Readers' Letters: New ferry delay makes Flynn's position untenable

Enough is enough, the SNP cannot put off doing something tangible to assuage public anger at the everlasting ferries scandal. The MV Glen Rosa has been delayed, yet again, by two months and will now enter service in February 2027. Huge amounts of public money used and excuses for endless delays simply sneaked out. The current Transport Secretary, Stephen Flynn, has to finally take responsibility for this disaster that has besmirched the world-famous “Clyde built” tag.

Mr Flynn escaped proper censure over the serious gas leak on the Glen Sannox. There are no more hiding places, or safe berths, now. Mr Flynn's position is untenable. Gerald Edwards, Glasgow Safety first The latest Spanish rail disaster makes me wonder why there are no seatbelts on UK trains (nor in Germany, as I recall from many years there). Even middle-distance buses have them, and it's de rigueur to “belt up” on planes. Moreover, many people are injured in rail crashes by luggage flying around.

So why aren't aircraft-style lockers used, at least on high-speed trains ? There's a complacency nowadays that rail disasters only happen abroad; clearly folk have forgotten Polmont in 1984 (13 dead), Clapham in 1988 (35 dead), Ladbroke Grove in 1999 (31 dead). In the last three years alone, over 200 people have been injured (most slightly, some seriously, and of course, excluding trauma to passengers). George Morton, Rosyth, Fife Worldly wise I rarely agree with Stephen Kerr’s view of the world but I fully support his defence of the BBC World Service (Perspective, 29 October).

Many years ago I lived in Israel in a remote part of the Negev desert. Occasionally I had to work on Saturday despite it being the Jewish Sabbath. I would often return to my one-room apartment in late afternoon exhausted by the desert heat. Before collapsing onto my bed I’d switch on the radio because I wanted to catch the football results. The radio was therefore permanently tuned to the BBC World Service. Over time I gradually became drawn to other programmes running alongside.

This included detailed coverage from correspondents who knew their brief and were not afraid to broadcast what needed to be said, even when that risked personal retribution from a malign government. I soon realised this channel not only chimed with my view of the world, but it was also developing and expanding it. Perhaps the most extraordinary moment was one Saturday afternoon when they switched to BBC Scotland to broadcast the last half hour of a football match between Falkirk and Partick Thistle from Brockville Park.

That’s because the ground lay at the end of my street about 500 yards from my house. While I lay there listening intently, I could not help pondering how many other nationalities were doing likewise. It drove home to me how the simplicity of the spoken word can capture people’s imagination and bring them together in a way no politician could even get close to matching. Any further diminution of the BBC World Service would be one of the greatest acts of corporate vandalism in this country’s often lamentable history of cost-cutting.

Robert Menzies, Falkirk Answer question It really comes to something when a First Minister finds himself unable to answer a simple yes or no question five times, as was the case on Thursday at FMQs when Scottish Tories leader Russell Findlay asked whether he supported new oil drilling at Rosebank. To describe Swinney’s performance as weak would let him off the hook. Scotland needs leaders with strong opinions and commitment to do what is right for Scotland.

Regretfully, in John Swinney, we have a “leader” who fails spectacularly on both points. Richard Allison, Edinburgh Don’t drill “Drill, baby, drill” – most sensible people would think twice before echoing any words spouted by a narcissistic president who apparently cares little about anyone except himself and his family, never mind the future habitability of the planet. Yet, short-sighted politicians, seemingly prompted by their super-rich backers, would have us believe we must squeeze every last drop of oil out of Scotland’s remaining extractable reserves (already over 90 per cent depleted) as fast as AI and the latest technology will enable.

There is no debate as to the current need to produce oil for a multitude of uses and there is no argument that the high level of skills of the oil and gas sector in Scotland should be retained and, ideally, built upon. What is also clear is that if the UK government follows Donald Trump’s advice, foreign companies will siphon-off huge profits but few high-skilled jobs will remain for future generations. It seems obvious that a comprehensive energy plan to transition to renewables is now needed urgently, and preferably before a final decision on developing the Rosebank oilfield is made.

