THE “schadenfreude” that Kevin McKenna referred to in his generous article concerning the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his spell in a coronavirus ward has been plentiful on Facebook (Let’s remember even our Prime Minister is some poor mother’s son, April 8). It was interesting to read also about the influence his gran has had on his own life – in particular, it seems, his own public comments.
There was a separate comment about Julia Hartley-Brewer, who stated that regardless of the fact that some dislike Boris Johnson, he is still a “father, a father-to-be, a fiance, and someone with family and friends”. Similar was a quote from Kevin’s gran, that no matter how bad a person might be to others, he was also “some poor mother’s son”.
READ MORE: Even our Prime Minister Boris Johnson is some poor mother’s son
It is this kind of magnanimity that can make us a better person that no matter how much we might dislike a person, in times of their personal troubles. Whether it be serious illness, family loss, or whatever else gives us cause for concern, we can always show a wee bit of humanity
at least to others.
I can speak from personal experience that there are some people personal to me I have absolutely no time for. But if push came to shove I know I would put my personal views to one side.
So thank you, Kevin McKenna, for your excellent article on how and why we can show respect at least for others in times of their personal troubles.
Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife
WHILE it was magnanimous of Kevin McKenna to suspend his customary class prejudices in order to wish a Tory toff a recovery from his illness, he cannot be allowed to claim that Johnson was elected by “the overwhelming majority of the UK electorate”. About 43.6% of those who voted and something more like 30% of the whole electorate wanted Johnson as Prime Minister; not even a majority, never mind an overwhelming one.
Andrew M Fraser
Inverness
I WATCHED with a degree of amusement Jackson Carlaw’s barely disguised glee whilst putting the boot into Catherine Calderwood for her ill-judged error in visiting her second home. He demanded that our First Minister should sack the chief medical officer for her “dangerous” disregard of rules set out to tackle the Covid-19 crisis.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Plans under way for first virtual FMQs session
He failed to comment on the fact that the Conservative Party Cabinet had ignored the social distancing rules, ending with several of them becoming infected by the coronavirus.
This infection has left our Prime Minister becoming so ill that he is presently in an intensive care unit fighting for his life.
I don’t suppose that Mr Carlaw will be looking for the sacking of his party’s Cabinet.
Harry Key
Largoward, Fife
THE Scottish Socialist Party are misleading people by trying to sow illusions about “Sir” Keir Starmer.
During the Labour leadership campaign Starmer refused to say who was funding his campaign. So right there you can see a partially to the kind of secrecy so beloved by the UK Government.
Their is no progressive figleaf for Starmer. He has stood in solidarity with the Likud party of Israel. He takes the side of Donald Trump over Julian Assange and he has appointed arch-Unionist Ian Murray as shadow governor general.
The SSP say the Labour Party need to open their eyes to the reality of Scotland. Since 2015 Labour have been routed in every election. That has not changed their position on Scotland. Exactly why now do the SSP expect Starmer to be any different? The answer is he won’t be.
Exactly how much more evidence do the SSP need to see that Starmer is no friend of Scotland?
I suspect the SSP is stuffed with ex-Labour members surreptitiously working to rehabilitate the Scottish Labour branch.
Alan Hinrrichs
Dundee
THE Labour Party’s flirtation with socialism is well and truly over. To emphasise its transition, a knight in shining armour, Sir Keir Starmer has taken over the helm of a brave new, new Labour.
Corbyn was collateral damage. The real enemy of the rich and powerful was as it will always be ... socialism. With aspirations of equality, nationalising essential services, ending poverty and consigning the memory of food banks to history, what will Sir Keir’s aspirations be?
The dream of hundreds of thousand who signed up to this brave new world have been shattered. Now the Labour party has another establishment figure that even the far-right Daily Mail has embraced, relatively.
The red line of northern England bought the lie, bought the interminable campaign of hate and as a consequence will inevitably suffer ever more. The seeds of the Labour party’s demise was sown by Tony Blair and the line between his party and the Tories was indistinguishable.
As for Scotland, the same tired mantra emanates from Labour’s only Scottish MP, the new shadow Scottish secretary. The apparition of Union Jack-suited Ian Murray, cheering on Tories who were campaigning against the SNP, is a sight that will not be forgotten. For the most part, the view in Scotland will be that the swing to the right of the Labour party is tantamount to shooting itself in the foot while scoring an own goal.
Mike Herd
Highland
SLAB put a stop to the “devo max” they now support when it was on the table in the Smith Commission. I wonder what, if anything, Starmer will have to say about that.
The Unionist parties had no democratic mandate for the representation they had on the Smith Commission. Whatever that was, it was not democracy.
Marion Lamont
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