Readers' letters: England’s NHS failure is harming Scotland

The failure of England’s NHS will negatively impact Scotland’s health service.

That’s because Scotland’s ‘allowance,’ what we get back after we turn over all our money to the Treasury, is tied to the UK Government’s underspending on health and other public services

When England’s NHS is starved of funding, so is Scotland’s. So, although our health service hasn’t yet failed, if we continue to be part of the UK, it will.

One fact illustrates our financial subservience to another nation. From 2017-22, Scotland was forced to pay £26.5 billion for interest on UK debt. Far from creating that debt, our revenues – think oil and gas - have buoyed up the UK economy for decades and we export the most of any UK nation, propping up the UK trade balance.

It’s no secret that the Tories, with help from New Labour, have chosen to kill off the UK’s public services. They’ve already succeeded with energy, water and transport. The NHS is the last great thing of value from the post-war era and its demise was planned. Both political parties claim it can’t survive in its current form and must be replaced with private health insurance.

Dr Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA’s consultants committee, said Rishi Sunak was delusional to suggest the problems stem from Covid.

He said anyone “can see that the NHS is quite clearly broken” and it “did not happen overnight but is a direct result of government underspending on health and ignoring repeated warnings from staff about workforce shortages, soaring demand and crumbling infrastructure.”

Leah Gunn Barrett, Edinburgh

Scexit would be worse than Brexit

I voted Remain in the Brexit referendum and have been pro-EU my entire life. But however reluctantly, I respected the decision of the majority of people in the UK to leave in 2016.

If only those Scots complaining of the undeniable downside of Brexit would stop and think. It is beyond question for anyone not influenced by any cult or party that Brexit appears to be a piece of cake in comparison to what Scexit would bring.

Breaking up the UK would be disastrous beyond words and catastrophic in the economic devastation Scotland would most certainly suffer in the aftermath. There is no question of that whatsoever.

Of course, the UK at some point could be broken up. But the pro break-up argument is entirely emotional and makes no economic sense at all. The point is, would the devastation certain to follow for our children and grandchildren be worth it?

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Prince Harry harms the Royal cause

In my opinion Prince Harry is a complete spoiled brat.

Having been born into a wealthy Royal family and brought up in a luxurious lifestyle he has decided to sell his family's reputation for dollars in America in what can only be described as the actions of a traitor.

Of all the outrageous comments he makes in his book, to claim he has killed 25 Taliban terrorists threatens to undermine the safety of all royals in the UK.

Even his British Army buddies have turned their backs on him and now regard his behaviour as despicable.

D Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen

NHS tax relief

The NHS waiting lists are horrendous, so people are having to "go private".

Surely tax relief should be given to those who do, but not to those who pay 41 per cent tax or higher. This would quickly ease the pressure on the NHS.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow

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