Alex Salmond and the SNP have some explaining to do to regular party voters like myself, over their attitude to Donald Trump's proposed golf complex project at Aberdeen.

How can Scotland be rich enough to go it alone, but too poor to afford making a stand for the environment?

Will leaders of an independent Scotland always be at the beck and call of big-money investors?

Bill Melville, Old Police House, Perth Road, Birnam, Dunkeld.

The decision by the SNP government to call in the rejected (and un-appealed) planning decision on Donald Trump's Golfing Wonderland shows its true colours. Unemployment in Aberdeenshire is, at 1.8%, about half the Scottish average. The long-term jobs generated by this development would mainly be low-paid tourism-sector jobs filled largely by migrant labour from the poorer parts of the EU while the profits would be shipped out to Mr Trump's bank account. I once read a book called Honduras: State for Sale. A Scottish follow-up based on the SNP's fetish for appeasing the rich is called for.

David Stevenson, 47 Cairns Road, Cambuslang.

Judging by their accents, most of the people against the Donald Trump golf project who are interviewed on television appear to be incomers. It is time that the people of the north-east who support the development were also heard on the air.

Donald J MacLeod, 49 Woodcroft Avenue, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.

With respect, may I suggest that anyone who thinks (or, indeed, who ever thought) that Donald Trump's multimillion pound scheme in the north-east will not go ahead should begin cleaning their chimney to ensure that Santa doesn't get his costume dirty on the 25th of this month. Alternatively, one may choose one's favourite cliche: "Money talks" or "Power to the people".

See politicians? See money? See democracy?

G McCulloch, 47 Moffat Wynd, Saltcoats.

The decision by the Scottish Government to intervene over the verdict by Aberdeenshire Council not to allow Donald Trump's planned £1bn golf resort is appalling. Donald Trump chose not to take the normal route of appeal but we now see MSPs acting like Roman Caesars, moving to override the lawful conclusions of others, and for what?

The economy of this country is close to breaking point owing to crude oil price hikes, the result of global oil production not meeting growing global demand. Concerns about this have been openly expressed by the IMF's chief economist, Simon Johnson, who recently stated: "We have a potential collision between a 21st-century financial crisis and a good old-fashioned 1970s oil shock. There is the potential for a perfect storm'."

The cost of energy required to build and operate such a development will be huge and will grow as oil and gas prices continue to rise and impact on construction and transport. Add to this the fears of a looming economic disaster in the mortgage sector and one really needs to question why Donald Trump's golf resort and housing project can ever be a sustainable asset to Scotland, let alone Aberdeenshire.

Further, the Scottish Government was happy to leave the decision on the initial application to Aberdeenshire Council but now clearly wants to undermine the "unsuitable" outcome. On the other hand, decisions on wind farms that are urgently needed and that were passed by local authorities have been overturned by the Scottish Executive. Why do we bother to have a council planning system and local public consultation in the first place?

Our economy is on the brink of instability and there are many more important issues that our elected representatives should be addressing. I find it incredible that the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Parliament are ignoring impending energy problems while this American of great wealth dangles gilded rotten carrots. This development could well become a case of perceived short-term gain but long-term pain.

With regard to the Scottish Parliament's priorities, it could be said that there are "Neros fiddling while Rome is burning".

J McAlpine, North Drive, Troon.

I wouldn't be surprised if Donald Trump has more respect for his principled opponents who stand up to him than for the grovelling politicians and business people who are embarrassing and shaming Scotland by begging for his money.

If supporters of this environ-mentally-destructive "richopolis" had been around in 1296 they would probably have been queuing up to sign the Ragman's Roll of allegiance to King Edward I - arguing that by doing so they would be benefiting the Scottish economy.

The perceptive column by Anne Johnstone in The Herald (December 6) about politicians bending the knee to the rich says it all and echoes the sentiments of, I am sure, the vast majority of Scots.

Derek Parker, 9 Waverley Gardens, Elderslie, Renfrewshire.