
I'm grateful to the SNP when I recall the harm Tories and Labour did
As a last resort, I will be told to attend the surgery after 11am, but that I will probably have to wait a while.
None of this is perfect, of course, but given the state that Scotland has been left in after my lifetime of Jim Callaghan's Labour, Thatcherism, Blair/Brown light-touch financial regulation, and 14 years of Tory austerity, I am glad that I have the SNP Government doing its best to protect me from the likes of Nigel Farage, Reform, Scottish Labour and the hapless Tories.
John Jamieson, Ayr.
The Brexit deficit
When I first read Ian Lakin's letter (May 10) I thought it was a UK Government press release but then I realised he was being serious. Evidently the SNP are "narrow nationalists" for wanting Scotland to rejoin the EU (some contorted logic there) while Mr Lakin is apparently oblivious to the fact that Brexit was brought about by narrow nationalism of the "little Englander" variety. Basically, people were conned during the EU referendum campaign by a mixture of blatant lies, sophistry and subterfuge (remember the Leave assertion that departing the EU would mean an extra £350 million per week for the NHS?).
The Independent published an article in March which revealed that Brexit was costing UK business more than £3 billion per month. If Mr Lakin believes the agreements he refers to in his letter will offset this then all I can say in response is dream on.
Alan Woodcock, Dundee.
Read more letters
Indy is the way forward
My mother was a repository of wonderful clichés; I was reminded of one, the oft-cited "if wishes were horses then beggars would ride", when reading Robert IG Scott's letter (May 12).
Contrary to all evidence he predicts the return of a Labour/Liberal return to power at Holyrood. Surely he will acknowledge that the Starmer/Reeves Axis of Callousness, in dismantling winter fuel payments, ghosting the Waspi women, signalling their utter tone-deafness in relation to people with disabilities and prattling on about "working" people hasn't exactly made their local branch representatives very popular. I don't know what my mother would have said if confronted with such an obvious disconnect with reality.
The Scottish people are canny and many of them have already figured out that the way out of this morass is to ensure there is an overwhelming independence vote on the list to provide the backbone required to release us at last from what Alex Salmond once called "the yoke of mediocrity".
Marjorie Thompson, Edinburgh.
• When faced with explaining 19 years of party failures on the election doorsteps the clever people in the SNP have come up with a campaign novelty to divert the subject: independence ("Indy will be 'central' to SNP 2026 election campaigning", The Herald, May 12). This has been done, lost and subsequently endlessly reborn before.
Mr Swinney wants a 60% to 70% vote in favour this time, which sounds like a de facto referendum but in an even less doable form. If a referendum is really needed what about asking the public if they still want to retain Holyrood at all given its very questionable track record? Does this recycling of the independence tactic not demonstrate an underlying sheer desperation to hang on to power?
Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.
Backlash to Trump's tariffs
'Squeeze til the pips squeak' – first quoted by Sir Eric Campbell Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty re German reparations at the end of the First World War – has come to mean the exertion of maximum pressure to extract maximum compliance: something President Trump has so far failed to inflict on Vladimir Putin but has been happy to do to the global trading system courtesy of his tariff policy.
And 'pips' have indeed been squeaking. In a brash and somewhat vulgar post-Liberation Day statement, the US President informed the world that they are all calling up and 'kissing my ass'. (The 'they' in this instance being the countries affected by blanket tariffs of 10%, with the threat of more and higher to come.)
The UK squeaked quietly and politely and has come away, not with a comprehensive trade deal, but a memorandum of understanding on tariffs with headings on automotive, steel, aluminium and beef etc – with serious work still to be done. Effectively we received a slap on the wrists rather than a full-blown Glasgow kiss for being an economy that's a little too 'closed' according to President Trump.
More significantly, perhaps, the 'pips' of US big business are now squeaking louder in opposition. Apple, Tesla and Boeing, for example, each employ between 140k-170k people and anywhere between 30k70k of these are employed in overseas subsidiaries: these are flagship firms at the heart of key global value chains.
Like it or not, US Inc remains integral to, and therefore dependent on, a global trading system created in its own image in the post-war period. This represents a massive, fixed investment (and legacy) that cannot be changed overnight by a tariff policy designed by a property developer and economically illiterate White House sycophants.
This is one of the reasons why Trump tariffs, if they stay, will go down as one of the biggest acts of economic self-harm in history.
Ewen Peters, Newton Mearns.
The English royal family
I note with interest Mark Smith's column ("Not My Scotland: anti-royal protesters have got it wrong", The Herald, May 12).
The royal family are all born in England, live in England and their titles and ceremonies are reflective only of English history. Scotland plays no role at all in this: the coronation is an Anglican service in continuity with coronations preceding the Union of 1707, the regnal number is reflective of England's monarchy and while the heir to the throne could, if he wanted, use his title of 'Prince of Scotland', he only ever uses the title reflective of an English narrative (and conquest) of 'Prince of Wales'.
