SINCE the starting gun was fired on the current UK election campaign we’ve seen the main parties set out their stalls. The Tories want to focus entirely on Brexit and don’t want to be examined on the other areas where they are failing badly. Labour want to focus entirely on their policies and don’t want us to look too closely at their position on Brexit (which is not yet clear).
The SNP want to stop Brexit, which is a bit bizarre as this then removes the keystone of their argument for an independence referendum in 2020, while the LibDems also want to stop Brexit but are ruling out working with the SNP and Labour to do so.
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In reality this election is only happening because the UK Parliament is paralysed over Brexit and it is highly likely that people will vote firmly with that in mind. However, those people who might be swayed by the Tories’ “get it done” message should perhaps pause to consider what delights Boris Johnson plans to slip through under cover of delivering Brexit.
A Tory majority will undoubtedly deliver poorer working terms and conditions for people across the UK and will be a green light to them to tighten the screw on the poorest people in society through benefit cuts and sanctions.
They will try to convince us that we, the people, are tired of Brexit, that we are sick of Brexit and that we just want to move on, and when the political argument is reduced to this, that is precisely when we must be at our most alert and our most vigilant.
In this referendum by proxy I can see no good outcome for Scotland. As part of the UK the people of England will decide our future, and this will either deliver Brexit quickly under the Tories or slowly under Labour. In the great scheme of things, it really makes no difference whether the SNP gain seats or not, for even if they were to take all 59 Scottish seats in the Westminster parliament, they will still be out-voted, patronised or ignored on every issue; in fact the only reason to go out and vote for the SNP in this election will be to demonstrate a commitment to independence and to a possible future within Europe.
With that in mind we Scots would be as well to break out the popcorn, sit back and watch goggle-eyed as England decides our future. Enjoy the show!
James Cassidy
Airdrie
YET again the Prime Minister repeats his chant that he will not grant a Section 30 Order if it’s requested by the Scottish Parliament and the First Minister of Scotland. He’s certainly not speaking to the Scots or looking for votes in Scotland if that’s his attitude!
With approximately 80% of the electorate in England, he isn’t even speaking to English voters.
The Prime Minister, and others wishing to hold that post after the General Election, should pay close attention to what David Maxwell Fyfe, the Edinburgh-born MP for Liverpool West Derby (1934-1954) – a former Home Secretary and Attorney General for England and Wales, and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain – put in the European Convention on Human Rights, when he was asked to draw it up under Sir Winston Churchill: that a country should have free elections at least every five years to vote for the government of their choosing. The referendum that we, the people of Scotland, seek is to decide who governs us, either Westminster or Holyrood.
Alexander Potts
Kilmarnock
AFTER reading yesterday’s paper my blood was boiling regarding a Section 30 order and indyref2. Jeremy Corbyn and Labour’s view is “it’s not a priority and won’t happen in the early years”, John McDonnell says “it’s completely irrelevant”. Well, it’s Labour who are completely irrelevant. What he is actually saying is “Scotland is completely irrelevant”.
We MUST NOT STAND FOR THIS. The SNP need to forget Brexit. We have tried our hardest to stop or mitigate it, everyone in the whole UK knows the SNP stance on Brexit and that will not change. We do not need to state that fact in the manifesto – it just confuses the matter. We can’t stop it alone, although its not for the want of trying.
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The SNP should only have a single objective in their manifesto so there can be absolutely no confusion and no counter argument of “you don’t have a mandate”, and that is: “Vote SNP for indyref 2 in 2020”. NOTHING ELSE.
The Scottish Tories did it at the last election and hugely increased their MPs to Wastemonster. The fact that independence was hardly mentioned in the SNP mandate last time lost us some very good MPs. It must not happen again.
All three English parties are kicking the can down the road in the hope the SNP will fall out of favour with Scottish people in the years to come, especially in Holyrood. We MUST NOT stand for it.
Colin McGinnis
Dundee
I THOUGHT Jacob Rees-Mogg couldn’t stoop any lower in his vile pronouncements, but he has. His awful comment that the victims of Grenfell Tower lacked common sense and should have ignored the fire brigade’s advice to stay put and got out is contemptible. He should now without reservation apologise to the families of the victims of the avoidable atrocity.
Yet again him and his ilk have shown contempt for the feelings for ordinary working people. The 200,000 new affordable houses that the government promised have not materialised, leaving people in unsuitable accommodation. Shame on you Mogg and your cabal.
Susan Rowberry
Duns
READ MORE: Jacob Rees-Mogg sorry for 'crass' comments about Grenfell victims
REES-MOGG should resign following his comments that Grenfell fire victims “lacked common sense”. This comment shows a remarkable lack of empathy and compassion for human beings who found themselves in the grip of an inferno in the middle of the night.
Sadly, his remarks typify the Tory attitude to the citizens of this country. We cannot continue to pay huge salaries to Conservative MPs who literally loll about on the green benches and blame the public for circumstances which Tory policies helped create. For example, a shortage of good-quality social housing.
SC, Aberdeen
via text
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