Readers' letters: Tory vision of global Britain has failed

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Tory vision of global Britain has failed

Both Conservative and Labour seem terrified to mention Brexit as they desperately try to make it work.

It is, therefore, worth remembering the many promises, including £350 million per week for the NHS, made by the Leave campaign in the 2016 EU referendum, none of which have been met. In fact many who backed Leave, on what was a very small majority win, now regret it.

As the third anniversary of actually leaving the EU passes, with a cost of living crisis and a breakdown in public services, the Tory vision of a global Britain has not happened. In truth Brexit has increased food prices, set up trade barriers and created labour shortages.

Various London government agencies have reported a shortfall of 300,000 in the UK labour force directly due to the impact of the freedom of movement restrictions.All of this and more has greatly promoted the independence movement in Scotland and throughout the UK.

Grant Frazer, Newtonmore

Towing party line

Shirley-Anne Somerville’s call for SNP MSPs who think for themselves to stand down at the next election merely highlights the disdain and disregard her party has for the people of Scotland.

MPs and MSPs are elected to represent their constituencies, so it would appear that if the mood in a constituency with an SNP MSP is contrary to that of Nicola Sturgeon, then tough.

At least Stephen Flynn seems to have some backbone and regard for conscience-based opinion. Somerville and others are pointless puppets.

Ken Currie, Edinburgh

Talking Turkey

Despite owning a shipbuilding yard, albeit one that hasn’t launched anything, the latest orders for four island ferries have gone to Turkey.

Turkey does not have a minimum wage structure, a living wage, and they don’t need to employ the same number of male and female workers. They are not constrained by other policies which make manufacturing more expensive here.

Scotland has issued £100ms guarantees for our steel industry. Why, then, did we not at least allow them to be included in those offering to supply the building materials?

The steel will come from China, which has reported questionable quality controls and production will cause far more pollution than would be allowed in Scotland.

Of the 130,000 green jobs SNP promised, about 20,000 are in Scotland. Other countries are benefiting far more than Scotland. Why not spend our money here?

It’s time for Sturgeon to “jump-ship” and allow Scotland to refocus on matters of national importance rather than pandering to minority interest groups.

Alastair Murray, Edinburgh

Dentists disappear

Alastair Murray is correct to blame the Scottish government for dentists "going private" (Letters, 4 February).

Besides dentists, there is a shortage of doctors and nurses in the Scottish NHS, which has been devolved since 1 July 1999. The SNP has controlled Scotland's devolved legislature since 2007 when they introduced free university tuition for those who had lived in Scotland for three years.

Why did Scotland's politicians not insist that free university education would be linked to a legally-binding contract that on qualifying students would have to repay taxpayers by working in Scotland for at least five years? Tax take up, no brain drain and NHS waiting lists down.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow

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