Monarchs require simple, uncritical, loyalist followers to maintain their position; people who don't mind them pleading poverty ('oh, the polo ponies'!) while being extremely wealthy, with property in many countries, and as the Panama Papers showed, hiding wealth abroad in tax havens where the taxman cannot get them (though they don't pay much tax anyway).
GR Weir, Ochiltree.
Prince William is also the Prince and Grand Steward of Scotland (Image: PA)
The voice of religion
The 2025 Church of Scotland General Assembly, which opens on Saturday (May 17), presents the Kirk with an opportunity to reflect upon the fact that according to Unicef (the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide) there were two million (in October 2024) severely malnourished children globally at risk of death due to funding shortages for therapeutic food.
With both Donald Trump and Keir Starmer cutting foreign aid that situation can only deteriorate. In that context the Assembly cannot forget its obligation to speak truth to power in both Westminster and the White House, not forgetting in the Israeli Knesset which is responsible for the suffering and death of so many innocents in Gaza. The Irish Times suggests that 'the siege has prompted a whole new level of suffering'. This particular human catastrophe defies comprehension.
I, from my Presbyterian perspective, was impressed by Kevin McKenna's recent article ('How new Pope and Catholic Church have mesmerised our Godless societies', The Herald, May 10). The General Assembly must recognise the wave of hope amongst impoverished populations generated by Pope Francis, by the appointment of Pope Leo XIV and by the words of Professor Jim Conroy of Glasgow University in the aforementioned article: 'We're living through the most extraordinary attack on what it means to be a human being' but 'the power of the Gospel can counteract this'.
It is good to see the voice of religion speaking out when politicians are failing miserably.
John Milne, Uddingston.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Powys County Times
27 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
I can't spend all my time worrying about regicide
Kemi Badenoch has said that she cannot 'spend all my time worrying about regicide' as she claimed she does not notice people 'trying to create harm'. The Conservative leader said that the public are 'not yet ready to forgive' the Tory party, more than a year on from the general election. Speaking to the Financial Times in the week she reshuffled her top team, Mrs Badenoch played down the idea of threats to her leadership. 'I can't spend all my time worrying about regicide, I would lose my mind,' she said. She added: 'I'm so thick-skinned to the point where I don't even notice if people are trying to create harm. 'That's extremely useful in this job.' The New Statesman reported that many Tory MPs who backed Mrs Badenoch in the leadership contest have privately turned on her, and believe her core team of advisers are 'lightweights and sycophants'. Faltering Conservatives may seek to trigger a vote of confidence in their leader in November, once a grace period protecting her from such a move ends, the magazine said. Asked about suggestions that Tory MPs were already plotting a coup, Mrs Badenoch told the PA news agency on Wednesday: 'I would say that if nobody put their name to it, then I'm not paying any attention to it.' Among the changes announced as part of Mrs Badenoch's reshuffle this week was the return of Sir James Cleverly to the front bench as shadow housing secretary. In his first full day in the job, Sir James accused the Prime Minister of being more interested in finding accommodation for asylum seekers than 'hardworking young people'. He said he was 'furious' when the Prime Minister 'blithely' said there are 'plenty of houses' around the UK for asylum seekers. Sir Keir Starmer insisted there was 'lots of housing available' to accommodate rising numbers of homeless people and asylum seekers when he was questioned by senior MPs earlier this week. Sir James told Times Radio: 'I was furious, I genuinely couldn't believe he said this, when the Prime Minister was at the Liaison Committee and blithely said, 'Oh, there are plenty of houses around the UK for asylum seekers'.' Sir James also said he understands the frustrations of local people when asked about demonstrations outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers. There has been a series of protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, since an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault. His new role makes him the opposition counterpart to Angela Rayner in her housing, communities and local government brief, but not in her deputy prime minister post. Ms Rayner said on Tuesday that immigration was among issues having a 'profound impact on society' as she updated the Cabinet on her work on social cohesion. Mrs Badenoch made a series of further changes to the junior ranks of her shadow cabinet on Wednesday, completing her reshuffle. Among the appointments was the return of Stockton West MP Matt Vickers to the job of deputy chairman of the Tory party. Mr Vickers was in the job for two years from summer 2022, but resigned last August to back Robert Jenrick in the leadership election.


