SIR, Witness the rapid volatility of the electorate from a runaway victory by the Conservatives in 2019 to a massive slump last week.

Labour is also gaining, particularly within densely populated areas, and the Reform Party and Liberal Democrats are rising from a low start.

Feelings are fast-changing, the population is impatient and seek change. Civil unrest can result if appropriate change is not forthcoming.

Loud leaders often helm unsettling change. Consider Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Donald Trump, three extroverts who speak out against the odds and win. Perhaps include Ed Davey, though he's less of a threat. In farming, the NFUS has had leaders, some louder and more influential, like John Cameron and Jim Walker.

Jim’s piece in TSF June 29 was as usual topical, criticising the Scottish Government and its recent, in his opinion, dilatory or lack of dealings with the farming community. A few pages on, next favoured read was comment on the debate at the Royal Highland Show on the Land Reform Bill. Key point from this was from panellist Andy Wightman, well known for strong feelings on land ownership issues and knowledge of the social significance of landlessness.

He is correct, we need to get away from bigger is better and it is ridiculous that less than three hectares should not be entitled to farm support.

Perhaps the starkest change following General Election was witnessed by Glasgow turning yellow SNP to red Labour. Glasgow, as within all cities, has countless families grown from relatives banished from the countryside whether from Scotland, Ireland or distance abroad and many now reliant on foodbanks.

Beautiful it may be but to my mind Scotland is an ugly divided country when we foster scale of land ownership and management alongside cramped cities strewn with poverty, homelessness and foodbanks and where much of the population scarcely know who or what to rely on next to help them escape to or create their something better.

Diminishing working rural populations are not a necessity. They are a consequence of bigger is presumed to be better. Bigger machines generate larger farms employing fewer people.

However the land, climate and input from mankind are the key elements of food production and only more input from mankind can secure more food production while creating a more stable nation from within both our countryside and cities.

Tom Gray,

Braco