SNP are missing the point

Dear Editor

All of the SNP writers in the past few weeks seem to have missed the crucial lesson from the local elections.

What people told me on the doorstep was that they were sick and tired of the SNP banging on about another referendum.

Figures came out this month which showed a decline in school pupils’ reading, writing and counting abilities. The SNP should be taking responsibility for this and start to focus on the day job.

As the new councillor for Cambuslang West, I will be concentrating on what matters most - standing up for local people and making a difference locally. Councillor Margaret Walker, Cambuslang West Why is Mrs May wasting cash on the elections?

Theresa May has openly stated on numerous occasions that further savings will be required over the next 10 years.

Can she then explain why she is squandering £145 million of tax-payers’ money on holding a general election that was not required, other than to provide a boost to her already overinflated ego? Gordon Clark, Princes Gate, Rutherglen Lib D em manifesto does not address priorities

I want to apologise to Councillor Robert Brown for not understanding his plans for Rutherglen Main Street.

I see it all clearly now that I’ve read the Lib Dems’ manifesto. Cannabis cafes, legalised prostitution and approval for the ‘zombie’ drug spice.

Now that would make for an interesting revamp of the Main Street.

When you’ve nipped out for the shopping or to pick up the kids and once you’ve negotiated your way round the human street furniture of spice addicts slumped over in their zombie comas, dodged the prostitutes plying their trade, you can always pop into a cannabis café for a calm down and chill-out if it all gets too much.

The Lib Dems used to be seen as the bastions of middle-class respectability. What happened?

Do they really think these issues are a priority for local people?

Only consolation is there is only one of them on the council.

Let’s hope he sits up the back. Dorothy Connor, Rutherglen Nuclear weapons pose real danger totown

With the general election just a week away, the candidates would do well to focus their attention on what really matters and that is not only ‘Brexit’ but something far more dangerous: nuclear weapons being transported along the M74 a few hundred yards from the centre of town.

If you ever visit Faslane, as I do on a regular basis, you will see a huge complex surrounded by razor wire and armed guards. And yet the same weapons are loaded onto vehicles and sent out along the motorway network to Burghfield in England.

This is because the fusion material inside the warhead becomes unstable and the sophisticated technology must be upgraded.

This makes it a very dangerous cargo indeed and not one that should be passing through built-up communities.

Scotland has very few enemies and does not need ‘protecting’ by weapons of mass destruction.

It will become a target if ever there is a nuclear exchange and it is not too dramatic to say that if ever there is an explosion then there will be no Scotland to protect.

Everything else in the general election pales into insignificance compared to this, especially Brexit.

I would urge all constituents to question their candidate’s stand on nuclear weapons.

It is our only chance to make our politicians sit up and take note. Susan Martin, Scioncroft Avenue, Rutherglen Thankyoufor support

On behalf of my mum, myself and the rest of the family we would just like to say thank you for such a lovely piece about our dad, Tommy Rooney, in last week’s Reformer.

We were so touched by it. We have been completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people passing on their condolences and even more so at the turnout for dad’s funeral on Friday. We were truly blessed to have such a special man in our lives. Angela Little, Rutherglen Council need to be more open and accountable

South Lanarkshire Council should be much more open and accountable to its citizens and to the local communities in the four local areas, including Rutherglen/Cambuslang.

The council meeting has become a sham with hardly any major decisions being made by the full council.

Part of the reason is the restrictive nature of the procedural rules and the unnecessarily long time limits for lodging motions or questions. I am keen to see the council itself restored to its full role.

Secondly, the engagement with the public is poor.

Why should there not be town hall meetings, perhaps quarterly where the budget and other major issues are explained to local organisations and interested members of the public?

Thirdly, the area committees should have greater powers over local services and priorities.

At present they do little more than administer local voluntary sector grants.

We need a review too of the way the council deals with local consultation with the public and local groups community councils, housing forums and neighbourhood management.

The arrangements badly need revitalisation.

Finally, the fact that there is a minority administration should push the council to be more open and inclusive, to involve the talents of councillors of all parties and of the many talented people in local communities. Councillor Robert Brown, Rutherglen South