Westminster budget leaves Derek Mackay needing to do a U-turn in Scotland

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has dug a deep pit in the path of his Scottish counterpart, Derek Mackay( ‘Mind the Gap’, Scotsman, October 30).

Mr Mackay has boasted about how he circumvented last year’s Westminster budget tax breaks and gave 70 per cent of Scots either parity or a tax cut over their English compatriots. He has been unapologetic over those Scots who had a tax increase but the rug has been pulled from under Mr Mackay’s feet now. To avoid a yawning gap, the SNP must reverse its ‘no tax cuts for the well off ’ position.

Mr Mackay might have pulled a rabbit from the hat last year but there is little room for manoeuvre this time. The paucity of the SNP tax position has been exposed.

Only a U-turn can stop a calamity. What Christmas cheer for Scots will Mr Mackay’s budget deliver? GERALD EDWARDS Broom Road, Glasgow

For a party that is never slow to offer the benefit of their wisdom on every matter under the sun, I was disappointed to hear Derek Mackay twice repeat exactly the same meaningless view on Phillip Hammond’s budget rather than put him right. It was almost as though he had been coached over the last few weeks to say something wise.

He was more reminiscent of Father Jack repeating “and that would be an ecumenical matter” than of the financial helmsman steering our country’s finance.

Have the SNP finally run out of ideas – the Father Dougals of politics?

KEN CURRIE Liberton Drive, Edinburgh When Britain withdrew from the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992, the Tory government lost its reputation for wise handling of the economy.

When Labour’s weak regulation allowed British banks to crash, the recession of 2008 crashed Labour’s reputation. Eras changed, reputations changed.

Despite such part failures as monetarism and neo-liberalism, Tory economics is now for many the only game in town.

Yet, all austerity has done is cut the budget deficit (what’s the debt doing?) and as the poor plan wasn’t working well, they have abandoned the goal by spending the surplus.

Yet we applaud the governmentbecauseweacceptclaims for truth too easily.

ANDREW VASS Corbiehill Place,

Edinburgh