor Injuries Clinic at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, for successive injuries to the same elbow. The first time, some six years ago, I simply turned up, was registered by a pleasant receptionist and then waited 20 minutes (yes, 20 minutes) to see a nurse. He treated me and arranged to see me again (continuity of care). The clinic has its own X-ray machine, which is a real advantage. It was a brilliant experience. The second time was slightly marred by having to go through NHS111 to make an appointment, and having to answer questions about what kind of house I live in and whether I have difficulty with household tasks. All I wanted was to book an appointment. Once I got there, the treatment was again excellent. Perhaps this is a microcosm of what is wrong with the NHS. The treatment itself is good to excellent, but there are too many extraneous and often politically correct appendages, like the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary's slavery project. Pare down the NHS to its essentials: anything not involving treating the sick and injured – like NHS Fife's official who advises on "pronouns" – should be scrutinised as to its value and, in most cases, jettisoned. Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh. Unions back on the offensive Peter Wright (Letters, June 24), replying to Eric Melvin (Letters, June 23), who remarked on the origins of the cars waiting at Troon to board the Arran ferry, gives a valuable reminder about the power of trade unions using the Rootes Group car manufacturing facility at Linwood and its eventual demise and then moves on to the power of the unions' influence at Ferguson Marine and their input on the design via CMAL of the Glens Sannox and Rosa. He might like to extend his knowledge to the power of the unions throughout the UK and to the likes of British Leyland and why it came into being from the British Motor Corporation and the reputation that Britain had in those days for strikes. It seems that under this Labour Government the unions think that their time has come again with demands for wages and conditions allied to the threats of strikes that could well change Britain completely; maybe that is what they want. Working through these distant days and again now, I wondered then as I do now about what it would be like if all transport services, especially railways and Scottish ferries, were handed over to the unions to manage and run from top management to cleaners and everything in between for a contract period of say 10 years, similar to the time span of the recent CalMac service award. Could this alternative model of operating these essential services turn out to be a beneficial cooperative or just the establishment of another quango with little or no accountability? I note the recent union demand for London's Tube train drivers to be paid a salary of circa £75000+. I don't know if this is realistic, maybe it is and is achievable due to it being an essential service for millions of customers, but if there were competition, what then? Ian Gray, Croftamie. It's right to ban Palestine Action In criticising the Government's proposal to proscribe Palestine Action, both Chris Ewing and Andy Stenton (Letters, June 24) fail to address the specific reason for that proposal. That reason was the deliberate immobilisation of two aircraft, severely damaging them by spraying paint into their jet engines. Instead they focus on the unrelated matter of their own personal objection to the Government's support of Israel, neither condemning nor condoning that damage, and even in the case of Chris Ewing making light of it. I don't know how long these important aircraft will be out of action, but it is estimated it will cost £50 million to repair them. More seriously, this act by the Palestine Action operatives amounts to a deliberate attack on our national security, which to me amounts to an act of treason which provides ample justification for proscribing the organisation. Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop. Keir Starmer (Image: PA) Starmer is wrong on Iran At the weekend Sir Keir Starmer defended the US bombing of Iran when he said it was necessary to "alleviate" the threat of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. I wonder if he recalls an incident during a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting of the UN Security Council in 2012, when the Israeli leader brandished a cartoon of a bomb and insisted Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon? In 2015, the US estimated Iran could produce enough fuel for a nuclear bomb in 12 months if it were so inclined. In an article published on September 13, 2021, the New York Times claimed Iran was just a single month away from being able to produce sufficient fuel for a nuclear bomb. So why has Iran not produced that bomb long before now? Our Prime Minister also said at the weekend: "We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis." Perhaps Sir Keir should ask himself who caused the crisis by mounting an illegal attack on a sovereign state. It has evidently also slipped his mind that Iran was at the negotiating table when it was attacked. Alan Woodcock, Dundee.
The Herald Scotland
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Thanks, Labour: your EU deal gives us the worst of both worlds
The UK Government estimates that material changes in areas covered, such as fisheries, food and energy, will increase GDP by 0.2 per cent by 2040. Contrasting with this, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates that Brexit will reduce the UK's long-term GDP by approximately four per cent compared to remaining in the EU. The deal shows the UK clearly moving towards a relationship with the EU that is the worst of both worlds, formally sovereign, yet locked in ongoing negotiations and deeply enmeshed in EU frameworks across the entire economy. Moreover, these conditions also mean the UK can't strike a trade deal with the US involving food and agriculture unless there is no trans-shipment of goods, or unless the EU signs a trade deal with the US that solves this issue. Trade deals with the likes of India, the US and the EU simply limit the immense economic damage of Brexit to the UK economy, rather than bringing any benefits. Alex Orr, Edinburgh. A threat to our security In a lecture at the Policy Exchange last week Jonathan Hall KC, the UK's independent reviewer of legislation on terrorism and state threats, said: 'If I was a foreign intelligence officer of course I would meddle in separatism, whether Scottish independence or independence of overseas territories or Brexit. I would ensure that the UK hated itself and its history. My intention would be to cause both immediate and long-term damage to the national security of the UK by exploiting the freedom and openness of the UK by providing funds, exploiting social media, and entryism." He also said that other issues useful to a foreign power would be environmentalism, immigration, trans rights, toxic masculinity, racial tension, antisemitism and anger over Gaza. All legitimate concerns, and all potential wedge issues 'to sow discord and hopelessness'. While his speech was on the topic of independence (which many people do suspect of being influenced by foreign powers) one of the other controversial issues he mentioned is environmentalism. Having read Ian Lakin's astounding letter (May 22) on Ed Milliband's ongoing destruction of the UK oil and gas industry could it be that those "foreign powers" have managed to infiltrate the heart of the UK Government? Just asking. Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven. Read more letters Transition is far from just On May 22 the Just Transition Commission published its fourth and final written briefing based upon a 'people-and-place approach'. The previous three papers focused upon Grangemouth, Shetland and Dumfries and Galloway. This fourth paper entitled 'A Just Transition for Aberdeen and the North East' makes for stark reading. Having conducted two days of reviews, interviews and group discussions the Commission concludes: • There is no just transition plan for Aberdeen and the North East, particularly for oil and gas workers. • Deployment of renewables needs to accelerate, and employment therein made more attractive. • Domestic supply chains are key but emaciated. • Retraining and skills are essential. • The Scottish and UK governments need to cooperate and work seamlessly together. • Most key players are in denial and therefore progress is glacial. In essence, if this was a report card it's a D. A solid D. This matters a lot because more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs are risk. And given Scotland's grim deindustrialisation track record it looks like our wheels are thoroughly stuck in the same old tram tracks as coal, steel, shipbuilding, refining. The report inevitably has several pages of recommendations. Regrettably these lack three key things: associated costs, a credible timeframe, any clear accountabilities. Even more curiously the report lacks three other key aspects: the realpolitik of transition if you like: • Any systematic examination of the key players' positions, needs and roles (this includes the institutional hostility between Edinburgh and London). • Any examination of the 'money side': costs, the underpinning economic drivers for the status quo and the desired transition. • Any appraisal of institutional capacity, especially capacity to retrain thousands of workers, build Scottish supply chains, reorientate whole complex systems. So we have deindustrialisation Groundhog Day. This report partly describes what's not working. But it elects to shy away from the 'why?' and has almost nothing to say in practical terms on how to credibly get our wheels out of the tram tracks. I had hoped for better. Aberdeen and the North East (and Scotland more generally) deserve better. There is plenty of expertise around to fill out the huge gaps here. However, I'm not sure there's any Scottish or UK political appetite or capacity to deal with the truth. That wouldn't matter were it not tens of thousands of jobs and a big chunk of our economy hurtling towards the scrap heap. This is negligence at best. Rank cowardice at worst. We can and need to do a great deal better than this. Neil Gilmour, Edinburgh. Frustration over tidal Stewart Lightbody (Letters, May 24) makes valid points about the Winter Fuel Allowance, but the elephant in the room is that we could have electricity coming out of our ears if the tides were harnessed. A 2021 paper to the Royal Society claimed that a Severn Barrage alone could supply 6-7% of UK demand, and slinging road-rail across any dam would be a double bonus. The problem is Big Energy doesn't want that, in the same way that Big Pharma doesn't want health. For example, you can't produce plutonium for weapons from dams, hence the ongoing, horribly expensive nuclear programme. George Morton, Rosyth. Working together for peace I refer to the heading to Murdo Grant's letter published on May 23, 'Support the many decent Israelis' with which sentiment I very much agree. Surely the most effective way of supporting Israelis who are opposing Benjamin Netanyahu's extremist ethno-nationalist government is by providing financial support to those organisations which are driven by Jewish values among which are social justice, promoting peace and preserving life. I suggest that your readers read online an article headed 'A Guide to Organisations Working for Peace and Justice in Palestine-Israel' which lists 'a number of organisations that work inside Palestine, inside Israel, across borders and internationally. These organisations show that people can work together to find a solution to conflict and demonstrate leadership and bravery'. May I take this opportunity to draw your readers' attention to the fact that at last week's General Assembly of the Church of Scotland the Commissioners backed a deliverance criticising the blockade of food and humanitarian aid, the ongoing forcible displacement of Gazans and the continued holding of hostages? The Rev David Cameron, Convener of the Assembly Trustees, said 'the churches of the world cannot remain silent in the face of such appalling inhumanity'. Surely the authentic voice of Christianity. John Milne, Uddingston. • Dr Gerald Edwards (Letters, May 24) asks if the current situation in Gaza isn't "what Hamas wants".' I am not sure whether Dr Edwards is a medical doctor or a PhD but I would be mortified if it is the former because I am not sure how any feeling human being, much less a physician who has taken the Hippocratic Oath, can countenance the tragedy that is the outcome of this "war" with anything other than sheer horror and disgust. Marjorie Thompson, Edinburgh. A precedent for Faslane? In the face of international opposition and the legal claims of displaced islanders, the UK has passed the sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago over to Mauritius while leasing back control of the (American) military base on Diego Garcia ("Starmer signs deal to hand over Chagos Islands after court bid", The Herald, May 23). This will cost the UK £101 million for a century, less than the cost of running an aircraft carrier according to Keir Starmer. An increasingly likely phenomenon is the elevation of Nigel Farage to the office of Prime Minister, probably with the support of the Tory party (though Labour cannot be ruled out). In that event the possibilities of Scotland recovering its sovereignty would be greatly enhanced. What then of the nuclear base on the Clyde? A similar leasing arrangement? I think the many questions over liability, control and sovereignty would probably rule this out. GR Weir, Ochiltree. John Swinney (Image: PA) Have a word, Mr Swinney John Swinney's favourite word appears to be "unacceptable", however the number of times he uses it is also unacceptable. I suggest he invests in a thesaurus and finds some that are equally acceptable, among which might be damnable; unspeakable; deplorable; disgraceful; unsupportable; indefensible and it then would become less intolerable. Isobel Hunter, Lenzie.
