Questionable motives for Brown’s think-tank

The purpose of Our Scottish Future, the think-tank set up by Gordon Brown, is to “set out a progressive agenda for change”. In familiar fashion, Brown’s call to his fellow Scots is that we listen to each other – “the division cannot go on”.

The public face seems to be constructive dialogue on our constitutional future so it is puzzling that publications to date are all criticisms of the Scottish Government’ s response to Covid. The latest on vaccination( Scots man, 13 January) accept sat facevalue the usual UK boasting in advance about targets. Not quite “moon-shots” and “world-beating”, but we are told that the UK vaccination strategy is “highly successful”.

This is an impossible claim to make at this very early stage; strategies are only successful if implemented and can only be judged by results. Somehow, it can be claimed that Scotland is “behind”.

The think-tank also claims that Scotland has “struggled” with Covid compared to other countries. Indeed, it has been a struggle, but the current prevalence rate in England is twice that of Scotland and the total death rate is 40 per cent higher in England. I know where I’d rather be living.

An impartial“think-tank” might want to enquire about Scotland’s better performance on the fundamental me asures and what lessons can be learned by the rest of the UK. That won’t happen as this is obviously a pro -union front organisation engaged in political campaigning against the SNP Government ahead of the May elections.

ROBERT FARQUHARSON

Lee Crescent, Edinburgh