Who’s grubby?

Does Cllr Scott Arthur’s opposition to “grubby” back door deals (Letters, 28 June) extend to the examples set by Labour in Midlothian and West Lothian Councils, where they agreed deals with the Tories to prevent the SNP from forming part of the administration and, worse still, in West Lothian, where they voted together to reduce SNP representation to one on each committee of seven councillors – despite being the largest party?

Regarding local authority cuts, since being elected last month Labour, backed by the Tories, has cut 198 classroom assistants in North Lanarkshire, and in Aberdeen the new Tory-labour coalition has immediately cut 150 council jobs. Is this the kind of deals Scott Arthur wants?

Despite ongoing Tory cuts to Scotland’s fixed budget, the SNP is investing £750 million to tackle the attainment gap between pupils from the least and most wealthy backgrounds and there are plans to empower local head teachers whereby schools will have freedom to make their own decisions, and parents and pupils will have more of a say in schools. Also last week, the SNP announced £1.75 billion for councils to boost affordable housing development.

The Tory/ DUP deal would have been impossible if Kezia Dugdale hadn’t encouraged Labour supporters to vote Tory against the SNP in the North East and Borders, thus depriving Jeremy Corbyn, who copied much of the SNP’S progressive agenda, the chance of forming a government coalition in back room deals.

FRASER GRANT Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh

Perhaps the lesson to be learned from the Tories stitchup with the DUP, a deal that would discredit Tony Soprano, is that instead of of sending the David Davis Delegation to Brussels, we dispatch the DUP.

If they can so painlessly extort a billion from a cashstrapped UK Treasury in a couple of weeks, think how much they might blarney off our outstanding UK bill of £100bn over a couple of years.

And if you still buy into the old joke about the Irish being daft, spare a thought for those who voted to send Tories to Westminster from Scotland.

JOSEPH G MILLER Gardeners Street, Dunfermline

Phil Tate and Martin Redfern make the case for self-government by illustrating the impotence of Scottish MPS at Westminster over the shoddy Tory/ DUP deal which undermines the Union (Letters, 27 June).

Once upon a time we had Tory secretaries of state who stood up for Scotland, but we now have David Mundell, who even failed to turn up to the House of Commons for the £1bn magic money bribe to Northern Ireland – which already gets the best deal of all the devolved administrations – thus unfairly ignoring the normal Barnett consequentials for Snp-run Scotland and Labour-run Wales.

Therefore, what is the point of continuing with the Scotland Office, whose annual budget of £9 million has substantially increased since devolution and which has become no more than a propaganda unit of the UK government in Scotland?

The 12 new one-trick pony Tory MPS have fallen at the first hurdle and just shown their ignorance by referring to City Deals as some kind of mitigation. These are supposed to be matched funding arrangements for non-devolved projects, but in many instances, the Scottish Government has contributed more than the UK government.

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh

I am reliably informed that the cost of the general election was a figure in excess of £140m. All to satisfy Theresa May’s overinflated belief in her own ability, which has been found wanting in every department and has left her, as we all know, without a majority. To shore up her position, the ten DUP votes have come at a further cost of one hundred million per vote.

Does she not realise that most of her backbenchers now detest her and at the drop of a hat will rebel? What value the DUP votes then?

D SEENAN East Bankton Place Murieston, Livingston

It is more than depressing to consider that the UK is now being run – in 2017 and with all the advances in human knowledge and understanding – by a government in hock to a party which believes the world started in 4004 BC and was somehow magically created in a real-time seven days.

Political parties and religions and individuals have, of course, every right to believe exactly what they wish. It only becomes disturbing when they are involved in crucial decisions and law-making that affects every one else.

The only thing more de pressing than the present situation is the thought of yet another referendum or general election.

ALEXANDER MCKAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh