Letters to the editor: Yes or No will create uncertainty

 
Escalating involvement: President Obama addresses the nation from the White House on Wednesday (Picture: AFP/Getty)
12 September 2014
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That Scots in other parts of the UK and abroad are disenfranchised from next week’s vote is an outrage, orchestrated in return for some wording on a ballot paper that Alex Salmond probably wanted anyway. The desperation shown by Westminster this week — flying the Saltire when they should be flying the Union flag, cancelling PMQs for the party leaders to run up to Scotland — does nothing but give a psychological boost to Yes voters’ confidence.

Worse than this is Cameron’s pants-down embarrassing promise of super-devolution: an outcome almost as dangerous as independence itself. A Yes vote might lead to investment flooding out of Scotland, prompting disastrous capital controls. Now even a No would land us in a situation whereby business is very nervous about the Left-wing Scottish government’s new tax-raising powers. Landowners who already contribute a lot to tax are likely to get hit hard too.

Yes or No, uncertainty about Scotland’s future may lead firms of all sizes to move south to an environment where they know what the lie of the land will be. This doesn’t even take into account the bond of two friendly enemies and a proven powerful, ingenious, resolute partnership that would be incredibly sad to throw away over a pack of lies and scaremongering from both sides of the border.
Will Roxburgh

Better Together has been accused of being complacent but, to my mind, the rest of the UK, in classic British fashion, has been far too polite to point out what it thinks. That needs to change. If Scotland goes its own way, we will see the backlash, with demands that Scottish MPs are banished in 2015, triggering a political brain-drain and in turn increasing pressure for an EU exit as the Tory Right takes heart from the separatist mood. Not only will Scotland find itself more isolated, but potentially the rest of us too: a state of affairs that will baffle most Londoners.

Let’s hope in the next week we see an overwhelming show of support from business, media, the arts and sport to do everything we can to encourage Scots to vote for the good of all of us and keep us united.
Ian Anderson

For the first time in my life, a real democratic debate is taking place in a part of Britain, galvanising a collective discussion about sovereignty, defence and what kind of state we want. No wonder there will be a high turnout.

The arrogance of the British Establishment is clear. As soon as the polls indicated a majority might vote Yes, its joint forces leap into action: the Coalition, a Labour Party whose credibility has been eroded by war and privatisation policy, together with the Bank of England and City firms cushioned from austerity.

If Scots do seize the initiative and form an independent state, the rest of us will have to do something about the terrifying dominance of London and gross inequality in resourcing and governance in the rest of the UK.
Jane Shallice, Red Pepper

How to fight Islamic State

Military strikes and advisers on the ground will not by themselves transform the conflict against Islamic State. Making Iraq’s government more inclusive and building up local and national military forces is far more important. These efforts should be redoubled but our track record begs caution.

Iraq’s government will still be seen as Shi’a-dominated; the best a training programme will do for the foreseeable is transform bad forces into mediocre ones. A regional approach helps: if the Abadi government faces more unified pressure, it is more likely to make reforms. But let’s not hold our breath. Indeed, the better Western-backed forces do on the ground, the less need Abadi will feel to clean up his act.
Prof D Byman, Georgetown University

Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, yet it was Iraq that bore the brunt of US vengeance. Thirteen years on, Obama is about to repeat the same mistake. To keep bombing Iraqi civilians, accusing them of being Islamic State fanatics, will not turn Iraqis against IS; they loathe IS but may come to see it as the lesser evil.
Sabah Al-Mukhtar, SE21

Full speed now on superhighways

We are academics supportive of cycling and the economic, social, environmental and health gains it can generate. We believe current cycling provision is often highly inadequate. Some of us have personal experience of the resultant and unnecessary toll of death and injury on our roads.

Much evidence shows the benefits of well designed, segregated space for cycle traffic. The Mayor and TfL’s plans for east-west and north-south cycling superhighways mark a step change in ambition. Two key cycling routes will be suitable for all, not just the fit and the brave. That this will be done largely by taking space from the carriageway is a welcome commitment to sustainability.

While the plans are not perfect in all details, we believe the benefits are likely to exceed those stated, as current transport modelling approaches deal badly with cycling.

It is crucial that the vision embodied in these schemes is implemented without dilution or delay. We urge academic colleagues and others to write in support and organisations to do the same on behalf of their staff.

John Adams, University College London;
Mima Cattan, Northumbria University;
Danny Dorling, Oxford University;
Norman Ginsburg, London Metropolitan University;
Ian Gough, CASE (Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion), LSE;
Judith Green, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine;
Sir Andy Haines, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine;
Tim Jackson, University of Surrey;
Glenn Lyons, University of the West of England Bristol;
Martin McKee, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine;
David Metz, Visiting Professor, Centre for Transport Studies, UCL;
Hugh Montgomery, UCL;
Peter Newman, Westminster University;
Graham Parkhurst, University of the West of England Bristol;
John Parkin, University of the West of England Bristol;
Colin Pooley, Lancaster University;
Ian Roberts, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine;
Jon Shaw, Plymouth University;
Elizabeth Shove, Lancaster University;
Alan Tapp, University of the West of England;
Jeremy Till, Head, University of the Arts London;
Fran Tonkiss, LSE; John Urry, Lancaster University;
Mark Wardman, University of Leeds

More misery for Kent commuters

Passengers on Southeastern’s London-to-Kent commuter routes will be deeply depressed by the news that Go-Ahead has been awarded the right to run this service for four more years.

Southeastern’s non-Javelin trains boast often sticky lino floors, cramped, soiled seats, that may try to leave with you when you get up, graffiti-covered windows, no air-conditioning and no first-class accommodation. Trains are routinely cancelled due to faults which “cannot be rectified” and eight- carriage services that cannot seat all passengers are often reduced to four.

I do not see how any of the things Go-Ahead promises will improve the above. New digital display screens sound great, but are useless if the information on them remains unhelpful (has anyone else noticed how one Southeastern minute can last 10 by a conventional clock? And unless the “tablets” that “tablet-wielding staff” carry can provide pain relief to ease commuters’ suffering, they will be of limited benefit.
Michael Johns-Perring


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