Smoke and mirrors

Dear Editor

In reply to the letter in last Wednesday’s Observer (December 4, 2019) from Agnes Kennedy, I would point out that Scotland is not Scotlandshire; as a country we voted overwhelmingly to remain within the EU in 2016, and in May of this year, the SNP, a pro-EU, proindependence party convincingly won the European elections in Scotland, sending three out of Scotland’s quota of six MEPs to the European Parliament.

Regarding Scotland’s democratic deficit, it is a fact that Scotland hasn’t voted for a Tory government for more than 60 years but has had plenty of them, along with policies we never voted for such as the Poll Tax, Bedroom Tax, the running down of our industries, and a decade of austerity which has seen foodbanks flourish up and down the land; I call that an undemocratic disgrace.

Naturally, ‘not everyone gets what they wish for in a democracy’ but in an independent Scotland, voters would get the governments they elected with the power to vote them out if they didn’t properly represent our interests. For Ms Kennedy to suggest that Stephen

Kerr, who has consistently voted in Parliament for a deal which would take us out of the EU, is somehow representing the wishes of his constituents who voted 68 per cent to remain within the EU, is a smoke and mirrors excuse which stretches credulity to breaking point, and is reminiscent of Sir Humphrey in Yes Prime Minister.

However, I heartily agree with Ms Kennedy when she acknowledges that “Scotland can hold the balance of power” at Westminster but the only way that can happen is if Scotland returns a majority of SNP MPs, not Mr Kerr nor any other politician who is content to prop up a broken Westminster system rather than put Scotland’s interests into Scotland’s hands.

Ruth Marr Grampian Road Stirling