Away, andy

It seems Labour’s Andy Burnham expects the First Minister to communicate directly with England’s City Mayors rather than communicate through the UK Four Nations forums. Certainly there is a logical argument that areas directly affected by policies made in other areas should courteously be informed in advance of implementation, especially if not involved in prior discussions, but health is a devolved responsibility and Manchester is not yet in a region of Scotland. However, Scotland is supposedly a partner in the Union and not only has the Scottish Government not been consulted or involved in discussions ahead of the signing of the Tory-lauded "Australia Deal”, we still do not even know the details of this deal, which could be devastating to the livelihoods of Scottish farmers and those employed in other sectors of the UK economy.

It is understandable that the Mayor of Manchester, who naturally voices concerns of the people he represents, is frustrated in having to work with a Prime Minister who seems to think that having a conversation with himself in the shower is representative of a world-leading democracy in action. Perhaps if Mr Burnham soon becomes leader of the Labour Party his apparent belief in open democracy will be manifest in his instruction to the leader of Labour’s Scottish Branch Office to support the holding of a second independence referendum?

STAN GRODYNSKI Longniddry, East Lothian