Readers' letters: Gers figures are just Unionist spin

Ian Murray is guilty of spin on Gers, which illustrates how badly off Scotland fares in the Union when compared to other small independent nations in western Europe, and the council bin workers dispute (Opinion, 25 August).

His claim of £900 average pay award for council workers fails to take into account the proposed increase to local authority living wage to £10.50 an hour, which for a 40 hour week works out at £21,840.

The average bin collection worker in England currently earns £18,193 a year, only increasing to £20,118 after the £1925 pay increase.

Also, lower paid workers, particularly those with families, are much better off in Edinburgh, thanks to the Scottish Government’s welfare provisions, than those elsewhere in the UK.

Negotiations and rubbish on Edinburgh’s streets would be one week better off if Cammy Day and other Labour councillors on Cosla, along with their Tory and Lib Dem allies, hadn’t pushed through a measly 3.5 percent pay increase on 12 August when they voted against the SNP proposal of a five per cent pay increase.

Also, Edinburgh’s outgoing SNP finance convener left a ring-fenced 4.5 percent amount to deal with the long simmering pay dispute as Edinburgh City Council’s useable cash reserves increased by over £113 million last year.

Fraser Grant, Edinburgh.

Scottish energy future is booming

GERS is no argument for continued Westminster control when compared to the economic performance of Norway, Denmark, Finland or Ireland (Ian Murray, 25 August).

Energy-rich Scotland is a country with more natural wealth and economic resources per head than any European nation. Over 80 per cent of the UK’s oil and gas production comes from Scottish waters, plus Scotland has 25 per cent of Europe’s offshore wind power resources, 25 per cent of its tidal energy resources and 10 per cent of its wave energy potential, while our cheaper renewable electricity exports don’t show up in Gers.

An independent Scotland would be in a position to provide much cheaper energy for our households and businesses. Gers attributed a mere £3.5 billion from Scotland’s oil and gas production, whereas with a similar output Norway raised £15 billion last year in direct taxation.

In 2022 Norway’s oil revenues are estimated to raise £56bn whereas the UK’s lenient taxation regime will likely raise £13bn from Scotland’s waters.

Apart from the worst inflation levels in the G7, the UK is in long term relative economic decline, falling further behind countries of a similar size as Scotland.

The choice voters face is whether to remain part of the declining UK economy or grasp the opportunity of taking responsibility for improving the performance of the vast potential of Scottish economy and enjoy a higher standard of living.

Mary Thomas, Edinburgh.

Crossing concern

Otto Inglis (Letters, 25 August) highlights the inadequacy of the new Queensferry Crossing.

This is partly due to its construction encouraging further development around Dunfermline in the mistaken belief that it would solve the inadequacy of the old Road Bridge, which it never could, as it is still a dual carriageway.

This also raises the question of what is happening to the old Road Bridge. Surely its much needed repairs are complete by now and it could once more carry some traffic?

But of course it can’t be used for cars because it is reserved for the use of the occasional bus and the very occasional cyclist.

Malcolm Parkin, Kinross.

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