Tag: letters

Letters: The Great Labour Betrayal – From Welfare State to Warfare State

DEAR EDITOR

When Labour swept to power in 2024, they promised a “year of change” built on fairness, economic security, and real support for working people. Nine months on, millions of voters who believed in that vision are left wondering: where did that promise go?

Take the Winter Fuel Allowance. Labour pledged to protect pensioners, but instead, they’ve means-tested this vital support, stripping £300 a year from 10 million elderly households. For pensioners in Scotland, where fuel poverty is already a crisis, this is more than a broken promise, it’s a direct hit on dignity and security in retirement.

Then there’s the closure of Grangemouth Refinery, Scotland’s largest industrial site. While Labour’s manifesto talked up industrial renewal, the reality has been the loss of thousands of skilled jobs and a blow to local communities. Promised “Just Transition” funding has stalled, and the government’s silence is deafening.

Small businesses, too, are feeling the squeeze. Labour’s hike in employer National Insurance contributions, hits small shops and local employers hardest. Big chains can pass on costs, but for independent bakers and butchers, this could be the final straw. This isn’t “backing British or Scottish business”, it’s making survival harder for the backbone of our communities.

Labour has refused to tax extreme wealth or impose windfall taxes on energy giants. Meanwhile, households face rising bills, not the £300 cut Labour promised. Their much-touted energy plan has faltered, and green levies are pushing costs even higher, especially painful in Scotland’s long, cold winters.

Welfare cuts are another blow. The government’s own figures show that recent changes will push 250,000 more people, including 50,000 children into poverty. Universal Credit health payments are frozen, and support for the sick and disabled is being slashed. This is austerity by another name, and it’s hitting the most vulnerable hardest.

Perhaps most telling is Labour’s decision to pour billions into defence, aiming for the highest military spending since the Cold War, while cutting £15 billion from public services. For Scotland, where Labour refuses to devolve full fiscal powers or reverse Tory-era cuts, the sense of betrayal is acute. Many now feel Labour is more interested in appeasing the centre than standing up for the people who put them in office.

This isn’t the change we were promised. It’s a retreat into old, failed policies that deepen inequality and erode trust. The working class deserves more than slogans and spin. It’s time for Labour to remember who they serve – and for all of us to hold them to account.

We urge voters and the media to hold this government to account. The working class deserves more than empty slogans and reheated Thatcherism.

Yours sincerely,

Dhruva Kumar

Former Glasgow South MP Candidate

Depute Convenor, Media Officer, Alba Party Glasgow

Letters: Versus Arthritis calls for clarity over waiting time targets

Dear Editor

While we welcome the publication of the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan (1st April 2025), we need greater clarity as to how the government is going to meet its target of no one waiting for over 52 weeks by this time next year.

Orthopaedics – mostly hip and knee surgery – accounts for a third of all NHS waits for treatment in Scotland. The latest figures show 12,000 waits of over a year for orthopaedic surgery. In each of the last two years, this figure has come down by an average of 4 per cent. The government is now promising to make that 100 per cent. This is welcome, but we are wary.

Surgeries such as joint replacements can be transformative, allowing people with arthritis to get back to regular life, while at the same time stopping a decline in their physical and mental health.

The public, including those with arthritis, has lost confidence in how waiting times are being tackled – multiple commitments simply haven’t been met – and unless this latest promise is delivered in full, the only 0 per cent we’ll be looking at is trust in the government.

We fully expect the Scottish Government to keep this promise to the millions of people living with arthritis and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in Scotland and will continue to hold them to account regarding this.

Alan McGinley

Policy & Engagement Manager

Versus Arthritis Scotland

199 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Scotland, G2 3EX

Telephone: 0141 401 0351

Letter: Show your support and make a difference for people affected by lymphoma – now and in the future

Every 26 minutes, one of us is diagnosed with lymphoma. As the only charity in the UK dedicated to this type of blood cancer, we are asking people to support our mission to raise awareness about lymphoma, its symptoms and the support we provide – so we can help more people affected by lymphoma, sooner. 

Our recent lymphoma patient survey revealed that a third of respondents did not receive a correct first diagnosis. This needs to change. With your help, we can raise awareness about the symptoms of lymphoma through sharing our information resources with health professionals, and the wider public and encourage people to ask the question – ‘could it be lymphoma?’.  

