Police Investigation Needed on Security Leak

AT the time of writing we don’t know the truth about the leak of sensitive information from the UK’s National Security Committee but the Prime Minister’s handling of the affair has been inconsistent and wholly unacceptable. She sacked her Defence Secretary, then published a letter accusing him of being responsible for the leak, an accusation he strenuously denies. Then, despite the fact that such a leak may be a serious criminal offence, she said she didn’t want the police to investigate.

The Prime Minister is fond of telling us that nobody is above the law. The way she’s acting she seems to think her Cabinet Ministers are indeed above the law. This matter must be investigated by the police so that the question of guilt or innocence can be decided in open court, not in a secret meeting in the prime minister’s office.

Scotland’s Future – Scotland’s Choice

I was delighted to hear Nicola Sturgeon confirm that the people of Scotland will get the chance to decide the future of our country during the current Scottish Parliamentary term. The SNP won a mandate in 2016 to call an Independence Referendum if Scotland faced the prospect of being taken out of the EU against our will. All three constituencies in the Central Fife Times circulation area voted for SNP MSPs who stood on that manifesto.

People have different opinions about where Scotland’s future should lie. The eyes of the world will be on us during the referendum and I hope everyone, regardless of their point of view, will show full respect to people who exercise their right to disagree with them.

Hands Off Our Pensions

A committee of the House of Lords published a report last week that should concern all of us. Under the guise of “inter generational fairness” their lordships have suggested removing the guaranteed annual increase to the state pension and the “phasing out” of age related benefits such as free TV licences and the pensioners’ bus pass. Fife led the way in introducing many of these benefits, and I give credit to previous generations of Labour councillors in Fife who introduced them. It’s shocking to see Labour members of the House of Lords now joining forces with the Tories to try and abolish them.

During the 2014 Referendum many people including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised us that voting No would guarantee our pension rights. Last week’s report, and the scandal of hundreds of thousands of women having their pensions cut due to the “WASPI” scandal, have shown that this promise was worthless.