As we move through this election year, the constitution is still a major topic of debate in our Letters Pages. 

The latest opinion poll, out on Wednesday, has given the SNP a major boost ahead of the General Election, coming as it does just ahead of the Labour Party’s annual Scottish conference. 

Read more: SNP poll boost as Scottish Labour prepare for conference

Today, one of our readers adds further fuel to the fire, claiming that Scotland “is increasingly feeling like a country with a third world economy". 

Jim Stamper of Bearsden writes: 

"With visible obvious signs like increasing litter lying particularly along roadsides and severe potholes in our roads, but much more importantly many of our people enduring poverty and austerity, Scotland is increasingly feeling like a country with a third world economy. 

"Meanwhile most of us are not consciously aware of the contribution of Scotland’s large natural resources. 

"With Scotland’s population just over 8% of the UK’s, Scotland effectively gives over 90% of the income from our oil and gas to the rest of the UK. Scotland’s Stock Exchange amalgamated into the London Stock Exchange in 1973 so, conveniently, no income is allocated as coming from Scotland. 

"Also, according to National Grid statistics, up to 3.5 Gigawatts of electricity can be transferred between Scotland and England, 90% going from Scotland to England. 

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"A proposal exists to construct a link enabling the transport of up to 2GW of energy from Scotland’s renewable energy reserves to the rest of the UK: enough energy for two million homes. Presumably the existing 3.5 Gigawatts capacity is enough for 3.5 million. 

"The UK Government is supporting proposed infrastructure including huge pylons, very large substations and battery storage fields, adversely affecting areas in Scotland, while Scotland will contribute to the cost. 

"There are also plans for a large hydrogen gas-producing plant near Aberdeen with 3.5 gigawatt potential output with pipes to England. 

"People are generally oblivious to the extent of what Scotland has given and continues to give to the rest of the UK. Instead we are made to feel reliant on it for our financial survival while, in fact, public spending on the NHS, education, policing, public housing and the like has been deliberately cut since 2010 by UK Government austerity economic policies. 

"It is the old colonial power trick of making colonies feel dependent while robbing their resources."