THE Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton stated on Channel 4 News in relation to the legislation to reform the gender recognition process in Scotland: “We need to make sure that the law works right across the U, and the Scottish Parliament has already passed around 350 bills of their own accord that have been perfectly acceptable with the UK Government so therefore they have the right to pass their own laws if they make good law.”
So there we have it, the UK Government will “allow” the Scottish Parliament to pass laws “of their own accord” if said UK Government deems those laws to be “good”. I take it then, when they mean good, they are thinking of “good” legislation like everything related to Brexit, like the Rwanda policy, Home Office policies that led to the Windrush scandal, the decimation of the NHS and all public services and basically like all their policies since 2010 which have led to widespread abject poverty throughout the UK, food banks, homelessness, fuel poverty, etc, and numerous more etcs!
I can tell by that self-satisfied smug look all over Alister Jack’s face when he speaks about the topic that he feels he’s played a blinder. At a time when the UK and Scottish Tories’ opinion-poll ratings have plummeted they find themselves, for once, on the right side of general public opinion in Scotland, according to the polls, in relation to the gender recognition legislation.
The trans community are cynically being used as a political football by the Tories and of course it’s a massive attack against devolution. This will continue right up until the next UK election as part of their precious culture war. This type of dog-whistle, gutter politics clearly helped them get over the line to achieve Brexit and the 2019 election landslide and they feel it will help them again.
I really hope, however, that independence supporters or waverers who might come on board, who have strongly opposed this legislation, will see through this pretence to care about women’s rights. This is an extreme right-wing Tory Government. They don’t do equality!
Ivor Telfer
Dalgety Bay, Fife
Sure, he thinks he is the Viceroy, of Westminster’s finest jewel;
treats Scotland like a nice toy, from his place of distant rule.
Looking down on us as foreign, with no sense of utter shame ;
zero pride for where he was born, as he plays his colonial game.
As he does what he is doing, can’t he hear alarm bells ring?
the oppressed are quietly brewing, and one day he’ll feel the sting.
We shall not, cannot e’er forget, the damage this puppet intends;
the fuse of freedom has been set, and our democracy we’ll defend.
Union Jack, union Jack, be aware! I can hear dissension’s drums;
maybe best you stay down there, when sweet independence comes.
George Robertson
Edinburgh
WHEN I read Kevin McKenna’s column a couple of weeks ago I thought it was awful and chose to ignore its content. On Monday, I read Alan Hinnrichs’s letter, which was equally bad.
In Kevin’s case, I’ve come to the conclusion that his intention is to project himself as an independence thinker who is somewhat controversial. But to me he comes across as a journalist who considers himself to have a superior intellect, and to prove it he sometimes includes in his columns words that require plebs such as me to reach for my dictionary.
I think Kevin has an ego that he is unable to relegate to a secondary position in his opinions, assessments or analyses.
Despite what I have written, Kevin and I have something in common. We are both Celtic supporters.
As to Mr Hinnrichs’s letter, independence supporters can make of it whatever they wish. But these two supposedly independence supporters also have something in common – they present nothing positive from the announcement of our struggle.
All of us have feelings of frustration and impatience at time with events and happenings, but McKenna and Hinnrich’s reduce much of their comment to statements for which they offer no evidence.
Bobby Brennan
Glasgow
THANK you for Valerie and Mark Waters’ letter (Jan 5) recommending a swift and modest coronation ceremony in Edinburgh for King Charles III, using the Scottish regalia.
I am old enough to remember that this was in fact what was expected to take place in 1953 shortly after the coronation in Westminster. The Scottish nobility and other functionaries, clad in their coronation braws, awaited the arrival of the Queen in St Giles. But unknown to them, the Prime Minister Winston Churchill had vetoed this. The very new Queen arrived wearing a coat and skirt and carrying a hand-bag over her arm. She was allowed to take the Scottish crown in her hands and to hand it straight back to the Moderator. As a normally very courteous person, she must have begun to realise the slight that was being paid to Scotland.
In the end, she deliberately chose to die in the quiet of the Braemar hills, away from the glare of publicity. She oversaw in her funeral arrangements that her cortege should pass through Scotland and that she should be carried from Holyrood Palace up the Royal Mile to lie in state in St Giles and under the Scottish regalia and crown of her Stewart forebears. Perhaps our late queen wanted the usual slights to Scotland amended.
The republicans among us should remember that arch-republican and arch-hater Oliver Cromwell, who having brought about a civil war in England and executed Charles I, proceeded to carry out terrible slaughter on the people of both, Scotland and Ireland. Ever since his time the kings and queens of the United Kingdom have had to do exactly what Westminster decrees.
