A leader with the right vision

Sir, – In Richard Leonard, Scottish Labour have found a leader with the policies and vision to improve the lives of us Scots and end the divisiveness of the last 10 years of SNP control.

Real socialist policies will see the tide turn against the SNP, and see a Labour government installed in Westminster.

Learning from the Brexit referendum, commentators are now saying that the 2014 independence referendum did not see a nationalist surge. Instead people perceived the opportunity of turning away from a neoliberal state committed to austerity for the next 10 years.

Richard Leonard has policies which will tackle the scourges of our age: poverty, inequality, lack of affordable housing and a crumbling NHS.

Scotland needs radical change, tinkering round the edges just won’t work.

Mr Leonard is right to concentrate on tackling poverty and inequality. He is committed to controlling rents and a massive house-building programme.

The insecurity of zero hours contracts has to end. Austerity has proved a disaster. Instead of eliminating the budget deficit, it crashed the economy and the national debt is now more than double seven years ago.

The Office for Budget Responsibility has warned of a slowdown in the economy under austerity policies, which is why the Chancellor could offer only tinkering in his Budget – there is no money left.

Changes are also needed to the tax system to tackle inequality. Under the Tories the rich have got richer and the poor, poorer. Taxes for the rich have been reduced, but VAT and National Insurance for the poorest have risen.

Richard Leonard has policies many Scots will find very attractive. Phil Tate. 95 Craiglockhart Road, Edinburgh.