However, that plan must consider the fact that if our remaining producible reserves are totally exploited over the next 10-20 years then future oil and gas pricing will be controlled by others and any security of supply will be lost. A long-belated Energy Wealth Fund with minimal commitment won’t cut it. We could shortly have zero security of supply, almost zero control over pricing and next to zero high-skilled jobs, while the ambition to achieve “net zero” is kicked further into the future as more extreme climate conditions ravage the planet with catastrophic consequences.

The UK government must not abrogate its responsibility to produce a comprehensive long-term energy transition plan now, otherwise politicians presenting simplistic schemes on behalf of their wealthy backers will carry out Trump’s bidding and leave the rest of us poorer while our planet becomes less able to sustain human habitation in many parts of a world increasingly in turmoil. Stan Grodynski, Longniddry, East Lothian Act now In my reading about the Budget I have not come across any mention of measures to curb the country’s growing debt, never mind trying to reduce it.

On the contrary, it seems we are to continue borrowing to pay for current expenditure. Sometime in the not too distant future proceeding in this way is likely to necessitate asking for support from the IMF. Last time we did this – during the James Callaghan administration – it led to the “Winter of Discontent”. More recently, when Greece required help the financial strictures imposed by the IMF caused serious social and political upheaval.

If we are to avoid such problem's we need to take remedial measures without delay no matter what the left wing of the Labour Party says. S Beck, Edinburgh Meek Budget How to cut through the spin and blizzard of commentary that accompanies a major fiscal event like John Healey’s budget? Authoritative sources, independent of government, can help. For example, the Institute for Government (IfG) evaluates UK budgets based on the “fiscal weight” of individual policies that cross the billion-pound threshold.

Only one policy out of the 98 announced in this year’s Budget did that – the proposed change to the business capital allowance. This is almost unprecedented historically according to the IfG and seen as micro-tinkering on possibly a dangerous scale in the face of apparent macro-paralysis. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) carries the statutory duty to spell out what the Budget means for the economy. Staring into the OBR’s crystal ball for next year (rather than five years down the line), what we do we find?

Growth downgraded to 1 per cent; disposable income per person falling; inflation rising to around 4 per cent; the tax burden hitting an all-time high of 37.9 per cent of GDP; and debt interest rising by a further £14 billion (note 25 per cent of the government’s eye-watering £3 trillion debt burden is in inflation-linked gilts). More economic pain on its way! Regrettably, this Budget adds up to little more than another missed opportunity where the Chancellor finds a “steady-as-she-goes” tune to play on his political fiddle while the British economy continues to burn.

A braver and more competent firefighter is needed! Ewen Peters, Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire Pier pressure A recently lodged planning application for the sympathetic restoration of the historic pier station building at Balloch Pierhead – submitted by the directors of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company – is a welcome development for Loch Lomond’s heritage. As these proposals progress through the planning system, however, it is essential that all stakeholders remain mindful of the physical geometry of the pier itself.

It is an unrepeatable piece of Victorian marine and rail engineering. At a time road congestion around the lochside presents a major challenge to sustainable tourism; preserving the full operational capacity of this rail-and-water transit corridor for future generations is paramount. With thoughtful foresight, Scotland can secure both: a sensitively restored heritage asset today, and an uncompromised transport corridor capable of restoring integrated rail and vessel transit tomorrow.

William Biddulph, Alexandria, West, Dunbartonshire Write to The Scotsman We welcome your thoughts – NO letters submitted elsewhere, please. Write to lettersts@scotsman.com including name, address and phone number – we won't print full details. Keep letters under 300 words, and in the body of the email – no attachments – and avoid 'Letters to the Editor/Readers’ Letters' or similar in your subject line. If referring to an article, include date, page number and heading.

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