Is an old Labour dogma the real reason behind Corbyn’s Brexit stance?

THE stance of Jeremy Corbyn on Brexit as portrayed in The Herald on Sunday (News, December 23) should not be a surprise to anyone, particularly if one is prepared to dig a little deeper into the reasoning behind this stance.

I would suggest if one was to ask the leaders of the main trades unions why, the real answer is that they wish to proceed with wholesale nationalisation, eg railways and other essential services. They believe that by remaining in the

EU they would not be allowed to proceed with this policy.

However, one has only to examine the ownership of such services throughout the EU 28 member countries, and one will discover that state ownership is not a problem.

Mike Dooley

Ayr

After reading Ian Macwhirter’s views (Voices, December 23), and following the apparent resolution of the Gatwick chaos, I decided to check on the situation regarding flights to and from the UK. It transpires that the UK has come to an agreement with Switzerland over flights to there pre- and post-Brexit.

So all is not lost as I will be able to get my affairs in order, book my one-way flight and avoid our impending doom and despair. George Dale

Beith

This approach must get priority

I have just read the article about a proposed public health approach to reducing youth sex crime (The Big Read, December 23).

Clearly, this is to be welcome. Those working in public health have recognised for many years that problem issues (such as this) need to be addressed at source if any action is to have a reasonable chance of success.

The article is interesting and encouraging, but I am disappointed by the lack of input by public health professionals. There have been public health staff working to address gender-based violence for at least 35 years. These workers know that addressing attitudes to sex, relationships and gender is the key to reducing such crimes and there have been many initiatives over the years.

Sadly they are frustrated by shortterm funding, and this whole agenda not being considered a sufficiently pressing priority.

Let’s not reinvent the wheel here; just provide ample support for the work that is already under way and move it up the agenda.

Anne Clarke

Seamill

How to fund equal pay bill

ANOTHER way to fund the women’s equal pay claim (News, December 23)? Easy!

Get the sheriff officers to hand the bill to the Scottish Labour Party, whose representatives ran up this huge bill by not paying up on time and ran up another huge bill for taxpayers by fighting to avoid paying it at all.

P Davidson

Falkirk

With the highly profitable tax on unwary motorists wandering into inadequately marked bus lanes and now mortgages on monuments, the logical next step for the City Fathers should surely be the release of a “charity” single called “We built this city on Hock and Tolls”. Duncan Graham Stirling

These protesters are in the right

I AM totally in favour of protests in Paisley against an exhibition of reindeer as part of the town’s Christmas festivities (News, December 23).

These animals are sometimes transported long distances and often held in small pens for long hours, where they are exposed to bright lights and a constant stream of excitable shoppers. With no place to retreat, their health and welfare inevitably suffer.

It is not acceptable to use animals as entertainment.

Margaret Forbes Kilmacolm

Keep Queen’s Speech secret

ONE of my annual highlights, the Queen’s Christmas Day Broadcast, was ruined this year by widespread advance publication of its contents.

Leaking details of the broadcast was once virtually a hanging offence but it seems this is now a duty of palace officials. Next year, it would be nice for Her Majesty’s remarks to come as a total surprise. John Eoin Douglas Edinburgh