Readers' letters: Sturgeon’s critics are misleading us

Alistair Murray (letters, 21 February) does not look at Nicola Sturgeon’s governance in a balanced way.

Under Sturgeon the SNP won two Holyrood and three Westminster elections and there were European and local elections wins.

She successfully raised the profile of Scotland internationally. Sturgeon and Ardern co-founded, with Iceland, the Wellbeing Economic Governments Partnership (WEGo) which now includes Finland, Wales and Canada.

Sturgeon’s government acted on poverty with the Scottish Child Payment and mitigated bad legislation from Westminster like their Bedroom Tax. The latest help is for Scottish families affected by Westminster’s benefit cap, which limits support.

Mr Murray fails to point out the drastic change in context after Brexit. The purse strings of a devolved government are controlled by Westminster and it must balance its budget. But since Brexit Westminster has legislated and spend money in devolved areas, sidelining Holyrood.

The country may be more polarised and divided but this is not true in Scotland on Brexit. Scotland voted solidly against Brexit. But Scotland now pays the price for being ignored, this democratic deficit, also affecting other devolved nations. Brexit is hitting Scottish exports particularly badly; it has raised costs to businesses and the EU legislative bonfire from Sunak will attack our food and environment protections

Holyrood has a majority supporting independence and has had for some time. Independence would give Scotland the democratic powers it needs to look after its own economy and people and be close to the EU.

There is no reduced support for independence and for having another referendum, though it has gone down to pre-Covid levels.

The EU is likely to welcome Scotland back but requires it a) to be independent and b) to have its own currency and central bank.

Pol Yates, Edinburgh

Coronation is an unnecessary expense

It was interesting to read that the council are seeking to trim the Lord Provost's budget so that the savings can possibly be diverted into social care.

This is all well and good, and I am sure there are other budgets that could be trimmed, but If the council are so strapped for cash may I ask how they can afford £250,000 so that the Coronation extra public holiday can be granted? Perhaps from social care?

James Darroch, Edinburgh

I’m backing Hamza Yousaf to sink SNP

Watching Kate Forbes launching her SNP leadership campaign, two things stood out for me.

It was so good to see a politician actually answer straight questions with straight answers, unheard of these days, and how unusual it is for a SNP politician to publicly say she disagreed with some party policies.

I thought she was a breath of fresh air and came across as someone who could become a decent FM for Scotland. She might even be able to provide the ‘open and transparent’ government that Sturgeon often spoke about but never came close to delivering.

As a unionist myself, I don’t support the SNP, the problem I have is Kate Forbes could easily do so well she could rally the support for the SNP.

With this in mind, it would be better for unionists if Humza Yousaf is elected leader as he would certainly fail, as he has done in all three of his cabinet jobs so far, and set back the SNP for years.

I’m actually glad I don’t have a vote in this election.

David Smith, Prestonpans

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