Letter: I'm not xenophobic, but

DESPITE the fact that Nick Cohen and John Arlidge put together a pretty good article on how Scotland has been alienated by an English government ("Scotland: a state of frustration", 14 May), there is one issue they have not quite understood.

I refer to the recent outcry about the unification of the British nuclear power industry and what the two journalists see as a sudden conversion of Scots to the nuclear cause.

As a Scot I would like to see Scottish Nuclear remain an independent entity - and not because I have suddenly become a supporter of nuclear power. I am opposed to the privatisation of this extremely dangerous industry because public safety must, by definition, take second place to profit. However, I realise that despite the objection of the Scottish people the Government will as usual do as it pleases. The only hope is that nuclear power stations in Scotland can be kept under Scottish control, which may help to minimise the danger to the Scottish public. Unfortunately even that will elude the grasp of the Scots, despite Michael Heseltine's pretence to the contrary.

This is not xenophobia and I have nothing against the English. But the fact remains that the Government and plenty of other organisations controlling British industry and infrastructure are not Scots and will always put their own interest ahead of that of the Scots. All I am suggesting is that those most likely to represent the interest of Scots better than anyone else are the Scots.

Arthur Cowley

Kilmarnock, Strathclyde