Letter: Let Scotland make its own mistakes

The row over the Arts Council and the role of Magnus Linklater bears some similarities with criticism of the Scottish independence movement in the late 1970s. Then there was a sense that there was no connection between constitutional change and bread and butter issues. The same could be true of the Scottish Arts Council today.

Mr Roy should focus on the connection between art and bread and butter issues. When people are struggling to make ends meet, what are they to think when they see someone paid pounds 20,000 for three days a week?

Scotland needs an independent government to reverse the squandering of resources on Trident. An independent parliament would liberate people from the attitudes Mr Roy is worried about because it would address the imbalance between chairmen paying massive rises to their fellow directors while denying ordinary workers a decent salary.

It is better for the people of Scotland to learn from their own mistakes than blame John Major or Tony Blair. That applies on appointments to the Scottish Arts Council and on every other issue.

Andrew J T Kerr

Jedburgh, Roxburghshire