This increased awareness will, in turn, help make sure people get the right diagnosis at the right time, are treated effectively and get the support they need at every step.

Furthermore, your support could help someone who has just been diagnosed with lymphoma, is going through treatment or is caring for a loved one living with the condition.

Your donation will help us provide people with the vital information and support they need to help them through their lymphoma diagnosis and treatment. 

Further information on how you can support us can be found at www.lymphoma-action.org.uk/appeal

Your support today, whether a single donation or a regular gift, could help people affected by lymphoma now – and drive improvements for lymphoma diagnosis, treatment and care in the future.

Yours sincerely

AMANDA HARRIS

Lymphoma Action

Letters: Scotland’s Economic Future: Sovereignty, Oil, and the $1.4 Trillion Lesson from Norway

Dear Editor,

I, Dhruva Kumar, as a former MP candidate for the ALBA Party and a lifelong advocate for Scottish self-determination, write to you with urgency: Scotland stands at a crossroads – and the stakes could not be higher.

The story of the North Sea oil boom is one of lost opportunity, misguided policy, and the biggest wealth gap in European history. In 1970, both the United Kingdom and Norway struck black gold beneath the frigid waters of the North Sea. Yet, half a century later, their destinies could not be more different.

Norway, choosing state ownership over corporate giveaways, transformed its oil wealth into the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund now worth $1.74 trillion, or over $300,000 per citizen. The UK, in stark contrast, sold its reserves to private markets, leading to billions in corporate profits while returning scraps to the public purse. In 2020, the UK earned a paltry £0.2 billion from North Sea oil, compared to Norway’s staggering £9 billion 45-fold difference.

Scotland, as a resource-rich nation within the UK, has been left with little to show for its natural bounty. The revenues that could have provided world-class public services, infrastructure, and economic security instead filled the coffers of multinational oil giants. Meanwhile, Scottish citizens were left with rising costs of living, austerity-driven policies, and no lasting legacy from their natural wealth.

Supporters of the Union argue that Scotland benefits from UK-wide economic stability. But how can one defend stability when London-centric policies have squandered Scotland’s most valuable resource? The evidence is overwhelming: had Scotland followed Norway’s model, it could have built its sovereign wealth fund, securing long-term prosperity for generations.

Norway’s $1.4 trillion fund is not a fantasy-it is proof that sovereignty works. Westminster’s refusal to steward Scotland’s wealth is not a mistake-it is a policy.

Publish this reality: If Scotland had retained control of its oil since 1970, its sovereign fund could exceed $1.2 trillion today to pay every citizen £20,000 annually for life.

Westminster’s track record is clear:

  • 2022 Windfall Taxes: UK oil giants like BP and Shell reported $40 billion in profits, yet contributed minimally to public coffers.
  • Mismanagement: The UK has no sovereign wealth fund, while Norway’s grows by $150 billion annually (2021–2023 average).

The UK’s windfall tax fiasco of 2022 underscores this betrayal. While BP and Shell raked in $40 billion in profits, Scots faced soaring energy bills. This is not governance-it is exploitation.

GB Energy is as real as a workable heat pump on the Shetland Islands during the dead of winter-a hollow slogan masking systemic neglect.

The question for Scots is simple: do we continue allowing our wealth to slip through our fingers, or do we take control of our own destiny? The answer lies in sovereignty.

Yours sincerely,

Dhruva Kumar

Former Glasgow South MP Candidate

Depute Convenor, Media Officer, Alba Party Glasgow


Letters: The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – Scottish Apprenticeship Week

LOOK BEYOND THE LABEL

Dear Editor

This week marks Scottish Apprenticeship Week (3rd-7th March), a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the vital role apprenticeships play in supporting people, employers and the economy.

Modern Apprenticeships allow people from diverse backgrounds, no matter their background and abilities, to gain and develop skills for every business, regardless of its size or sector.

The rewards of getting young people who are disabled or care-experienced into work are well worth it. They bring passion, skills, dedication and drive to the workplace.

Recruiting a Modern Apprentice enables employers to fill the skills gaps within their current workforce, as apprentices begin to learn sector-specific skills from day one, developing specialist knowledge that will positively affect the bottom line.

