Labour must never partner SNP if it ever wants to regain lost Scottish voters
I was surprised and irritated to read your 5 October story “SNP may pave way for Labour government if Trident axed”. If people in Scotland want a Labour government, they should vote for the Labour Party. There is no need for middle men, certainly not ones Labour could never trust as regards what they may be trying to do behind its back. The Labour Party and the SNP hate each other. It is visceral and tribal, easily the worst political relationship we have in Scottish politics. If a Labour government found itself in the trenches over any given issue, the very last people it would want beside it is the SNP. It would never know what they were up to.
We have learned in Scottish politics that while voting Labour doesn’t always give us a Labour Government at Westminster, voting SNP does always give us a Conservative government. That, of course, suits the SNP and the Conservatives perfectly well, for different reasons.
Democracy in Britain needs a credible Labour Party. It must not try to cover up its current deficiencies by contemplating an arrangement that would never work. Even the suggestion of a relationship with the SNP will sink them, as it did in 2015. If Labour want Scots to vote for them, then they need to start setting out the reasons why, put together policies that chime with the tradition of Labour voters, and be confident and positive in what they are standing for. The SNP is neither a socialist nor a social democratic party, it is a nationalist party.
That is what it says on the tin. That is its only motivation and purpose, and separatism is the very opposite of standing united together, which is what I understand the Labour Party is supposed to believe in, above all else.
VICTOR CLEMENTS
Taybridge Terrace Aberfeldy, Perthshire Labour Leader Richard Leonard MSP was at it again at First Minister’s Questions, shooting himself in the foot as he quoted from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report on child poverty in Scotland and challenged the First Minister.
This report praised the new Scottish Social Security system currently being introduced through devolved welfare powers, saying this new system could see numerous families brought out of poverty, and went on to recognise the efforts of the Scottish Government in tackling the gender pay gap.
Mr Leonard then had the audacity to challenge the Scottish Government on its record on housebuilding, an issue that can aggravate child poverty – this beggars belief, considering the Scottish Government is currently undertaking the largest housebuilding programme in the history of the Scottish Parliament.
If Labour is ever to become a force in Scottish politics again, it really must do better.
CATRIONA C CLARK
Hawthorn Drive Banknock, Falkirk
It would seem Labour’s Corbynista elements have succeeded in dragging down another couple of Scottish moderates, this time including Anas Sarwar in a most cruel and humiliating way (your report, 5 October).
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard’s lack of support in the courts for another moderate, Kezia Dugdale, would suggest their Stalinist-like purges on what is termed ‘’Blairites’’ in England have been enthusiastically embraced by fellow Corbynistas in Scotland also and their grip on the party is tightening.
This is not the broad church party I once admired and supported.
ALEXANDER MCKAY
New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh