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Euan McColm misrepresents what Alex Salmond said about Scotland’s currency options in Monday’s debate. Several times Salmond listed the alternatives to a currency union but, as he explained, he hasn’t revealed his entire negotiation strategy since he wouldn’t get the best deal for Scotland if he did. Alistair Darling, meanwhile, was completely unable to state what he’d recommend after a Yes vote — pathetic for a former Chancellor.
McColm writes that the alternative to independence is “the greater devolution promised by the No camp”. In reality, very few powers have been promised. It’s possible Scotland will get to raise a large part of income tax, but then the block grant from Westminster will be reduced by at least this amount, so it’s not going to allow Scotland to do anything it can’t do today. Nobody is talking about devolving social spending (benefits and pensions), broadcasting or corporation tax rates. In fact, many Westminster politicians have already started talking about getting rid of the Barnett formula, which could easily lead to a 10 per cent cut in the Scottish budget. It’s very clear Scots will get punished harshly if we vote No for having had the audacity to hold a referendum.
Thomas Widmann, arcofprosperity.org
Euan McColm’s struggle to put aside his obvious dislike for Salmond prevented him from judging Monday’s debate fairly. But of course the referendum is much bigger than any personality, pitting optimism and can-do against pessimism and unimaginativeness.
Oil and gas projections have proven to be a key area of dispute, with the Better Together campaign taking a less hopeful view of future supplies than the industry I work in. With an 800 per cent increase in planning applications in Aberdeen, 3,000 workers building a gas terminal off Shetland and Statoil investing in new offices; the evidence suggests these world-leading companies are not leaving Scotland any time soon.
Cara Shields
My impression from Monday’s debate is that Salmond’s tactic is now simply to “divide and fool”— and to claim that he agrees about a need for Scots to unite was quite contrary!
Scots don’t know what a result of a Yes vote will mean since the details will only become clear during the post-referendum negotiations. Whether or not they have felt included in the pre-referendum debate, the vast majority will be excluded from these.
Scotland can aspire to the model of Bavaria, Austria or Denmark for its development whether or not it is a part of the UK. I’m voting No, having moved back to Scotland from London, because under devolution Scotland already enjoys freedom and independence and Yes only adds uncertainty. It is a contradiction that Scotland should seek to separate from the UK but want to remain in the EU.
Tom McKenzie, Dundee
When to stop and search
The balance to be struck with stop and search is between the drive for transparency and accountability and the placing of additional burdens on an already stretched workforce.
Will extra recording procedures lead to a reduction in officers undertaking stops? Maybe. Will extra recording lead to clearer data on arrests made? Perhaps. Will communities feel reassured by the additional recording processes? Possibly, possibly not.
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After last year’s highly critical HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report a tightening of processes was inevitable. Every effort must be made to retain public confidence. Additional bureaucracy must be avoided.
Mike Alderson, former police inspector; director, Open Eye Communications
Unjustified searches do occur; but the reasons are more complicated than has been suggested. Standards of training, especially continuation training, have suffered in recent years. And if you cut the number of sergeants on front-line teams from six to two and make those two almost completely desk-bound, who is doing front-line supervision?
Met Police sergeant
Please fix East Coast train line
Yet another catastrophic break- down on the East Coast Main Line on Monday, which I am all too familiar with as a weekly commuter from North Lincolnshire to London.
This is a line with fares that are about the most expensive per mile in the world — but it is still served by clapped-out old ex-British Rail Inter-City rolling stock and the overhead power lines are the cheapest, flimsiest solution available. It would seem reasonable that this vital artery receives life-saving treatment before another penny is invested in HS2 or any other public transport scheme.
At least the state-owned operator offers better customer service, within the limitations of the infrastructure, than its private sector equivalents. Please modernise every aspect of East Coast immediately, but please, please let’s not “ Virginise” it!
Peter Wright, Brentford
Memories of Dickie Attenborough
My first foreign assignment on Fleet Street was to cover the making of A Bridge Too Far and if possible obtain interviews with any of the stars and the director.
I set off via Amsterdam for Deventer in the Netherlands which was doubling for Arnhem. When I arrived the entire cast and crew plus Dickie’s private army as it was known had been despatched into the countryside to re-enact the attack on the Hartenstein Hotel.
I could clearly see Dickie directing his “troops” near some light armour at the end of a field in a clump of trees, so I made off in that direction.
My timing was not good. Just as I shouted “Mr Attenborough, Sir, I am…..” all hell broke loose.
The cannon fire was deafening and I thought for a second that I was on camera so I threw myself to the ground. Once the take was in the bag I heard this booming voice: “Who the devil is that?”
I was still flat on my stomach in my Seventies Carnaby Street-style suit.
After I had explained myself, Dickie suggested that on future forays I came up from behind the camera.
“Be with you in a second, luv” was his special way of dealing with a tricky situation. And he was, as promised. What a trooper.
Ivan Waterman
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