WHEN Jeremy Corbyn is re-elected as the Labour leader on Saturday will the controversy over his ability to be a prime minister die down? It seems an irrelevant debate as he is not going to need to be. He is the person, as often in history, to turn the party around. Once accomplished their electable candidate will be drawn from the new ranks.
Interestingly Labour in Scotland are becoming “autonomous”, not independent, though perhaps the realisation will strike that the need for independence within the party reflects the need for autonomy within the country.
Alisdair McKay
Inverness
FASCINATING to observe the contortions from Scottish (sic) Labour sources as they explain the massive benefits we are all going to receive as they gain “full control over policy making, including in reserved areas such as defence.”
I listened to Labour apologist and star Daily Record political commentator, Torcuil Crichton, as he attempted to explain how the party would reconcile the Scottish branch opposition to Trident with the Westminster support for the maintenance of these weapons of mass destruction. Apparently this is something we need not concern ourselves about as some sort of mechanism or procedure was sure to emerge to sort out this situation. Aye right!
Kenneth MacColl
Oban
IT’S been two years since the Scottish independence referendum, a contest won by the Better Together side – not that you’d know it by their commentary, which seems to grow more confused and bitter as the months pass.
Take the furore over Nicola Sturgeon’s recent comment that Scottish independence transcends economic issues. Ruth Davidson branded the SNP and First Minister liars before lamenting the lack of economic foresight and detail in plans for an independent country. David Mundell complained it was “independence at any cost”, referencing the £15 billion deficit a newly independent Scotland would have. The Liberal Democrats threw in their tuppence-worth as did a range of others in an atmosphere of debate that’s pretty acrid, with almost all mainstream papers still vehemently against the idea of Scottish independence and growing increasingly bitter that the whole issue simply hasn’t disappeared.
Well, the Better Together side had better get themselves together and realise the issue is never going to go away by some kind of collective negative energy, not so long as the concept of democracy holds any currency. It really is amazing an entire generation of political actors seems incapable of accepting democracy must be defended, extended, explored and implemented wherever possible and if a situation is systematically subverting democracy, that situation must be rectified as soon as possible.
The Unionist side can shriek about currency plans or deficits or cybernats all it wants, but cannot change the fact that unlike the Brexit movement, which was essentially xenophobic, the independence movement is essentially about democracy, democracy is good, and good always wins.
J Kerr
Paisley
MANY of The National’s correspondents and journalists express their frustration over Scotland being taken out of the EU against the will of the majority of Scottish people. I would ask all those people to bear in mind that the European Commission is an organisation out of control and badly in need of reform.The euro is also on a shoogly peg supported mainly by Germany with a little help from the UK and France. I am, like the majority of people, in favour of the Common Market but not the move towards a United States of Europe. Little Scotland on its own in the EU would have no chance of changing anything.
These issues should be factored into any plan for the future of Scotland.
Mike Underwood
Linlithgow
OUR attention has recently been drawn to a letter you published (The National, September 7) regarding our S1 IDL project at Portobello High School. The letter contains a serious inaccuracy. The correspondent, Hugh Jones from Meadowbank, did not contact the school about this matter and we are disappointed the veracity of his assertions were not checked with us prior to publication.
Our S1 “Scotland and its People” project is a very successful holistic project where young learners investigate our heritage from different angles. We do indeed launch our event with a flavour of the topics covered, ie traditional food, Scots language, Scottish scientists, Celtic art etc. and use stunning Scottish photography to whet the appetite and set the scene.
As for music, a piper plays to the crowd, we use Loch Lomond as the theme tune and we all end up singing a Proclaimers song.
At no stage does this project feature a jingoistic examination of Rule Britannia, which would be wholly inappropriate for a diverse and inclusive school community such as ours. The song Rule Britannia is, however, used in our social subjects faculty as part of a topic which examines the history of the British Empire and its continued impact on the world we live in today. There, in context, our learners are able to reflect on the historical changes in our society, values and attitudes.
Ruth McKay
Headteacher, Portobello High School, Edinburgh
Headteacher, Portobello High School, EdinburghI AM rather dismayed at the recent building of the 100-mile long fence by the Hungarian government to exclude refugees. During the revolution in 1956 thousands fled from the country to escape persecution by the Russian invaders of the country. Many came to Britain to seek sanctuary from the onslaught: an estimated 200,000 were dispersed around the world.
I happened to be in Canada at this time where many were living in towns which could accommodate them. They lived supported by charities and government help. They were housed in free digs and given three dollars a day for food, and in Canada at that time you could get a half-decent meal for a dollar.
Most of them seemed to be unemployed as there weren’t a lot of jobs and language I suppose was a barrier.
A couple of years later the revolution was over and Canada flew most of them home again.
What perturbs me most is that a member of the EU that appealed to the world for help in its time of need against the Russian Bear could build such a monstrosity as a thank-you to the world. Kinda short memories...
Jack Dunn
Dundee
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