Readers' letters: Doctor Starmer won't see you now

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer appearing on the BBC's 'Sunday Morning' political television show with journalist Laura Kuenssberg

When did Sir Keir obtain a medical degree? Real doctors have pilloried his ignorance. Dr Rachel Clarke responded that persistent back pain could be caused by metastatic cancer, multiple myeloma, osteoporosis, TB, spinal cord compression, MS to name a few.

What’s behind Labour’s attack on GPs and the NHS? Could it be because it increasingly receives funding from private companies eager to feast on the carcass of the NHS, and GPs stand in the way of their goal to maximise profits?

Neither the Tories nor Labour believe in the purpose of government, which is to serve the common good by providing services that everyone needs – health, education, energy, housing, transport.

They peddle the lie that the nation’s finances are like a household’s, that taxes fund government spending rather than the reality - the government, with its own bank, can spend as much as is needed to fund public services. £400 billion was effortlessly created during the pandemic without increasing the national debt.

The UK’s decline – one of the poorest countries in western Europe - stems from neoliberal ideology that has destroyed the public sector in favour of private corporate gain.

Leah Gunn Barrett, Edinburgh

Protest and survive Tory onslaught

When peaceful protest is illegal, violent protest is inevitable. This government is incapable of governing so it seeks instead to keep the lid on the simmering anger its intuitive policies are producing. Deny the people's right to let off steam through peaceful protest and this simmering anger will boil over.

Solution? Turn off the heat. As former minister Ken Clark says, the Conservative Party needs a rest.

This government should call an election before they do yet more harm. Let Labour inherit their mess while the Tories regroup with an entirely new front bench and hopefully, a more humane set of beliefs.

Barry Tighe, Woodford Green

Labour split over gender law issue

In a BBC interview, Labour’s UK leader admitted to “concerns” over the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, despite the party’s Scottish leader whipping his MSPs to support the legislation in the Scottish Parliament.

As a former Labour MP for East Lothian and as a sitting Labour MSP for South Scotland, will Martin Whitfield clarify his position on this issue?

Does he support Scottish Labour’s decision to vote against a number of amendments in the Scottish Parliament or does he share Keir Starmer’s concerns?

Tim Jackson, Gullane

Fish farming abuse is being ignored

Fish Health Inspectorate confirmed that 15 million salmon had died of disease and other causes in the Scottish fish farming industry last year, which was double the figure from the previous year.

The quality and care standards of our Scottish salmon fish farms is much lower than that of Norway, which perhaps explains why the salmon farming industry is largely owned by Norwegian companies

SEPA are meant to be policing the fish farm industry but seem to ignoring the overcrowding of salmon cages issue and the frequent mass escapes.

The Scottish Government have adopted a blind eye to the problems of the industry as it provides employment to rural west coast areas.

D Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen

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