So what does Scottish Labour stand for? - your views

"Labour backed Boris’ hard Brexit that has seen a 63 per cent plunge in Scottish exports”
Anas Sarwar has been accused of being part of an "elitist" Labour Party.Anas Sarwar has been accused of being part of an "elitist" Labour Party.
Anas Sarwar has been accused of being part of an "elitist" Labour Party.

So what does Scottish Labour stand for?

It’s hard to know what Scottish Labour stands for apart from adhering to Sir Keir’s diktat that an independence referendum is verboten. No wonder Labour is hanging on by a thread.

Nevertheless, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar bravely ploughs on with his post-Covid recovery plan for Scotland that includes a ‘comeback’ for schools. His own kids are privately educated.

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He credits Labour with the creation of the NHS over 70 years ago, but ignores how both major parties have underfunded and privatised chunks of the NHS, with more sell-offs to American companies planned to secure a much-needed post-Brexit trade deal.

Labour backed Boris’ hard Brexit that has seen a 63% plunge in Scottish exports, more than 20% worse than the UK figure.

The chief executive of Scottish Food and Drink said the crash can’t be blamed on Covid, but on huge, new, non-tariff trade barriers with our largest market.

Brexit has given the Tories free reign to dismantle devolution. They are bypassing our Parliament and directing Covid recovery money to Tory seats. The funds aren’t additional, but replace some of the money that came from the EU pre-Brexit.

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The only way for Scotland to rebuild post-Covid is by having the full range of economic powers that any independent nation enjoys, so we can focus on Scottish needs and priorities to build a fairer, sustainable society.

And it’s the only way Scottish Labour can ever win back the trust of the Scottish people.

Leah Gunn Barrett, Merchiston Crescent, Edinburgh.

It takes a Tory to expose Holyrood life

It is a sorry comment on the state of Scottish political life that it has taken a Westminster MP and a Tory at that, to expose in a British legislature the highly dubious practices that certain members of the SNP and the Scottish government apparatus have engaged in.

We know already that the committee of inquiry into the Salmond harassment accusations is divided irretrievably on political lines - the majority SNP dedicated to protecting Ms Sturgeon and her government, and the minority pro-union parties wanting to see all the evidence that can be gleaned about the affair.

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The withholding of evidence from the committee and the refusal to allow important witnesses to be interviewed have demonstrated the weaknesses of a system where the executive chooses the method and limits of investigation into senior members of its own government.

A proper judicial inquiry would not have tolerated the prevarication and stalling perpetrated by the Scottish government and the SNP. From what I hear, the obstruction of the committee’s work continues.

This is why David Davis’s speech at Westminster is so important. It clearly demonstrates that the SNP regime expects to mark its own homework.

Mr Davis emphasised that he was trying to help the Scottish parliament - which is as hamstrung as the committee - 'not to bury it’.

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It is beyond time that Holyrood had effective checks and balances in place to ensure that the executive does not exert undue power or try to conceal malpractice.

Jill Stephenson, Glenlockhart Valley, Edinburgh.

Whistle blowing

Why does David Davis MP not just say that the whistleblower was D Ross? All this hinting about a name is boring when it must be evident, ‘cos that’s what Ross does on the field of dreams.

Ron Oliver, Woodside Road, Elie, Fife.

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