However, as always, we can do more and greater support for businesses and other employers to take on a Modern Apprentice is key.

As we mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week, we would urge Scotland’s employers to look beyond the label and take on a Modern Apprentice who may have an additional need, taking advantage of the excellent skills offered by many of these young people.

Yours faithfully 

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Letter: Green Freeports are a threat to Scotland’s sovereignty and workers’ rights

Dear Editor,

I, Dhruva Kumar, former MP Candidate for the ALBA Party, write with grave concerns to your readers regarding the profound risks posed by Green Freeports to Scotland’s economy, society, workers’ rights, and national sovereignty.

As Scotland stands at a crossroads between Westminster’s economic impositions and the promise of independence, the establishment of so-called “Green Freeports” demands urgent scrutiny.

The ALBA Party, alongside trade unions and communities, raises profound concerns about this deeply flawed policy that risks entrenching corporate exploitation, undermining devolved powers, and jeopardising Scotland’s future within the European Union.

The Scottish Government initially rejected the UK’s Freeport model, rightly wary of its historical links to tax avoidance and weakened labour protections. Yet under pressure from Westminster, Holyrood capitulated, rebranding these zones as “Green Freeports” with aspirational net-zero and fair work pledges.

The reality, however, is stark: these “green” labels are little more than cosmetic. As SPICe researchers note, the Scottish Government’s requirements for living wages and decarbonisation lack enforceability, leaving compliance to the “whim of corporations”.

Freeports create a two-tier workforce. While the Scottish Government “hopes” employers will adhere to fair work principles, the UK retains control over reserved employment laws. Trade unions warn of a “dangerous unregulated backdoor” diluting protections, with no guarantees on union recognition or health and safety standards. The Teesport Freeport scandal-a litany of environmental and labour abuses- offers a grim precedent.

Promises of 75,000 jobs and £10 billion in investment are illusory. As Peter Henderson, a customs expert, highlights, Freeports globally displace jobs rather than create them, siphoning economic activity from surrounding areas. Local authorities, already stripped of business rates revenue, face infrastructure strain without recourse.

The £52 million seed funding pales against the long-term fiscal cost. Tax exemptions-including employer NICs and stamp duty-deprive public coffers while enabling profit-hoarding by multinationals. This is not “levelling up”; it is a race to the bottom.

The European Parliament has condemned Freeports as hubs for illicit trade and tax evasion. For an independent Scotland seeking EU membership, these zones could prove a fatal liability.

Despite claims of “net-zero hubs,” the Forth and Cromarty Firth bids prioritise industries like fossil fuel logistics and hydrogen-a fig leaf for continued carbon dependency. The lack of binding environmental safeguards, coupled with Westminster’s control over regulations, renders “green” branding a cynical farce.

The ALBA Party condemns this collaboration between Holyrood and Westminster as a betrayal of Scotland’s economic sovereignty. The SNP’s acceptance of Freeports, a policy omitted from the Bute House Agreement, highlights a lack of coherent industrial strategy for coastal communities.

We urge the Scottish Government to: Halt all Freeport development pending independent impact assessments, Reject UK-imposed tax havens that undermine devolved powers, and Champion an industrial strategy rooted in fair work, local democracy, and renewable energy—not corporate handouts.

Independence requires foresight. By entangling Scotland with Westminster’s Freeport agenda, we shackle our nation to a legacy of exploitation. The time to resist is now.

Yours sincerely,

Dhruva Kumar

Former Glasgow South MP Candidate

Media Co-Ordinator, Alba Party Glasgow

Letters: NSPCC supporting Safer Internet Day

Dear Editor,

We are proud to be supporting Safer Internet Day (Tuesday, February 11) again this year.

Today’s young people enjoy spending time online, and it is a great way for them to learn, socialise and have fun but avoiding online harm has become more complicated in recent years.

This year’s Safer Internet Day theme ‘Protecting yourself and others from scams online’ will look at the prevalence of online scams and invite young people to share their experiences and ideas on how to tackle the issue.

It is great that young people are involved in Safer Internet Day, we think it’s important to ensure their views and experiences are heard so they can help shape decisions that are made about how to keep them safe online.

And that’s why we are running a campaign in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Youth Council and West Dunbartonshire Council called ‘Shameless Youths’ which is being led by the young people themselves.

