To avoid bias, the same rules must apply to all in parliamentary proceedings

Saturday 28 April 2012

Should Jeremy Hunt resign ("Hunt faces calls to quit over BSkyB", The Herald, April 25)?

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It does seem clear that Adam Smith, his special adviser, was supportive of the Murdoch empire, passing on information which, technically, should have gone to Parliament first.

Meanwhile, the recent Budget was almost all leaked in advance, which is supposed to be a much more serious matter.

Another comparison is with Vince Cable, the Business Secretary. If Mr Hunt bent his quasi-judicial duty to impartiality by being friendly to Rupert Murdoch he did not do so to the same extent as Mr Cable, who made it clear that he had not the slightest intention of judging the same case impartially, having "declared war" on Mr Murdoch. As a result he did not lose his ministerial post but had his responsibility for the News Corp-BSkyB bid transferred to Mr Hunt.It seems to me that the rules must apply equally in both directions. If boasting of being biased against somebody is not cause for resignation then the appearance of being slightly biased in the same person's interest cannot be either. Neil Craig,200 Woodlands Road, Glasgow.Alex Salmond has been without doubt the most effective First Minister since devolution ("Salmond accused of secret Murdoch deal", The Herald, April 25). The stunning victory in last year's Scottish elections shows that much of the electorate think so too.As First Minister, one of his primary purposes is to promote Scotland abroad and generate investment in our country. To do so, he must build relationships with influential business leaders, including the likes of Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and many others. The fact that he is standing up to Donald Trump over the wind farm controversy shows he is not in the American's pocket and will not be cowed by bully-boy tactics. As for communicating with Rupert Murdoch, what was he supposed to do? Watch 6000 Scottish jobs disappear or try and fight for them? The Sun's support in 2011 or lack of it in 2007 had little to do with the SNP's success. Its track record as a minority Government is what persuaded people to give the SNP their support. Jeff Todd, Daisy Cottage, Yeaman Street, Blairgowrie.The "murky nexus" of which you write in your editorial is increasingly closing in on 10 Downing Street (The Herald, April 26). Mr Cameron made a serious error in hiring the former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, with all of his Murdochian associations. Downing Street will have much to answer for before the Leveson Inquiry has completed its delicate work. Thom Cross,64 Market Place, Carluke.Much ink has been spent on suggestions as to how membership of the House of Lords (the clue is in the name) should be reformed ("Lords reform plans call for 80% elected chamber", The Herald, April 24 & Letters, April 26). The hot favourite would appear to be a second elected chamber. I would counsel proponents of this suggestion simply to look at the House of Commons and see just how responsive it is to the will of the people. Why anybody would assume that a second chamber stuffed full of party yes-men elected via the ballot box rather than the current Buggins-turn policy, as a reward to those who have spent a career toeing the party line or funding it, beats me. We have a House of Commons full of MPs theoretically charged with representing the views of constituents, yet who fail to fulfil this basic democratic principle. We have legions of civil servants who are supposed to inform and guide MPs in their tinkering with the rules and regulations that are dreamed up by the few and imposed on the rest of us. If both these institutions did their jobs properly there would be no need for a second chamber, especially one full of carbon copies of the servile flunkies whose backsides currently polish the green leather benches in the Commons.David J Crawford,131 Shuna Street,Glasgow.

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To avoid bias, the same rules must apply to all in parliamentary proceedings

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