LET’S be honest, the Autumn Statement delivered by the Jeremy Hunt was nothing to do with fixing our battered economy, reaching out to those in need – it was a desperate effort by the Chancellor to avert the inevitable election defeat that is looming.

Unfortunately, those who depend on the government’s social security system are the ones who are targeted by the Conservatives once again.

The Chancellor informed the Commons that those on benefits will see a rise of 6.7% in 2024. However, many on benefits will see a tightening of conditions that include mandatory work placement after 18 months and benefits removed after two years.

But also included in the tightening conditions could be the removal in England of “free” prescriptions, vital medication. Thank goodness that will not be an issue in Scotland as prescriptions are free at the point of need for everyone here. This is not the way a civilised society should treat those who are vulnerable and sick.

There was much missing from the Chancellor’s statement – no reduction in VAT, which would have assisted millions – no cost of living payment for struggling households and no introduction in England of the child payment (it’s £25 per week for each eligible child as it has been in Scotland). Such measures would have demonstrated the Conservatives were perhaps serious about tackling child poverty.

This Autumn Statement did nothing for household energy costs and certainly did not address the burning issue of energy company profits while the country shivers.

Catriona C Clark

Falkirk

A NUMBER of recent correspondents have left me in total agreement. Jim Taylor’s contribution on the insidious privatisation of dental provision (Nov 21) was excellent and timeous.

This needs to be noticed and acted upon by the decision-makers, before a complete privatisation by stealth of the service becomes a new normal. That is unthinkable. Leah Gunn Barrett (Nov 22) wrote a most well-researched, comprehensive and authoritative piece on Britain’s parlous economic state. Her contributions are always excellent.

Andy Anderson (Nov 22) gave us a most devastatingly precise picture of the woeful trajectory of the Labour Party since 1945. It is not a subjective question of agreement, it is historical fact, which Mr Anderson so accurately laid out. I entirely agree that the Attlee landslide of 1945 was British government at its very best, and the only one since the war where Labour’s programme was truly socialist in intent and delivery. How we desperately need this now!

It may be of interest to note that Attlee was so appalled at Harry S Truman’s intention to unleash atomic bombs on North Korea (so soon after the terrible events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) that he personally flew to Washington in December of 1950 to plead with him not to do this, for fear of triggering a third world conflict, one which could not, of course, be won. Thankfully for us all, Truman listened.

This invites comparison with Labour leaders now, not to mention American presidents, although the present incumbent would be a lot more amenable to reason than his predecessor.

Brian York

Dumfries

IT goes without saying that Holyrood should be seeking to attain higher standards than Westminster and generally Holyrood appears to achieve this aim although one might be forgiven for thinking otherwise given the constant negativity spewed by the BBC and most of the UK mainstream media.

That said, it’s disappointing that the writers of some recent letters to The National seem to have spent even less time assessing what has been learned about Michael Matheson’s travails, and more time regurgitating slanted media soundbites, than some of the avidly pro-Union supporters writing to other newspapers.

The latest “Best of Britain” report indicates that Westminster has wasted around £100 billion over the last four years, much of this due to cronyism, corruption and fraud.

To compound matters further, for others focusing their time on progressing self-determination in the pursuit of real democracy, a caring society and genuine egalitarianism, thousands are being massacred in Gaza and each day we learn more about the arrogant incompetence at Westminster that across the UK may have tragically cost thousands, if not tens of thousands, their lives.

Instead of responding to more partial media reports with further conjecture and demands for resignation, it would seem prudent for independence supporters to resist being sucked into Tory-inspired, media-aided, anti-SNP witch-hunts and encourage the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to diligently consider all of the facts around Mr Matheson’s actions regarding his iPad use so that a truly objective assessment can be determined.

Stan Grodynski

Longniddry, East Lothian