Onthewrongside

The vituperation of Brian Wilson against Scotland, Scottish democracy and the Scottish government appears endless.

In his latest bitter outpouring (Scotsman, 3 July) he castigates the Scottish Parliament for having the audacity to protect the rights of Scottish children by incorporating into Scottish domestic law the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a treaty already signed by the UK in the 1990s.

The bill passed the Scottish Parliament in March when it was deemed uncontroversial and passed unanimously, including with the support of Mr Wilson’s Labour colleagues.

He cannot, therefore, slate the SNP for thinking that protecting the rights of Scottish children by incorporating the convention into Scottish domestic law was a beneficial move within the competence of Holyrood, since the UK was a signatory.

It is deeply disappointing that Mr Wilson chooses to support the Tory-appointed Scottish Secretary Alister Jack in challenging the bill at the Supreme Court rather than support democracy and child welfare in Scotland.

There can really only be two reasons why Mr Jack wishes to challenge this Scottish bill. Either the UK government has no intention of honouring the treaty it signed and wishes to limit the rights of children or this is petty interference for the sake of it.

Either way, both are morally repugnant and politically inept, and Mr Wilson has chosen the wrong side of the argument.

MAIRIANNA CLYDE

Edinburgh