IN all the hoo-hah about the contest to lead the shambles that is the UK Government, fellow readers might have missed an episode that took place before the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee on Wednesday of this week.

You will recall that, following the publication of a report by UN rapporteur, Philip Alston, which castigated the actions of the Conservative government in cynically dismantling the benefits system and choosing to inflict hardship on the poorest and most vulnerable in society, the Secretary of State, Amber Rudd, complained loudly and clearly. She called him politically biased, accused him of having done insufficient research and said she would complain to the UN about their rapporteur.

A senior civil servant giving evidence earlier this week to the aforesaid Commons committee said of Alston, among other things: “He made a lot of good points. It was factually correct.”

Even more damning, Will Quince, one of the DWP’s junior ministers, also told the committee he did not agree with a memo that his department had previously submitted to it. Quince now accepted that the five-week wait for payment of Universal Credit had forced some women in desperation to turn to prostitution and escort work. His department’s memo had disputed this but Quince accepted the evidence provided to the committee from individuals who had been forced to make these choices.

All of those who aspire to become leader of the Conservative party served in the government whose policies brought about the circumstances which one of their ministerial colleagues accepts forced women into sex work.

This is disgraceful beyond words. They should be hanging their heads in shame instead of spouting fatuous slogans about their Brexit fantasies.

Gavin Brown
Linlithgow

NO, Kenneth S Macrae, you are NOT alone (The Long Letter, June 13). It’s high time these charlatans were exposed.

For years newspapers, political parties etc have been getting away with sticking the word Scottish before their names to fool people into believing that such a thing as the “Scottish” Lib-Dems/Conservatives/Labour parties actually EXIST! They are simply (as Johan Lamont put it) a branch of the UK party, headquartered in and controlled from London. They may hold conferences and make “policy” but it’s all smoke and mirrors. I cite as an example the anti-nuclear weapons stance of “Scottish?” Labour. Admirable but pointless, as UK Labour are pro-nuke.

Nothing “decided” at these get togethers has any relevance. As long as they’re part of a UK party, their “policies” will be sidelined or simply ignored unless they chime with the views of the (English) majority.

I’m fully in agreement that to field a candidate in a SCOTTISH election, the party MUST be registered in Scotland.

Barry Stewart
Blantyre

I HAVE had quite a few phone calls lately from friends in London and the east of England who have decided to move to Scotland, and when they hear of my journey here in 2017 and the fact that I have never looked back since, they are becoming very determined to get out. One friend has already had his house valued and he has started the process.

They are leaving for many reasons: the bad state of NHS England, which involves a chronic shortage of GPs; overcrowding; extortionate rental costs; the complete chaos in Westminster; the appalling list of contenders in the Tory party vying for the top job ... I could go on and on. Another well done to Scotland for making this a country that people want to live in and where they will have a decent quality of life.

Susan Rowberry
Duns

HAS it occurred to readers that the withdrawal of free TV licences to older people is actually an increase of £150+ in taxation? George Osborne found a sneaky way of tapping us for money by transferring the benefit to the BBC, knowing that this was an unsustainable burden for the state broadcaster but making sure this benefit was off the government’s books.

I have toyed with the idea of getting rid of our TV, as I watch very little, just breakfast TV, the 6 o’clock news (which is full of irrelevancies, anyway) and Dad’s Army repeats; my wife watches even less and we both dislike commercial TV. The Nine is on at the wrong time for us.

However, the gradual onset of osteo-arthritis means more time is spent in the house these days and more reading, radio listening and TV viewing may ensue.

We also learn that our local council is to start charging for emptying the brown bins (garden refuse). This also becomes a tax which is likely to affect the elderly disproportionately, is entirely due to the austerity programme emanating from the UK Government and is part of the drive to leave local democracy (and also the Scottish Government) starved of funds. Then there is the insult of the 25p weekly over-80 allowance, which will not buy a 2nd class postage stamp and which continues to lose value through inflation. Never Mind! Boris will sort it!

Andrew McCrae
Gourock