In the aftermath of the farce of the Clacton by-election, British politics and the UK economy remain in their post-Brexit state of torpor and division. Everyone knows what is wrong and what caused it: Brexit. Our latest Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, avoids the question with vague statements about getting closer to Europe, yet he is afraid to utter the word "referendum"; however, another referendum is not required.
There is a simple way to break the UK out of this economic and political death spiral. Andy Burnham should first declare his intention to negotiate re-entry to the EU, then call a General Election on the back of that statement. He would find that most of the electorate are smart enough to see through the likes of Nigel Farage. Even if he upsets a few, he would win hands down.
John Jamieson, Ayr.
Life without the Barnett Formula
Ian Lakin (Letters, August 17) desires the ending of the Barnett Formula. That would have wider consequences than just Scotland.
Revenue per person in Scotland is almost identical to the UK average: £17,718 to £17,720. Spending is where the difference lies: Wales gets +12%, London +13%, Scotland +15% and Northern Ireland is +19% above the average. So how would Ian Lakin’s proposal work? How would London cope with a huge cut in its budget? Would Northern Ireland stay (impoverished) in the Union?
But Mr Lakin concentrates on Scotland, which would receive as a budget what it raises in taxes (though the Treasury would have to open its books for perusal). If Scotland is debited £5.5 billion for defence, but only £2bn is spent in Scotland, why would Scotland make up that difference? Why would we pay for civil servants working in London, on London weighting, and spending their wages down there?
The UK spends substantial sums of money on research and development, grants and subsidies for industrial investment/renewal, overwhelmingly in England: why would Scotland or Wales pay for that?
UK borrowing is about £130bn per annum; presumably England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would then raise their own borrowing? Why would Scotland not have control of its geographic resources in this situation: exploitation of its oil and gas, control (and taxation) of energy exports, pricing of domestic usage for these commodities?
There will be much more that I have missed, but with full fiscal autonomy, the next logical step is independence, establishing a border (most Scottish exports south are services) to control immigration and drugs, launching a new currency and joining the EU (who would love access to Scottish renewables potential).
Without Barnett, the British nationalist “Union Benefit” proposition disappears, and without it (quoth Bevin), they are naked at the conference table: as Ian Lakin said, “what’s not to like”?
GR Weir, Ochiltree.
Read more letters
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Rest assured, indy is coming
It has been a long and slow process with Westminster denying democracy, but we are getting there. They can't continue in this vein much longer. The whole world is watching. Scotland under the existing constitutional arrangement is unable to demonstrate effective governance due to the fiscal restrictions.
We are fortunate to have enthusiastic MSPs leading the case at Holyrood, like Hanna Goodlad, Jenny Gilruth and Stephen Flynn, to name just a few. Intelligence and common sense, a combination seldom seen among British nationalist MSPs, and equally rare at Westminster with a new Prime Minister who thinks "the North" stops at Manchester.
To me, the North is Shetland, now well represented by Hanna Goodlad. Her enthusiasm has already made her mark at Holyrood, and I share that same enthusiasm for Scotland as an independent country.
Like many independence supporters, I am growing impatient with the constant refrain of "no, you can't" from the succession of recent prime ministers. Could it be about holding on to Scotland’s wealth? What other reason is there to deny democracy?
I am excited about what Scotland can achieve as an independent country. At this pace sadly I may not live to see it, but my children and grandchildren most certainly will. Exciting times.
Herbert Petrie, Aberdeen.
Swinney should do a Starmer
SNP members are becoming very frustrated with lack of progress towards independence and are considering who would be better as SNP leader to replace John Swinney, who is now regarded as more of a caretaker leader. The names in the frame are Stephen Flynn and the fast-talking deputy leader Jenny Gilruth, who both deny any ambition to take over the leadership but that is merely a polite way to answer the question.
John Swinney is in the same position as Keir Starmer was and must listen to his senior ministers with regard to his future.
Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen.
In Fagan's favour
I'm particularly interested in Scottish Labour leadershop contender Joe Fagan's views on reviving North Sea industry, reforming the leaky, expensive Scottish benefits system, and a back-to-basics fit for the future of education – and how keen he is on finding a way to consider, support and implement Andy Burnham's good ideas on city provosts and funding and reforming old age care (a policy that will, or should, win the votes and gratitude of OAPs and their offspring). These last two issues and proposals do not fit the current devolution settlement but city devolution would enable Aberdeen City and Shire to rise and expand above the disdain and neglect they suffer from Holyrood, an idea that was welcomed by many local politicians when Andy Burnham described it at a conference I attended in 2019.
His support of coalitions is also welcome, especially after Anas Sarwar's idiotic suspension of Aberdeen Labour councillors for joining what was a cordial, workmanlike, potentially successful coalition with the Tories and contributed to his party's subsequent electoral failures.
But my big fear is, like Andy Burnham, he will be bogged down by the so-called "progressive" luxury belief activists eating away at the soul of his party.
His legendary namesake was standing on the shoulders of giants (Shankly and Paisley) when he became Liverpool FC manager. Whoever wins the Scottish Labour leadership will either be standing on the shoulders of pygmies or will be one themselves.
Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven.
Go for wind, not nuclear
I was interested to see that the hot summer weather has caused Romania to close two reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant since late July. It appears that one of Europe's biggest rivers does not have sufficient water to reliably cool the reactor.
Given the drought in England at present I wonder which of their rivers could do the job for England that the Danube cannot do for Romania. This is clearly not the time for proposals to extend nuclear power generation on these islands and certainly not in Scotland where we have an abundance of much safer renewable energy capacity.
Andy Burnham, king in the north of the very far south can keep his nuclear reactors and put them somewhere in his own kingdom. He can take Keir Starmer's sham GB Energy with them. We would be much better served by the Ming Yang wind turbine project at Ardersier that the Government in England has blocked on the grounds of unsubstantiated "national security risks". As I see it the biggest threat from Ming Yang to the nation on the south of these islands is that the nation in the north begins to realise its potential and starts to break free of the toxic union that gives us little of what we want and much that we don't need.
Ni Holmes, St Andrews.
Answer is in your own hands, Nicola
Those who complain who about the scrutiny that the media afford to Nicola Sturgeon (for instance your correspondent Ruth Marr, Letters, August 17) should reflect that Ms Sturgeon is no longer First Minister, and is therefore perfectly free to not make any public appearance or public utterance which may attract such attention. And that instead of following such as course, she chooses to inflict herself and her none-too-remarkable observations at every available (and no doubt lucrative) opportunity that presents itself.
Therefore there is a simple solution available – for Nicola Sturgeon to retire from the public gaze, thereby avoiding the criticism that so vexes Ms Marr. As a bonus, the removal of Ms Sturgeon from the front pages (and indeed all pages) would also make many of the rest of us much happier too.
Peter A Russell, Glasgow.
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