Labour losers

A little research on the subject would inform Victor Clements (Letters, 6 October) that Scottish seats have had little influence on the outcome of UK general elections as, ignoring Scottish MPS, the rest of the UK would have elected the same governments in all but two elections out of 18 contests since 1945. Even if Labour had won every SNP seat in the last UK election it wouldn’t have stopped the Tories forming a government.

Labour’s problem is, despite the most shambolic postwar Tory government, they are unelectable in England and the proposed boundary changes are likely to remove 20 Labour-held seats in favour of more Tory seats. The best Labour can hope for is a hung parliament and as the SNP has attracted 125,000 members, Labour would do well to be a little more conciliatory in their approach.

Home rule was one of Labour’s founding principles and if Labour want Scots to vote for them they need to start campaigning for the powers of a normal country whereby, as one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, we can finance and introduce the best policies for a prosperous, socially just, self-governing Scotland.

FRASER GRANT Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh

Andrew Parrott (Letters, 6 October) complains that notwithstanding Scotland voting by a majority in 2016 to remain in the EU it is likely to leave next year in accordance with the wishes of others.

May I point out to Mr Parrott that in the 2014 referendum 28 out of 32 Scottish council areas voted to remain in the UK but the SNP has relentlessly pushed on demanding independence ever since. As always, it seems that as far as the SNP is concerned “Facts are chiels that winna ding!” DONALD LEWIS Beech Hill, Gifford