IF the misnamed BBC Leaders’ Debate contained anything positive at all it was to reveal the chasm between party leaders and party branch leaders.
Two party leaders from Scottish parties living in the real-life world of unpredictable Covid in addition to the day job, actually deciding priorities, planning a recovery from Covid and Brexit, balancing budgets and facing cuts in this year’s capital budget.
Three branch managers from London-based parties, living in the world of money trees for unprecedented simultaneous investment in every area post-Covid and free to attack the Scottish Government as long as they made no commitments on implementing their party’s policies.
John Jamieson
South Queensferry
READ MORE: Lesley Riddoch: Structure-free BBC Leaders' Debate just wasn't good enough
YOUR reports and letter pages did not cover the Conservative leader in glory after the first party leaders' debate of the election campaign, but then the debate did not cover the BBC in glory either, as your columnist Lesley Riddoch alluded to. However, since the debate I have taken the time to go into the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party website, and it reads just like the reports and letters pages!
First impressions are important, so starting as it does with "Let's stop the SNP and indyref2 together" really gives an insight as to what the Conservative and Unionist party are offering voters. It goes on to list five main topics, all making reference to the SNP, indyref2 and Alex Salmond! But the final issue for me was the accusation that the SNP in government have not been accountable! The Scottish Conservative leader may not be aware that it is supposed to be the main opposition that holds the government to account, so what is this website and message to voters saying about the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party’s performance as the main opposition for the last five years? Over to voters!
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
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