THE Leaders’ Debate hosted by STV (“Tories to bring back fees for students of £1,500 per year”, The Herald, March 30) may have been too long and too confrontational, but it did highlight one key fact: only Scottish Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens stand prepared to use the powers coming to Holyrood.

All have put forward a plan to tax those who can afford it a little more and invest that money in cutting inequality in Scotland. One could argue that the Liberal Democrats don’t go far enough, the Scottish Greens are unrealistic or that Kezia Dugdale is being too ambitious. However, it is clear that these parties have a radical a vision for Scotland.

In contrast, the Scottish Tories and the SNP appear happy with the status quo. Neither appears to really want to upset the approach which clearly is not working for so many Scots. Both are doggedly trying to appeal to middle-class Scots whilst telling the rest of us that public services can be improved without real-terms increases in spending. Both refuse to tax the richest one per cent even a penny more. Indeed, a new neo-liberal consensus appears to have established itself at the heart of Scotland’s political establishment.

Whilst this may be depressing for many left-leaning Scots, there is a glimmer of hope. It is a fact that the SNP political agenda, like Tony Blair’s, is driven by focus groups. These are clearly alerting Nicola Sturgeon to the fact that Scottish Labour’s progressive vision is gaining traction with voters. What else can explain why the First Minister chose to question Kezia Dugdale on the 2014 independence referendum and not her positive vision for Scotland?

Whilst this does not signal that an avalanche of voters is heading the way of Scottish Labour, it does perhaps show people are willing to listen and that arguments are being won. That’s a start.

Dr Scott Arthur,

27 Buckstone Gardens, Edinburgh.

IN the STV Leaders’ Debate First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was reduced to the old nationalist canard of "governments which Scotland did not vote for". This was also part of the diatribe in these pages produced by Ruth Marr (Letters, March 29) in response to my own uncontroversial remarks being Scotland an economic region of the UK.

Both these and all SNP voters should reflect on the following simple facts.

In 2015, it was made clear by Ed Miliband that he would not form a coalition which included the Nationalists.

Moreover, the SNP stands in Scottish seats only, and therefore cannot form a UK government. Therefore if you vote for it, you are never going to have the government you voted for. This was known by voters at the ballot box, and voting for impotent SNP attention-seekers as MPs was their free (if misguided) choice.

It is too late to complain now, and the Nationalists should shut up and learn to live with the situation which they have created.

Peter A Russell,

87 Munro Road, Jordanhill, Glasgow.

WHAT world does Maurice Smith (“Labour ineptitude at missing open goal offered by the Tories”, The Herald, March 29) live in? The Tories’ difficulties have everything to do with there being a healthy and effective opposition, as well of course as their being split on Europe.

It was Labour’s pinpointing the benefit cuts, showing that the budget takes from the poor to pay for tax cuts, that put the cat among the pigeons. George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith both wanted to blame the other. Yet Mr Smith claims that Jeremy Corbyn “failed to humiliate the Tories over Mr Duncan Smith’s resignation”. Labour’s opposition to these cuts was central to their predicament and that in turn was possible because of the party leadership’s rejection of austerity in totality. In contrast under Ed Balls, who accepted that some of the cuts were necessary, the question of how to cut benefits could always be lobbed back.

Under Mr Corbyn and John McDonnell, the opposition is getting healthier.

Matthew Crighton,

3 (4) Chessels Court, Canongate, Edinburgh.