The Scotsman

Neo-liberalism

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Theresa May has been flying the flag for free markets again. The fact that a BBC correspond­ent thought she was just defending capitalism shows how insidious Tory propaganda is for their neo-liberal free market approach.

Neo-liberalism is a religion, as Margaret Thatcher told us. The rationalis­m of the Enlightenm­ent had made us more prone to cults. We see ourselves as brilliant thinkers when in reality we are often in denial about the role of emotions. Being rational today means having the ability to stick up for self- interest. “There is no such thing as society”, as these heady neo-liberal idealists once told us.

Clearly, there is an alternativ­e to this crude cultic reversion to Dickensian times. If Labour can convince us it is economical­ly strategic, democratic – in spirit, and not simply cult-like – we may come to the conclusion that politician­s are not all a bad lot.

That, of course, remains to be seen. But what is worrying for the Tories is that they have had a fall in membership because the new post2013 members have decided the party does not represent real democracy.

The neo-liberal game is to use democracy, not put its spirit first. Free markets is their religion, democracy and blatant press propaganda is their tool.

ANDREW VASS Corbiehill Place, Edinburgh I hope, rather than expect, that on his show next Sunday Andrew Marr subjects Nicola Sturgeon to the same aggressive interviewi­ng style as he used on Theresa May on yesterday’s Andrew Marr Show.

Goodness knows, he has enough material to have a go at. After ten years of the SNP in power public services are in crisis, Scotland has the highest deficit to GDP in the West, the SNP have lost a great number of MPS, there is no appetite for a second independen­ce referendum and the 2014 White Paper on Scotland’s Future has been wholly discredite­d.

I hope next week he takes the opportunit­y of asking some tough questions and doesn’t follow the usual pattern of cosy chat interviewi­ng that the SNP receives at the hands of BBC Reporting Scotland presenters. DONALD LEWIS Beech Hill, Gifford

By the middle of the Sombre Seventies, Britain was an economic basket case – an asylum run by the lunatics – and I was preparing to move my young family over to Europe or America. All changed when Mrs Thatcher hove into sight and millions of us went on to have happy and successful lives in Britain.

The outlook today is even darker because the offshore Venezuela of Johnson/farage and Corbyn/mcdonnell is worse than the Fortress Britain of Tony Blair and his TUC nihilists while the high-tax, Luddite alterative north of the Border is just scary.

I pray another Blessed Margaret emerges from the gloom. (REV) DR JOHN CAMERON

Howard Place, St Andrews

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