HOW can all the money for the spending promises being made by Labour and the Conservative Parties be available after the election but not before?
The election campaign has entered economic overdrive, but where is all the money coming from to meet those spending proposals and who will be the benefactor?
The economy is taking a battering due to the uncertainty of Brexit, and the General Election is just adding to the uncertainty. Labour and the Conservatives are also making promises regarding a major spend in the country’s economy, that of welfare. We have the Conservatives committed to end the benefits freeze in 2020, and Labour promising to abolish Universal Credit.
READ MORE: Labour and Tories clash in trillions spending claim dossier row
Quite amazing, considering the evidence of the last five years when many hard-working families were plunged into poverty, and disproportionately suffered the consequences of Conservative policies, often endorsed by Labour MPs in the House of Commons.
Being on benefits does not only apply to the unemployed; many working families are in low-paid employment or on zero-hours contracts and depend on benefits and visiting their local food bank just to survive. This must be addressed with urgency by the next incumbent of Number 10.
Conservatives and Labour have failed so many on the issue of welfare/social security, taking away the security of a safety net in many cases, and this cannot be allowed to continue. So at this time both of those parties should be making a commitment to devolve full welfare powers to Scotland as soon after the election as practically possible.
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
ALL that arguing about the Tory-costed supposed true cost of Labour spending plans. Has anyone noticed that back in the real world Britain has had its credit rating downgraded? Whose watch was that on, Boris?
David Ritchie
North Ayrshire
THE sheer hypocrisy of yesterday’s Scottish Daily Express headline (SNP’s war on Trident puts us all at risk, November 11) shouldn’t go unchallenged.
Realistically, Trident’s sole purpose is to deter an attack on the UK, or one of our Nato allies, from Russia. Whilst there are other nuclear powers, Trident presumably is primarily there to deter an attack from Russia (historically the USSR).
As a right-wing paper, the Scottish Daily Express happily pumps out propaganda in support of the Conservative party. Yet the Conservatives have benefitted from £3.5 million of donations from Russian donors, many with close ties to Vladimir Putin. One of them even paid to have lunch with Theresa May and Gavin Williamson, who at the time was our Minister of Defence.
READ MORE: Removal of Trident ‘on SNP wish list’ for post-election Labour deal
Perhaps the Scottish Daily Express should be asked to justify why we need Trident when the very people it is meant to deter are propping up a UK Government the Scottish people didn’t vote for?
Whilst they are at it perhaps they could join demands for Downing Street to release parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee report on Russian interference in UK democracy, which was finalised in March and referred to No 10 on October 17.
We know who Trident is supposed to be protecting usfrom, but who are the Conservatives protecting?
Geoff Tompson
By email
THE reported statements from UK party leaders that even in the event that the Scots elect a majority of MPs whose manifesto includes the demand for an independence referendum, such a demand will be refused or delayed, begs the question what do we do then?
Without the Section 30, all other moves to independence could be illegal. Is there any way round this impasse?
Well there is one way, and a legal one at that, where a country ruling another despite requests for self-determination can be forced to accede to such demands.
In 1974 Portugal abandoned its colony of East Timor, and in 1975, Indonesia invaded, incorporating East Timor as an Indonesian province. For more than 20 years Indonesia ruled the territory, repressing any attempts by the Timorese for self-determination.
In 1999 the UN sponsored a popular referendum which resulted in a clear vote for independence, but because of Indonesian intransigence the administration of East Timor was taken over by the UN (backed by a UN expeditionary force). A further UN organised referendum in 2001 led to the ultimate establishment of the independent state of Timor-Leste.
Now admittedly the situation on the ground between Timor and Indonesia is very different from that between Scotland and the UK, but the key issue would be identical. It would be that the refusal of the ruling power to accede to the requests of the inhabitants for self-determination was contrary to the rights of self-determination incorporated in the UN charters. In the case of East Timor this resulted in action by UN, and the establishing of the legally constituted and recognised of Timor Leste.
Donald MacRae
Paisley
SO the real living wage goes up an eye-watering 30p per hour to £9.30. That is still poverty pay when you take in the real cost of living. And for those on Universal Credit they still have to suffer the Tory benefits freeze, where the cold weather payment is still only £25 for seven days. Pretty scandalous when you think of the outrageous gas and electricity hikes in the past few decades.
This election should be a chance for the SNP to propose a fairer society, an independent rich country where our people are not subject to Westminster policies or cuts.
Stevie, Motherwell
via text
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