Were MacAskill’s trips really necessary?

Were MacAskill’s trips really necessary?

Were Kenny MacAskill MSP’s two, 200-mile journeys from his holiday home in Moray to his constituency in Dunbar, expressly against SNP government advice legal?

If he was down for a medical appointment it would be legal. If not, what on earth is a medically-related appointment?

Like the Salmon/Sturgeon affair, the ferry fiasco, the coaching of witnesses earning over £100,000 a year - all we will get is smoke and mirrors when the truth would be easy to determine

If the former cabinet secretary’s appointments were covered by legal exemptions, then that would be the end of the matter. If not, his salary and pension will make payment of the Covid fine easy - unless of course, it’s an allowable expense as he “popped into the office” too.

Brian Barbour, Prestonpans.

Rejoining the EU may not be an easy task

There has been a lot of talk recently of an independent Scotland re-joining the EU. Nicola Sturgeon’s remarks suggest if Scotland votes for independence, we could be back in the EU shortly after.

Joining the EU is not so easy. Seven other countries are waiting to join. Turkey started talks in 1987, got conditional agreement to negotiate in 1999 and started negotiations in 2005. They are still not members.

Iceland applied in 2009; by 2015 they had met only 8 of the 35 conditions needed for membership. They too are still waiting.

Croatia was relatively lucky; they applied in 2003 and got membership in 2013, a mere 10 years.

Sturgeon needs to start saying very loudly that a possible Scottish EU membership could take over 10 years. Anything else, she is leaving herself open to accusations of a Trumpish ‘lying to the Scottish people’.

Anne Wimberley, Belmont Road, Edinburgh.

National Care Service would be welcomed

On January 19 the results of a poll commissioned by the Scottish Socialist Party showed overwhelming support for the creation of a National Care Service in Scotland.

Nearly 70% agreed on the need for an NCS publicly funded, publicly run and free at the point of need.

The Scottish Care Inspectorate found that 40% of care homes were 'unsatisfactory' or 'poor'. With demand set to rise by 40% over the next decade it's clear we cannot continue with the current set up.

Health secretary Jeane Freeman poured cold water on the idea of a free at point of need care service, citing 'a huge price tag'. This same argument was used by opponents of the NHS over 70 years ago. The Scottish Government would do well to remember that those nay sayers found themselves on the wrong side of history

A National Care Service is an idea whose time has come.

Michael Davidson, South Sloan Street, Edinburgh.

Biden shows way on climate change action

Nicola Sturgeon is on record as saying, if she had her time again on the pandemic, she would have acted quicker and with tougher action, so avoiding the death rates we have seen. The same logic applies to the climate emergency.

We have seen the new USA administration act swiftly to stop “dirty” projects like the Keystone XL oil pipeline and to halt further drilling on government lands.

We need similar action and leadership in Scotland today. Further road dualling projects should be halted and any money currently subsidising air travel or airports repurposed.

Iain MacDonald, Grove Road, Broughty Ferry.

Were MacAskill’s trips really necessary? - your views