By Scotsman Letters

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The Scotsman editorial of 15 September is spot on in making the case for nuclear power in Scotland, in contrast to the anti-nuclear stance of the present Scottish Government. Wind energy has made UK industrial electricity prices the highest in the developed world because of the cost of land rent, installation, new power lines and the need for a national back-up system on standby ready for wind lulls. But a green vociferous minority seems to have taken control of the SNP government so that instead of allowing the building of new nuclear power stations they are cheerleaders for subsidising more and more wind machines and covering more and more of Scotland with hill tracks, ever higher towers, solar arrays and Chinese-made battery yards, whereas big thermal power stations like Torness occupy very compact and unobtrusive sites. They are also, of course, desperate to shut down Scotland’s oil and gas production. No wonder Fergus Ewing, a stalwart of the independence movement, is now an independent. Common sense meets the cult of net zero. There are around 70 nuclear power stations under construction worldwide and a hundred planned. It’s interesting to compare Scotland with Slovakia in this respect, both being small countries with a similar 5 million population. Slovakia has one nuclear reactor at present but is building a second. Slovakia produces more cars per capita than any other country, with factories producing vehicles for Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot Citroen, Kia and VW. Russian gas also helps to produce cheap electricity alongside nuclear for these factories. William Loneskie, Oxton, Lauder, Berwickshire Not in my name As a Christian, I’m appalled that a faith of love and peace is being perverted by so-called Christian Nationalists. This is an import from America that we could do well without. Saturday’s hate-filled Unite the Kingdom demonstration in London, featuring incendiary speeches by Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk, stirred up unacceptable violence among the 110,000 demonstrators, not least against the police. Amidst these speeches, the Lord’s Prayer was venomously recited. Paul the Apostle said “three things remain, faith, hope and love; the greatest of these is love”. Christian Nationalism is a cruel and hateful contradiction in terms. Ian Petrie, Edinburgh Go it alone England is beginning to indulge in a civil war about migration led by far right parties and fuelled by a Prime Minister who appears more interested in keeping in with Israel than dealing with domestic problems, particularly if they are in Scotland. Scunthorpe is bailed out, Grangemouth is left to rot, despite his promises, while his Great British Energy Company turns out to be a Great British Scam. Scotland should be ashamed of hanging on rUK’s coattails, waiting for promised handouts that never arrive. We are not a poor nation, but our money flows South in typical colonial fashion and our resources of green energy are not applied to our benefit. Were we independent we would have the same rights to borrow money Westminster has, and, back in a supportive European Union we would enjoy a market in which our exports would flourish. Even more to the point, we would be able to step aside from this Fascist flood from the South that is already showing signs of infecting us. Elizabeth Scott, Edinburgh Wise message Christine Jardine appropriately expresses a desire to see the hatred in current rhetoric dialled down (Perspective, 15 September). Her quotation from the late Robert Kennedy captures that sentiment well. There is, however, another American politician who cogently describes a remedy for the problems of today, in Scotland in particular. At COP26, in 2021, then President Barack Obama wisely said: “We can’t afford anybody on the sidelines. In part because of the rise of nationalism and tribal impulses around the world. Here’s one thing I know: if you have to win a campaign by dividing people, you won’t be able to unite them later.” He was absolutely spot on. Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh Save the world According to firm statistics Scotland will have had its warmest year ever in 2025, from records of nearly 200 years. The average temperature is now more than 1C warmer around the world. All weather forecasts are becoming more extreme, with increased storms, flooding and raging fires from periods of drought causing widespread disruption. All of which points to climate change being a reality. This must now be accepted by all and a concerted effort made to change our way of living. The greed of self-centred nations like the US and Russia must be altered. For many years increased weather events have resulted in death and destruction. The urgent need is for globalprogress, cutting greenhouse gas emissions along with a fair transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean renewable energy, so all life on our beautiful planet can be sustained. Grant Frazer, Newtonmore, Highland America first In April 2023 I bemoaned, in these columns, the deeply unpopular BBC merger of its Domestic and World News. Since then the BBC has haemorrhaged 3 million viewers (source BAARB). The problem is that BBC News, increasingly, reflects US opinion. We see it in the biased reporting of Gaza (Ofcom has had more complaints on that issue than any other), the wildly optimistic coverage of Ukraine’s prospects and the risible coverage of the US Presidential Election. Today BBC News at night is BBC America. The BBC has increased its bloated US budget and made 70 household names, experienced journalists, redundant. I predicted, even then, that a constant diet of school shootings, weather events, terrible wildfires, horrific multiple car crashes and, indeed, political assassinations would be coming down the track. As Scotland on Sunday columnist Euan McColm points out, only the young were really aware of who Charlie Kirk was (“Reactions to Charlie Kirk shooting and viral clips of the horror are simply depressing”, 14 September). How many of the intelligent readers of The Scotsman could have told us on Tuesday? The young did know his views on gun control, abortion and trans rights and could even, indefensibly, watch the ghastly assassination unfold on social media. BBC News gave his death massive coverage and seemed to imply we should all be aware of who the victim was. While we wondered why the shooting was being given global coverage, the kids knew from watching social media. McColm rightly condemns those on the Right or Left who are unwilling to accommodate those who give an alternative view, and Kirk was a plausible leader of the authoritarian Right. As McColm concludes, something has gone very far wrong when people can overstate the emotional harm of words, then celebrate the killing of someone over the words he used, as the incoming President of the Oxford Union has done. As long as social media is unregulated, and the news we all consume is biased, such hostility and misrepresentation can only thrive. John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing, Fife Sporting women Yesterday afternoon I switched on the TV and, for the first time, watched the Women’s Rugby World Cup, Canada v Australia. I was immediately impressed by the levels of skill, they were every bit as good as the men. But what made the greatest impression upon me was the sheer joy which suffused every element of the game. During the singing of the national anthems, the players were smiling broadly, as if they were really happy to be there. This joyousness was carried into the game itself, something which you never see in the men’s game, with the possible exception of Finn Russell. Today’s game is often characterised by persistent brutalism and over-the-top aggression, things which, for me at least, have made it a much less appealing spectacle. These women have set an example which I fear the men will have no intention of following. David Hamill, East Linton, East Lothian 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, with no attachments, and avoid ‘Letters to the Editor/Readers’ Letters’ or similar in your subject line – be specific. If referring to an article, include date, page number and heading.