THE controlling instincts of the SNP Government come to the fore again, this time in relation to the Higher Education Governance Bill (“Leading scientist warns new university plans threaten SNP’s reputation”, The Herald, October 6). Their proposals threaten to undermine the autonomy of our world-renowned academic institutions. With leading figures such as Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Sir Tim O’Shea, principal of Edinburgh University, expressing their concerns about how the interference of the state in our universities will be viewed around the world, you might imagine it would give the Scottish Government pause for thought. But the evidence of previous examples, most notably the named person legislation introducing state interference into families, suggests not.
It seems the SNP leadership just do not get it. They have for so long promoted a narrative whereby the interests of Scottish nationalism and Scotland are treated as one and the same thing, that they now appear to believe their own hype. They simply do not understand that the spread of their controlling instincts into so many aspects of our lives is causing genuine concern amongst the public at large. Rather, the “we know best” mentality continues, with the SNP leadership holding their hands over their ears and pretending they can hear nothing.
Keith Howell,
White Moss, West Linton, Peeblesshire.
CONTRARY to the opinion of Ruth Marr (Letters, October 7), it is no thanks whatsoever to the SNP Government that five Scottish universities are in the world's top 200. Of course, the SNP would like very much to gain control of the universities, as they would like to gain control of BBC Scotland and the judiciary. The SNP view of our as-yet independent universities was demonstrated by abuse of a university academic by the current Health Secretary prior to the independence referendum.
That the SNP is considered "Teflon-coated" reflects the competence of the Scottish electorate rather than the competence of the SNP.
William Durward,
20 South Erskine Park, Bearsden.
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