We hope to encourage more conversations between young people and the adults in their lives about being online and help them to have healthy relationships online and offline.

We are also working with a group of 14 enthusiastic young people from across the UK and Scotland – the NSPCC’s Voice of Online Youth – so they can influence decisions about to make the online world safer for them.

Advice and support about online safety is available for parents, carers, teachers and young people on the NSPCC website.

Children can get in touch with Childline on 0800 1111 or via childline.org.uk  to speak with a counsellor confidentially if they are worried about something. They have a tool called Report Remove for under 18 year olds who have had a nude image of them shared online, to help them get it removed.

Yours sincerely,

Euan MacLaren

NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer

Letter: Children’s Mental Health Week

Dear Editor

This week marks Children’s Mental Health Week (3rd-9th February), shining a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health.

The rise in mental health problems has been labelled as a mental health emergency and one of the greatest public health challenges of our times. 

These problems are even more worrying when they concern the mental fitness of our children, and how we are preparing them to face the growing challenges of entering adulthood.

Against this backdrop, our mental health services are however facing overwhelming and unprecedented pressures, which existed even before the Covid pandemic and are becoming further exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis.

Too many of our young people are waiting too long for treatment and the rapidly escalating number of those seeking support, faced with inadequate services, could potentially lead to a lost generation of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on vital help.

With the right early support through prevention and early intervention, many children would not need access to costly specialist mental health services.  

Against the perfect storm of a mental health crisis combined with the long shadow of lockdown and the rising cost of living, we must not lose sight of the challenges that our children and young people are facing, renewing our efforts in a national crusade to ensure that they receive adequate mental health support.

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square

Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Letters: National Cat Awards

Dear Editor

Cats Protection invites cat owners to nominate their pets for the UK’s biggest celebration of cats – the National Cat Awards. 

The event recognises our special relationship with cats, honouring heart-warming tales of devotion, courage and friendship.

As one of the nation’s favourite pets, cats bring fun, comfort and companionship to millions of people. They live alongside us in all sorts of ways, from the sociable cat who greets all the neighbours to the homely lap-cat on our sofa.

Entries opened on 15 January and owners have until noon on 28 February to nominate their cat in one of four categories:

Family cats: For cats who make a family complete, whether it’s being there for companionship, providing solace in tough times, or simply keeping everyone amused.

Incredible cats – Recognising cats with a remarkable tale – maybe they’ve survived against the odds, returned home after an epic adventure, raised the alarm to an emergency or even saved a life.

Senior cats – Celebrating cats aged 11 or over, who showcase why older cats are special.

Connected Cats – For cats who share the love and bring joy to people far and wide whether in the community, workplace or social media.

Owners or colleagues can also nominate a vet who has provided exceptional care for a cat in the Vet of the Year category.

The public will get a chance to vote for their favourite cats, with their owners invited to a  star-studded ceremony in London on 24 September where the winners will be revealed.

To nominate your cat, or for further information about the National Cat Awards, visit www.cats.org.uk/national-cat-awards

Yours faithfully,

Catherine Cottrell,

Cats Protection Director of Marketing & Income Generation

Letters: Heart Month

Dear Editor, 

February is Heart Month – a time to reflect on and act upon how heart and circulatory diseases affect around twice as many people in the UK as Alzheimer’s and cancer combined. 

Here at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), we urgently need your help to fund the cures of tomorrow, so we are asking readers to Go Red in Heart Month. 

Whether it’s a big ball, an office dress-up day, a coffee morning or a red-themed quiz, red is a great theme to have some fun with. 

By fundraising for the BHF this Heart Month, you can help get us closer than ever to a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases and help to keep hearts beating. Too many of us have felt the pain of heart and circulatory diseases – losing a loved one to a cardiac arrest, supporting a child with congenital heart disease or coping with the devastating impact of heart failure. 

We are also encouraging your readers to learn the lifesaving skill of CPR in just 15 minutes, through our digital tool RevivR.

Using just a cushion and a phone, you could learn the skills to help save a loved one’s life in the event of a cardiac arrest.   

You can donate to the BHF this Heart Month here: www.bhf.org.uk/donate  

Very best wishes 

April Davidson

Regional Fundraising Manager BHF Scotland