BBC Scotland is a sham and classifying The Traitors as a Scottish production exposes the complicity of BBC Directors ("Just how Scottish is smash hit BBC show The Traitors?", The Herald, January 10). The extent of their complicity was confirmed to Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee in a cynical attempt to justify the statement that £296 million had been spent on Scottish content, a figure questioned in the recent Screen Scotland report, by resorting to the statement that the BBC had a “much wider range of definitions of what Scottish looks like”.
This was essentially the same argument presented by Sally Magnusson on Reporting Scotland that evening in a seemingly desperate attempt (“it’s a complicated tale”) by the programme director to justify the BBC position that The Traitors is a Scottish production, in spite of not complying with basic stipulations of Ofcom. Describing Studio Lambert, effectively based in London, as a “Scottish production company” on the basis that it rents space within the BBC’s Pacific Quay facility in Glasgow demonstrates not only a financial betrayal but a moral betrayal of the Scottish public.
It is disappointing enough listening night after night to stories predominantly denigrating the Scottish Government, if not Scotland as a country, often in the vain hope of hearing about some of the achievements of the many amazing and inspiring people of Scotland, without listening to patronising claims attempting to con us into believing that the BBC licence fees paid in Scotland are returned to Scotland.
Clearly the actions of the BBC do not reflect the spirit behind the Ofcom stipulations no matter what spin is presented by BBC representatives and it is time for Ofcom to recognise that the BBC, effectively controlled by the UK Government, has failed in its primary responsibility to the Scottish public and therefore Ofcom should immediately recommend that broadcasting in Scotland be devolved to the Scottish Government.
Stan Grodynski, Longniddry.
• ANGUS Robertson, for the Scottish Government, has taken issue with the BBC’s claim that its current reality show, The Traitors, qualifies as a Scottish commission in terms of Ofcom’s regional production guidelines. I have a broader objection, which is that any Scottish licence fee payer, regardless of political persuasion, has grounds for objecting to their money being spent on such a mindless parody of an Agatha Christie plot set in a clichéd setting taken from the lid of a shortbread tin.
Unlike Angus Robertson, I can only express relief that such a banal offering cannot be ascribed to a Scottish production team or involve any identifiable Scottish actors.
James Scott, Edinburgh.
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Appreciate our tradespeople
ALAN Simpson ("The skills shortage crisis should shame ministers into immediate, urgent action", The Herald, January 13) raises so many issues that need urgent action but unfortunately Scotland has a government that talks a lot but does little. No doubt it would set up a consultation, then it would set up a committee to discuss the replies to the consultation, then it would announce a commitment to do A, B and C. Then it would disappear into a big black hole, never to be discussed again unless brought up by an opposition MSP at which point the minister responsible (in this case the snippy Jenny Gilruth) would act outraged that someone had the audacity to question her “commitment”.
The skills shortage we have is because our education is all about hitting targets and ticking boxes. Many of our students are not academic. That is a fact, not a criticism. Just as I am better with spreadsheets than U-bends, some are better with their hands. Tradesmen are not stupid people. They need to understand STEM subjects but unless pupils are provided with practical examples, they are overwhelmed and tune out. That is where apprenticeships come in, where they learn on the job and at college. Cutting the funding for apprenticeships is a sign that this SNP Government just doesn’t believe that we need to nurture our future tradespeople.
We need to appreciate our tradesmen and women, treat them with respect and acknowledge that we can’t live without them.
Jane Lax, Aberlour.
Labour is ruining lives
IT appears that Rachel Reeves is determined to ruin the UK economy faster than Gordon Brown.
He took 10 years by giving the banks freedom to operate recklessly and compounded this by shattering the pension system and ruining many people's retirement plans.
It was clear when Ms Reeves' Budget was announced that employers would start trimming their workforce immediately, that farmers would be up in arms about inheritance tax plans which could only result in developers buying up their land to pay for the tax and finally the 40% tax on pensions which many people have relied on and thought they would be able to leave something to their families.
They don't seem to realise or care that they are severely affecting the lives of the working population.
JR Oliver, Falkirk.
Factors behind child poverty
ALTHOUGH she does not define it, Rebecca McQuillan writes a well-argued article about the abolition of child poverty and how this might be achieved ("SNP’S Child Payment has kept 60,000 kids out of poverty but we must go further", The Herald, January 9).
In particular, she emphasises the importance of adequately remunerated family-friendly work, and the availability of affordable childcare. As she mentions, this is particularly relevant to single parents.
The elephant in the room, however, must be the factors that drive people into single parenthood.
Many human beings crave a lifelong partnership. However, the number of couples entering this situation through a civil or religious marriage service has been steadily declining over the past generation. Of course, a significant minority (well over one-third) do not realise their ambition, and divorce occurs at some point.
There has been an increasing trend towards cohabitation, but these unions appear to be even more fragile.
I am not seeking to demonise people of whom I have no personal knowledge or the circumstances in which they live, but the decision to create two households for whatever reason will lose the economies of scale, with the need to find two mortgages/rents/council tax/utilities bills, etc. Even where both partners are in well-paid, secure employment, the decision to split will result in a degree of impoverishment all round, as well as contributing to the overall housing shortage.
In a secular society, I wonder what sort of educational technique might contribute to reducing this problem.
Christopher W Ide, Waterfoot.
Making Glen Sannox more productive
PETER Wright (Letters, January 9) helpfully draws attention to the three return trips that the Glen Sannox will make between Troon and Brodick compared to the five trips per day that are made on the route between Ardrossan and Brodick. The duration of the Troon route is greater – 75 minutes compared to 55 minutes – but that in itself does not account for the reduction in the number of trips. The summer 2025 CalMac timetable reveals some interesting data.
At Brodick, the turnaround time for the Ardrossan ferry is 25 minutes but for the Troon ferry it is 55 minutes. This could be a result of the bigger vessel but the considerably larger Loch Seaforth achieves a 50-minute turnaround at Ullapool on the service to Stornoway.
Of more significance is what happens at Troon. While the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry has four turnarounds at Ardrossan each taking at most 30 minutes, the Glen Sannox will berth just twice at Troon during the working day. The first of these has a duration of two hours and 10 minutes while the second has a duration of one hour 30 minutes. So for approaching four hours during each day, the vessel appears to be sitting idle in Troon Harbour.
There may be other activities that the Glen Sannox undertakes during these periods which are not immediately apparent. However, based solely on the timetable, there appears to be under-utilisation of the Glen Sannox and its large complement of crew. With a slight extension to the working day and adjustment of the timing of both services (to ensure only one is scheduled to dock at Brodick at any time), it ought to be possible for the Glen Sannox to achieve a fourth return trip.
George Rennie, Inverness.
Trumpian logic
IN 1989 US President George HW Bush took over Panama in Operation Just Cause. News reports suggest that Donald Trump wants to take the Panama Canal and Greenland. This should be called Operation Just Because.
Geoff Moore, Alness.
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