It is not the people of the royal family who are our problem, but the injustice of the English parliament running our affairs, and of course hatred, of any kind, which is always a problem.
Lesley J Findlay
Fort Augustus
I WAS very interested to read the recent article “Holyrood heating system failure puts Parliament at risk” (January 15). It appears that Holyrood’s heating system, installed about 20 years ago as part of the eventual £414 million building project, is at the end of its useful life.
The cost to replace it is estimated to be around £4m and the process will take three years to complete but the final cost will be “subject to market prices”. I suspect that is parli-speak for “we don’t really know how long it will take and how much it will cost”. Perhaps Holyrood needs to take a long, hard look at its procurement processes. I look at my elderly gas boiler and wish I had the same financial flexibility.
I was amused to note during a recent TV interview given by the First Minister at Bute House, in the background was clearly blazing away an open fire presumably fuelled by wood, coal or perhaps, perish the thought, even gas.
Given that the ordinary folk of Scotland are expected to participate in our government’s green dream by, in the not-too-distant future, replacing our current heating systems, possibly with heat pumps,
I look forward to seeing what the new Holyrood heating system will look like. Unlike Scotland’s many flat dwellers, at least the Parliament building has a large area of nearby open ground around Holyrood Palace where the massive pipe work needed to extract the green heat could be installed. I am sure, given his alleged support for the green agenda, the current monarch would be only too happy to see his garden dug up to support this project.
Iain Wilson
Stirling
THE rising pension age in the UK is certainly an issue for thousands, but the Government has had a relatively easy ride on the continual increase to the state pension age over a number of years. The exception to this was the WASPI (Women against state pension inequality) women, women who have been disproportionately disadvantaged due to the equalisation of the state pension age for men and women. Those women even took their case to the Courts.
The current retirement age in the UK is 66 and is due to rise to 67 by 2028. But it doesn’t stop there for future pensioners in the UK, by 2046 retirement will be 68 and this is currently being reviewed by the current government and could be brought forward to 2039. Compare this to the current situation in France, with protests on the street at the French Government’s plan to increase the state pension age to 64 (currently 62)! This rise in state pension age in France is as a result of a manifesto commitment given by French president Emmanuel Macron. But as seen before, French workers don’t take change sitting down, they make their protest known and are often heard and get results … take note, UK Government, in your endeavours to silence workers.
The current cold snap with severe winters in Scotland, punishing and extreme, temperatures plummeting, begs the question, how can the Government expect those who daily keep the infrastructure of our country ticking over, out working in harsh and cold conditions, be expected to work till 68? It is an outrage, so unfair and surely adding to the pressures on our health services and ultimately our care sector? Our health services are struggling, as is our social care sector. Surely the state pension age must be taken into consideration in any future review of our NHS and care sector going forward?
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
EARLIER this month, the European Union and Nato issued a statement indicating that they intend to continue working closely on defence and security issues .
The statement confirms the increasing military direction of the EU which diverts resources away from the peace-building role which many of its supporters would suggest it plays in the world .
One of the most worrying aspects of the statement was the point that said that EU member countries that are not part of Nato will be encouraged to be involved in its activities anyway.
Given the loss of life and suffering caused by Nato-supported wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine, it seems to me that the time has come to start thinking creatively about achieving security in Europe .
I would suggest that rather than developing an even more cosy relationship with Nato, it is perhaps time for the EU and the UK to start thinking about alternatives.
For example, developing security arrangements in Europe and the wider world based on achieving a fairer world which tackles urgent problems such as climate change might be a better option.
Arthur West
Irvine
AS a group of organisations who support vulnerable children and young people, many with autism and a learning disability, we would add our support to concerns relating to a delay in a Scottish Government commitment to establish a commissioner to promote and protect the rights of autistic people.
Currently too many of those with autism and learning disabilities are struggling to get the support needed, with their human rights breached, and a commissioner is vital to help them fight their corner.
However, with a delay in public consultation on this until late 2023, there is a real concern that the delivery of a commissioner is simply not being prioritised.
While not by any means a panacea, a commissioner for autism and learning disability would be the first of its kind in the world, established in law to champion the human rights of autistic people and people with a learning disability.
It would be a powerful voice, improving access to services and advocating on people’s behalf when they cannot. A commissioner would also close the current gap between what the law says and what actually happens, delivering improvements. Importantly people would also have recourse when the system falls short and fails to deliver for them.
Many of those with autism and learning disabilities feel invisible, and such a role can help people live good lives with choice and control, free from discrimination. We would urge the Scottish Government to develop a sense of urgency on this vital matter.
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition: Kenny Graham, Falkland House School; Lynn Black, LOVE Learning; Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius ; Niall Kelly, Young Foundations
