Readers' letters: Coronavirus Act should be repealed

"Westminster mishandles the pandemic and takes rights away from the populace”

The Coronavirus Act is discriminatory and should be repealed

Coronavirus Act should be repealed

England’s relaxing of coronavirus restrictions on ‘Freedom Day’ still means the Westminster government continues to use coercive strategies to deal with a public health crisis and sow confusion.

The Coronavirus Act is one of the most authoritarian pieces of legislation and seeks to criminalise and punish, but remains on the statute books.

Then the wholesale opening means there is little to actually protect the clinically vulnerable and front line workers who need material support so they are at greater risk.

The Prime Minister now talks of mandatory ‘vaccine passports’ for some places. The civil rights organisation Liberty has said that proposals for a vaccine passport will discriminate and also queries mandatory vaccination. But these could become normalised.

Not only does Westminster mishandle the pandemic, but it takes rights away from the populace and imposes laws which don’t help – Covid 19 infection and hospitalisation in England now increases at a rate.

The Coronavirus Act needs repealed. Liberty propose the Protect Everyone Bill, which makes the pandemic strategy one of support for all.

Westminster shows appalling and dangerous governance and Scotland is best away from this and independent.

Pol Yates, Edinburgh.

Caring for your dog after lockdown

Lockdown has seen an increase in people getting new dogs, some of whom will suffer from traumatic early lives in puppy farms, lack of crucial early socialisation during lockdown, or anxiety when restrictions ease and routines change.

Some new owners prioritise human convenience over the wellbeing of the dogs. For example, in many cases barking when left alone could be a sign of stress.

No dog should be left alone for long periods, and encouraging anyone to buy a dog with the intention of doing so is irresponsible.

Appropriate training should not be something that is seen as an optional extra, but a fundamental necessity for anybody getting a dog.

First-time owners should always seek professional advice on training.

Border collies do learn fast but also have high energy levels and can be nervous, so are not a good match for first-time owners or anybody who cannot give them the stimulation, positive training, and guidance they need.

Bringing a new dog into the family should be something that is done in a thoughtful way, it is not akin to picking a toy off a shelf. Consideration of whether the dog’s needs – physical, mental, and emotional – can be fully met should be paramount.

The BBC documentary just aired, BBC Three - Britain's Puppy Boom: Counting the Cost, covers many of the problems with impulse dog buying and selecting for appearance or convenience

As presenter Fabian Rivers says: “We all need to pay attention to the many risks of buying and breeding, so we can live up to our reputation as a nation of dog lovers.”

Kirsty Jenkins, Policy Officer, OneKind - Ending cruelty to Scotland's animals

Manifesto promises

A quick glance at election manifestos and promises of the SNP is enlightening. Some random examples contain: scrapping the ‘’hated’’ council tax; 18-maximum class sizes; new ferries for the islands and nationalisation of the shipyard to provide them; education attainment gap closed; a not-for-profit energy company; there are many more but I think the point is made.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh.