May-day! Prepare for worst

Deareditor Having watched Theresa May’s interview on TV with Andrew Neil, I thought that he might give her an easy time – not quite.

He pressed her for an answer on several questions. She said a lot but answered none. In fact, she was repetitive and robotic. I felt that she learned that a one on one interview experience is vastly different from a raucous, childish prime minister’s question time at Westminster.

But what really struck me. If this woman becomes the next Prime Minister she will be leading the negotiations on Brexit with the EU negotiators who are skilled, intelligent and competent.

All I can say is, God help us all and be prepared for the worst.

Robert Brennan Machrie Road Castlemilk Lisbon Lions led me to a career in journalism It was a scorching hot May day and by late afternoon the streets were deserted.

All the big engineering work, s hip yards, offices and colleges had closed early so everyone could get home to see the match.

It was an early kick off, 5.30pm, and as I sat down with mum, dad and my brother, there was an air of great excitement a bit like Hogmanay– something special was about to happen.

We turned on the black and white TV ,all the windows were open and you could hear a pin drop.

Once the Bhoys had done the job, the celebrating began and the town erupted.

My brother went out with his pals and wasn’t seen until the next day, mum and dad went down the Main Street to see the crowds thronging the street. It didn’t matter whether you supported Celtic or not – it was a matter of national pride, the underdogs had won the day. It was the stuff of dreams.

Being a Thursday, there was no boozing for my dad-wages were paid in cash then on a Friday so he had to wait.

I went up to a careers night at school where I met a tired and jaded Scottish Daily Express reporter who told me that my ambition to be a newspaper reporter was just not going to happen.

I left with these words ringing in my ears: “It’s no job for a nice wee lassie like you. Why don’t you be a nurse?”

All the boys who came in were given leaflets and told an apprenticeship could be arranged for them at the paper. What was going through my mind ? Just one thing. I had just watched the game of the century. They said Celtic couldn’t do it, they had no chance but ... they had just done it. And so could I. I went home and wrote out my plans for the next few years, I would pass all my exams, become an expert shorthand writer, all in preparation for getting the job of my dreams.

At 16 I left school with top qualifications and worked in public relations.

I wrote to every local newspaper in the country but they were not taking anyone on. Then I saw it-the advert in the East Kilbride News which I still have to this day. “Junior Reporter. Young man (20-24) wanted with previous experience.”

I was 17, female and with no experience. I got the job, in no small part probably because I had the cheek to apply for it.

This was before the law changed which would not have allowed such an ad.

By the time I was 18 I had won an award and I then moved to the Reformer to fulfil my ambition of righting wrongs and fighting the good fight on behalf of ordinary people.

East Kilbride was too tame – there were no issues for me to get my teeth into.

Rutherglen at that time in the 70s had huge housing problems, terrible conditions caused by private landlords and I am happy to say that action was taken once the paper highlighted the real life hardships folk were enduring.

Job done here it was off to Govan, Partick and Dunfermline then onto the Scottish Daily News where at 21 I was the youngest news reporter and one of only two women.

I still have that list I made out on that hot summer night in ‘67 and am happy to say I have ticked off all my ambitions except one and added many other things I thought I could never have dreamt I would do. I’m still working on the last one, 50 years on.

All because on that magical night, the Bhoys did not take no for an answer – and neither did this girl.

As I write I can still feel the butterflies in my stomach and the excitement in the air.

Magic and the stuff of dreams coming true. Dorothy Connor Rutherglen

Lib Dems must have short memories Judging by his comments last week, Councillor Robert Brown must either have a short memory or hopes that the electorate has.

In his epistle Mr Brown states that with no party having outright control of South Lanarkshire Council it provides the opportunity for power to be devolved to local area committees.

I would remind Mr Brown that the same opportunity arose following the council elections in 2007.

On that occasion the SNP proposed just what Mr Brown now asks for, more power to local committees allowing local people a greater say in the decisions affecting their local communities.

However, the two Liberal Democrat councillors at that time voted with the Tories and Labour against the SNP motion.

For this the Liberal Democrat members received not 40 pieces of silver, just deputy chairmanships of two committees.

Just one more example of what the Liberals say and what they actually do when they sniff the merest sense of power.

You cannot trust Liberals as far as you can throw them, ask any student.

Gordon Clark Princes Gate Rutherglen Councillors will need to work together While I’ve no preference when it comes to political parties, the overall outcome of the recent elections to South Lanarkshire Council pleased me.

No party has overall control and that means councillors have to be pragmatic about their policies and priorities over the coming years.

This will be a good thing for people in this area, in my opinion, and I hope to see our elected representatives rise to the challenge accordingly.

Of course, there will be differences of opinion and the last thing we want is all the parties agreeing all the time.

But we want to see consensus, action taken when and where possible and a grown-up approach within this new administration.

That would be a victory for democracy and productive for the people of South Lanarkshire who rely on and appreciate their public services on a daily basis.

Commuter, via email