Sir,
How extraordinary that Peter Urpeth of Back (Letters 19th April) continues to blame the SNP for the quality of the air service to Stornoway.
Has he still not realised that Loganair is a privately owned company and its service to Stornoway doesn't receive a penny in subsidy from the Scottish Government which, consequently, has no power over the airline other than gentle persuasion. Loganair could walk away from this service tomorrow, leaving us without an air service.
Letters: The "poor get poorer" under Labour
20 April 2016
Will Mr Urpeth also blame the SNP for the quality of a loaf of bread at our supermarkets?
Mr Urpeth wants the Scottish Government to raise £600 million from two million income tax payers, costing us £300 a year each and plunging the lowest paid workers into even deeper poverty. He tells us that this money will be spent on "services" and will "end austerity."
Some of us with long memories (including me with 37 years of continuous membership of the Labour Party) know only too well what Labour's "services" amount to.
Employing many thousands of "managers" who sit behind big desks, counting paper clips and setting targets for the real heroes of the public sector: the nurses, teachers, binmen, care workers and others, who won't see a penny of the £600 million.
Labour's answer to every problem is to increase taxes, oblivious to the fact that, by taking money out of people's wage packets, they are damaging the economy, causing higher unemployment, and having to slash the services that we all want to see improve.
Don't just talk about the Blair and Brown years, Mr Urpeth. STUDY THEM, and try to understand just why every period of Labour government has lead to economic recession with the poor getting poorer while the rich get richer. And why taxes go up and services still decline.
Dr David Wilson
12b Tolsta Chaolais
Isle of Lewis