We could all benefit from a named person

It was of course done by the surviving Scottish Tories from the safety of their west coast island refuge.

I suspect that, for the vast majority of people in Scotland, the named person scheme is in principle a good one. It is in the same practical tradition of Christian godparents, where people were named and promised to guide and protect children if that was what was needed.

Whilst the idea of godparents is maybe not a today solution, we do need a solution.

The current investigations into UK abuses of all kinds make it clear that for Scotland to prosper, more needs to be done to ensure that the next generation is a happy and confident one.

Far from just advocating named persons for young people, there is a case for making sure that all persons young and old have someone, somewhere, who is interested in whether they are happy and safe

R.L.Mackie,

Helensburgh

Since I was a member of one of the groups consulted prior to the publication of the Named Persons legislation and, at the time, was teaching in a school whose child welfare policies were rated as Excellent by inspectors I am almost confident that I know more about the subject than Alastair Redman.

Had we found in our draft copies even half the outcomes that have been suggested we would have advised the Scottish Government to take it back and shred it.

What we actually found was the same benign policy as the Supreme Court, a more formalised version of what is currently considered good practice in schools. It is perhaps testament to the adversarial nature of Scottish politics that it has been allowed to become controversial, especially as positions were taken in the run up to the Scottish Parliamentary elections, since all parties appeared to think it was a good idea when first mooted.

I am encouraged for this and future pieces of legislation, that Iain Gray has adopted a “critical friend” approach on behalf of Scottish Labour in the wake of the Supreme Court decision. Should the legal problems be sorted satisfactorily I expect the legislation will disappear into the statute books. After the naming of the Named Persons this is likely to be the last contact the vast majority of Scottish families will have with it.

Robin Irvine,

Abercromby Place West,

Helensburgh

ALMOST zero has been said about what we’re going to do now we’re coming out of the EU. Are we going to sit back and let the ruling class divi up the spoils and stuff the workers?

We know where the SNP stand – independence, rejoin the EU and turn Scotland into a banker’s paradise.

Some suggestions for working class people to campaign on:

1) Reject the rigged EU markets and TTIP trade deals. Regulate the labour, capital and retail markets in favour of the working class.

2) Reject the rigged EU Court of Justice and it’s for private profit rules. We bailed out the banks and now they want the other arm and the other leg.

3) Promote and enhance EU social and environmental legislation within domestic legislation. It’s green technology in, fossil fuels out to cope with climate change. The clock is ticking.

4) Maintain EU-funded productive work from domestic budgets.

5) Invest in and enhance public services and housing.

6) Reduce and abolish EU VAT rules.

7) Guarantee current EU citizens rights.

8) Keep human rights laws.

9) Reject EU anti-immigration rules.

10) Reject the EU alliance with Nato.

11) Restore and enhance collective bargaining between capital and labour. Abolish the anti-trade union laws.

12) Fully nationalise strategic industries and manufacturing and the utilities such as transport, power, communications and water.

13) Create a State Investment Bank and Regional Investment Banks. We owned the banks to suit the ruling class, now it’s our turn to make the financial system work for the little people.

14) Abolish austerity.

15) A fully public-owned and controlled, democratic and free welfare state, state education and NHS.

16) Tax justice, ethical standards of corporate governance and economic democracy. No hiding place for corporate corruption and no more “partnerships” and secret deals between the government, the public and private sector corporate kleptocrats at taxpayers’ expense.

17) Enhanced support for the womens’ movement. No more talk about “equalities” and “sexism in the workplace.” All verbal abuse and violence against women is a serious crime..

18) Enhanced support for all abilities.

19) Enhanced support for the peace movement.

20) End arms sales to fascists and guarantee international aid goes to those in need – not a bank account in Panama.

The people shall govern.

James Graham,

via email

THE SNP must see sense on named persons legislation, listen to public opinion and U-turn on this push for this overreaching Orwellian legalisation.

It is very clear from the latest Supreme Court ruling that the SNP face major legal obstacles when it comes to the concerns about data sharing and when it comes to the fact that “wellbeing” is a concept that has no clear definition.

With Labour and the Lib-Dems starting to weaken on their support for named person legislation – and in some cases abandon it thanks largely to pressure from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – there is growing legal and public opposition. It is now time for the SNP to follow suit and end this costly legal debate.

We, the people of Scotland, do not want or need state-sponsored guardians for our children.

Alastair Redman,

via email

The First Minister’s announcement of a £100 million package of investment to stimulate the Scottish economy in the wake of the EU vote is to be welcomed.

What, however, is deeply alarming is the failure of the UK government to say that it will match the more than £5bn in EU funds delivered in the latest funding programme (2014 to 2020) in future. This was something I, among others, warned in the run-up to the EU referendum in June.

The vast majority of funding is through the Common Agricultural Policy, with massive financial gains for farmers. They are due to receive 4.6bn euros (£3.9bn) to develop food, drink and wider rural business, especially in more remote areas.

The European Structural Fund includes 941m euros (£808m) of investment for communities to reduce poverty and boost skills development and economic activity. Seafood and marine sectors are due to receive 107m euros (£91m).

Previous programmes delivered around £49m to 1,000 projects, generating around £214m of investment and supporting 8,000 jobs. Scottish organisations have secured £186 million in research and innovation funding since 2014.

The action of the Scottish government in funding a stimulus package stands in stark contrast to the lack of a plan from the Tories at Westminster.

It is a simple fact that if we accept Brexit and are forced to leave the EU against our will, funding for Scotland will be left in the hands of a Tory government in London who have never had Scotland’s best interests at heart.

Alex Orr,

Edinburgh

IN THIS period of economic uncertainty following the Brexit vote, the £100m economic stimulus plan unveiled this week by the First Minister is very welcome.

If the objective is to stimulate employment, we would argue that investing in housing and smoothing the path for commercial and industrial building projects ought to be the Scottish government’s first priority.

Over the past 10 years, we have seen a shift in construction industry output away from housing and commercial and industrial activity towards infrastructure, which accounted for almost 30 per cent of a record Scottish construction output of more than £14bn last year.

At the same time, construction employment has declined from more than 235,000 in 2008 to 175,000 in 2015.

For the new plan to have maximum positive impact on business confidence and employment, any additional funding should be targeted towards housing as well as clearing obstacles to getting commercial and industrial building projects off the ground.

In terms of policy, a good start here would be to reinstate business rates relief for empty industrial properties.

Vaughan Hart,

Managing director,

Scottish Building Federation