Tories’ indyref obsession

Dear editor

I attended a hustings for Cambuslang West (Cambuslang Institute, April 24).

All but one candidate used their opening pitch to focus on local issues that actually fall within the auspices of South Lanarkshire Council.

The candidate in question, from the Conservative and Unionist Party, used 75 per cent of their opening pitch to rant about constitutional issues instead.

The party in question seem coy about what they actually intend to accomplish locally should they succeed in the local elections.

One can only speculate that they either have no local policies to speak of, or that their policies are so abhorrent that they would deter any potential voter.

Either way, the Conservative and Unionist Party have cynically chosen to fill this void with divisive and manipulative rhetoric. The people of Cambuslang deserve better. Andrew Grant Address supplied

No sense in leaflet Can anyone make head nor tail of Robert Brown’s election leaflet in which he states “Rutherglen Main Street The Main Street needs an imaginative Action Plan with good staff to revive the Royal Burgh’s landmark street.”?

This does not make sense. Is he getting mixed up with Cambuslang Main Street which does have issues? Leave our ancient and beautiful Main Street as it is in all its glory! “Good staff ”what staff? What is he talking about?

The Liberal Democrats are a spent force in politics . Once they got into bed with the Tories in the last coalition government they lost whatever credibility they ever had.

They do though seek to carve a niche for themselves at local level but, in my view, too often do it in a patronising way.

His newsletters always claim credit for all local issues being solved and for improvements such as housing and schools in the local area. He omits to mention that this all happened under a Labour-controlled South Lanarkshire Council.

If life was found on Mars, Robert Brown would seek to take the credit for it. You would think that as a lawyer by profession he would stick to the facts.

Not that Labour are exempt from criticism. Gerard Killen who was one of the councillors for Rutherglen South and now seeking election in Rutherglen North, Eddie McAvoy’s former seat is often seen smiling and looking good in photographs.

It takes more than photoshoots to serve local people with important issues who seek a councillor’s help often as a last resort.

I am not a member of any political party but they should all remember it is the ordinary people who vote them into these positions and it is they that they are answerable to, not their own party or any other pressure group.

Most people will know that I am a lifelong Labour voter but it doesn’t mean that I haven’t sought to bring them to account when necessary and will continue to do so as is my democratic right.

Having said that, I am writing this a week before election day and so far I have received leaflets from the SNP and the Liberals.

Nothing from Margaret Cowie, the Labour candidate for Rutherglen South and all I know about her is her address which is on my postal ballot form. Labour cannot assume that they will be a ‘shoo in’ here or anywhere else.

Nothing from the UKIP candidate either but then who would want to hear from them? Same applies to the Tories.

Time for the people to speak and I would urge everyone to go out and use their vote and remember democratic rights were fought for, not given and in particular women fought and died to get the vote which we all now take for granted. Dorothy Connor Rutherglen

No commitment I understand the Labour candidate for Rutherglen Central and North has put himself forward and been accepted as the Westminster candidate for Rutherglen and Hamilton West Constituency.

Does this mean that he is already conceding defeat in the council election for Rutherglen Central and North before a vote has been cast?

Treating the voters of Rutherglen with contempt by firstly jumping ship from Rutherglen South, where he let down a large number of the electorate by supporting the Cathkin Relief Road and now by standing to fight two elections at once.

It would appear that the Labour Candidate is not 100 per cent committed to Rutherglen Central and North Ward and is happy to jump ship to try and win a seat at Westminster even before a vote is cast. J. Alan McLennan Burnside

Rape clause despicable I was proud of the Scottish Parliament in its coming together of four parties to isolate the Tories who support and defend Westminster’s cap on child credits and the rape clause.

Those two items were buried away in the welfare rights cuts of ex-chancellor George Osborne.

It is despicable in being anti-women, family and child.

That parents should be dictated to as to how many children they should have and that an innocent third child should be denied financial assistance by the state is brutal.

Alongside this, the fact a woman who has a third child as a consequence of being raped has to complete a form and face enquiry by strangers to relive their trauma in order to receive benefit is beyond obscene and disgusting.

Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss deserves our eternal gratitude for having uncovered this legislation with its intention and implications, and campaigns in Westminster and outside for its removal. Robert Brennan Machrie Road Castlemilk

Cameronians to meet By 9.31am on Sunday, May 14 in the village of Douglas, the flag of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) will be proudly flying as it does every year on the nearest Sunday to May 14.

On that date old Cameronians gather to remember their proud regiment which will have been disbanded 49 years on that date.

The years are thinning down the ranks but those left will gather each year, the last men standing.

Each year they are here to remember their regiment and friends close to where the regiment was both raised in 1689 and disbanded in 1968.

Please feel free to come along to any part of the day, from flag raising at 9.30am, the church service in St Brides at 10am or the conventicle by the regimental cairn at 2pm close to Castle Dangerous in the estate grounds.

With the Cameronians being the old regiment of Lanarkshire in which a great many Rutherglen men served it would be nice to have a great turnout. Douglas Torrance via email