North Wales Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
I can't spend all my time worrying about regicide
The Conservative leader said that the public are 'not yet ready to forgive' the Tory party, more than a year on from the general election. Speaking to the Financial Times in the week she reshuffled her top team, Mrs Badenoch played down the idea of threats to her leadership. 'I can't spend all my time worrying about regicide, I would lose my mind,' she said. She added: 'I'm so thick-skinned to the point where I don't even notice if people are trying to create harm. 'That's extremely useful in this job.' The New Statesman reported that many Tory MPs who backed Mrs Badenoch in the leadership contest have privately turned on her, and believe her core team of advisers are 'lightweights and sycophants'. Faltering Conservatives may seek to trigger a vote of confidence in their leader in November, once a grace period protecting her from such a move ends, the magazine said. Asked about suggestions that Tory MPs were already plotting a coup, Mrs Badenoch told the PA news agency on Wednesday: 'I would say that if nobody put their name to it, then I'm not paying any attention to it.' Among the changes announced as part of Mrs Badenoch's reshuffle this week was the return of Sir James Cleverly to the front bench as shadow housing secretary. In his first full day in the job, Sir James accused the Prime Minister of being more interested in finding accommodation for asylum seekers than 'hardworking young people'. He said he was 'furious' when the Prime Minister 'blithely' said there are 'plenty of houses' around the UK for asylum seekers. Sir Keir Starmer insisted there was 'lots of housing available' to accommodate rising numbers of homeless people and asylum seekers when he was questioned by senior MPs earlier this week. Sir James told Times Radio: 'I was furious, I genuinely couldn't believe he said this, when the Prime Minister was at the Liaison Committee and blithely said, 'Oh, there are plenty of houses around the UK for asylum seekers'.' Sir James also said he understands the frustrations of local people when asked about demonstrations outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers. There has been a series of protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, since an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault. His new role makes him the opposition counterpart to Angela Rayner in her housing, communities and local government brief, but not in her deputy prime minister post. Ms Rayner said on Tuesday that immigration was among issues having a 'profound impact on society' as she updated the Cabinet on her work on social cohesion. Mrs Badenoch made a series of further changes to the junior ranks of her shadow cabinet on Wednesday, completing her reshuffle. Among the appointments was the return of Stockton West MP Matt Vickers to the job of deputy chairman of the Tory party. Mr Vickers was in the job for two years from summer 2022, but resigned last August to back Robert Jenrick in the leadership election. He also retains his job as a shadow home office minister.


North Wales Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to sign off on Britain-India trade deal
The Prime Minister and his Indian counterpart also agreed ahead of their meeting on Thursday to ramp up joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and organised crime. The UK-India trade deal is understood to be the largest of its kind for its economic impact on Britain. It will see tariffs on an array of British goods reduced from an average of 15% to 3%, with the aim of boosting the £11 billion of imports into the south Asian nation. Whisky tariffs will be slashed in half, according to the Government, and will fall further over successive years, while other industries including soft drinks, cars and cosmetics are also expected to see cheaper duties. Before his meeting with Mr Modi to confirm the deal, Sir Keir said: 'Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change. 'We're putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we're determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK.' The deal is expected to result in 2,200 jobs across the country and £6 billion investment by British and Indian businesses. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the investment will 'reach all regions and nations of the UK so working people in every community can feel the benefits'. He added: 'The almost £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today will deliver thousands of jobs and shows the strength of our partnership with India as we ensure the UK is the best place in the world to invest and do business.' The UK and India are also bolstering co-operation on tackling corruption, fraud, organised crime and illegal migration, by sharing criminal records and other intelligence. The deal has not given the UK as much access as it would have liked to India's financial and legal services industries. The agreement promises some benefits for the UK's financial services, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves understood to have pushed on behalf of the sector in discussions with her Indian counterpart. But more wide-ranging access was not agreed, and talks continue on a bilateral investment treaty aimed at protecting British investments in India and vice versa. The two nations also continue to discuss UK plans for a tax on high-carbon industries, which India believes could hit its imports unfairly. Negotiations on the deal began when Boris Johnson was prime minister in 2022, and were concluded in May this year. Labour sought to portray closing the deal, as well as trade agreements with the US and the EU, as evidence of the Government's pragmatism and global outlook. But shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said it had only been made possible 'because of Brexit delivered by the Conservatives'. He added: 'Any trade deal that can successfully cut regulation which stops Britain's makers from creating new jobs and wealth will be a step in the right direction. 'But the irony should not be lost on anyone that any gains from this trade deal will be blown out of the water by (Deputy Prime Minister) Angela Rayner's union charter, stifling business with red tape, the jobs tax and, come autumn, Rachel Reeves' inevitable tax hikes that will punish Britain's makers just to reward those who do not contribute.' The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that the signing 'sends a powerful signal that the UK is open for business and remains resolute in its commitment to free and fair trade'. Chief executive Rain Newton-Smith added: 'A trade agreement with India – one of the world's fastest-growing economies – is a springboard for long-term partnership and prosperity. UK firms can take advantage of this new platform to scale, diversify and compete on the global stage.' Elsewhere, Sir Keir is facing calls to raise the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen who has been detained in India since 2017, when the Prime Minister meets Mr Modi. The Scottish Sikh is accused of being a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force, which is banned as a terror group in India. His family say he is being arbitrarily detained, with his brother Gurpreet Singh Johal insisting the matter should be 'high on the agenda when the prime ministers meet'.