I HAVE recently received an election communication through the post from the SNP. I am told that it has been mailed directly to many others across Scotland.
As a matter of public service, I would like to point out to any others of your readers who may receive it that it contains a number of untruths in claiming achievements for the SNP.
The most obvious of these are free elderly care, free university tuition for Scottish students and free bus travel for pensioners. It is of course a matter of public record that all of these were introduced by the earlier Labour-Liberal Democrat coalitions. Those less generous than myself might also notice that the Borders Railway (another "SNP" achievement) was signed up by the Lab/LibDem administration before it left power in 2007.
Your readers may also like to ask themselves how these services are paid for. The answer is of course that they are only possible because of the many billions of pounds that Scotland receives under the pooling and sharing arrangements of the United Kingdom. Yes, the same United Kingdom that the SNP wishes to kiss goodbye to - along with all of the funding that comes with it.
That is not on the direct mail shot either.
Peter A Russell,
87 Munro Road, Jordanhill, Glasgow.
YOU report that Liberal Democrat councillors in East Dunbartonshire are biding their time until after the General Election before joining forces with the Conservatives to oust the new SNP administration (“Coup bid could make SNP reign the shortest in council history”, The Herald, May 25). Considering that following the Tory/LibDem coalition government at Westminster the LibDems were reduced to eight seats throughout the UK at the 2015 General Election, and with only one of those in Scotland, it would appear that LibDems in East Dunbartonshire are either gluttons for punishment, have shockingly bad memories or, given that they had already publicly ruled out allying themselves with the Tories, have decided once more that their principles are expendable. And if, as reported, they are only waiting until after the General Election before making their move, they are displaying nothing but an arrogant and cynical disregard for their constituents.
On the subject of doing deals with the toxic Tories, the Scottish electorate has drawn a very clear line. The LibDems should reflect long and hard on the folly of stepping over that line, again.
Ruth Marr,
99 Grampian Road,
Stirling.
EACH of the pro-Union parties insists on depicting Scottish aspirations of political independence from Westminster as divisive and unwanted..
By far the most divisive occurrence recently experienced was the 2016 referendum on our membership of the EU, which needs no illustration here. We are all familiar with the disparate aspirations of the Scots, the English the Welsh and the Irish peoples. Theresa May’s stated intention to have a one-coat-fits-all approach is regarded by many, irrespective of party affiliation, as unrealistic, while on the Europe side there are 27 independent countries, each with their own people to satisfy, just to make things difficult. Add to that the notion that the Europeans might be miffed at some of the outbursts of British politicians, and you have as divisive a situation as you would not want. If someone to blame is wanted look no further than David Cameron, who simply shrugged and walked away from the mess he created.
Any impartial commentator would regard the Scottish independence ambition as somewhat less divisive.
John Hamilton,
G/2, 1 Jackson Place, Bearsden.
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