It was the Scottish Labour Party that failed, not Jim Murphy

It failed to appeal to the political centre in England, while in Scotland, the popularity of nationalism continued unabated. The Scottish Liberal Democrats had an equally bad election. The difference with that party is that its members have not rounded on its excellent leader, for the simple reason that the results were well beyond his control.

Loyalty is only ever tested during the tough times. The Scottish Liberal Democrats know this and that will ensure recovery in time. The Scottish Labour Party would do well to follow that example. The people of East Renfrewshire have lost an excellent MP in Jim Murphy, but it is the party that he belongs to who will assuredly feel the greatest loss in the months and years to follow.

Allan C Steele,

22 Forres Avenue, Giffnock.

JIM Murphy's gaffe-strewn five months tenure as leader has certainly not helped the Labour Party in Scotland, but in fact the rot had set in long before he took over the branch office. Scottish Labour's failure to fight for those who trusted and believed in them wrecked its formerly solid relationship with the Scottish people and saw their votes drift in droves to the SNP, and as long as Scottish Labour remains tethered to London Labour, forced to promote policies designed for middle England as opposed to Scottish heartlands, a succession of leaders will follow the same path trodden by Mr Murphy and his predecessors.

The SNP won an even more sensational victory at this year's General Election than they did at the Scottish Parliament elections in 2011. Scottish voters seem to approve of a party which takes its decisions based on what is best for Scotland, not what might win votes elsewhere. The endangered species that is Scottish Labour should take the hint, cut its losses, and cut the apron strings to Westminster before it becomes Scotia Laboursaurus, the dinosaur of Scottish politics.

Ruth Marr,

99 Grampian Road,

Stirling.

ONE would require a heart of stone to listen to Jim Murphy's bitter resignation statement and not laugh.

Brian Dempsey,

7 Balmore Street,

Dundee.

I NOTE with interest David Torrance's comments on federalism ("Federalism may be on the cards with new Government, The Herald, May 18). What we now need is the implementation of "Home Rule All Round", which was the policy of Scottish Liberals since the 1890s and which was nearly accepted by Liberals in other parts of the UK at a joint assembly in the 1960s in Edinburgh.

Thus the House of Lords should be replaced by an elected Federal Senate with national parliaments with identical powers and responsibilities, for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England. Real constitutional progress and stability necessitates a Parliament for All-England, not devolution of some central government to the English regions.

We have had enough of the uncertainties and instability of asymmetrical devolution.

Dr Alexander S Waugh,

1 Pantoch Gardens, Banchory.

CATRIONA Stewart ("Beware of being made twits", The Herald, May 16) rightly takes our new Westminster SNP intake to task for their unacceptably light-hearted approach to their new place of business .

They will soon learn that there is a code of behaviour that honourable members are expected to adhere to in that great institution, for excample:.

honourable members with strange accents ( working class Glasgow ) are to be ridiculed; honourable members must drown out an SNP speaker in debate- this is de rigueur; honourable members are addressed as such even if all evidence is to the contrary; honourable members must never accuse another honourable member of lying through their teeth even when clearly doing so; honourable members do not take bribes - they have outside interests.

The list is long but experienced honourable members will testify that the many incomprehensible rituals are a bulwark against the plebeians and maintaining the mystique of the ruling class.

James Mills

29 Armour Square,

Johnstone.