IAN Lakin (Letters, February 14) makes Kevin McKenna’s point (“Gathered in mourning for the death of Scottish Labour”, the Herald, February 11) perfectly. There is an inherent poison within Scottish Labour towards the SNP which has partly contributed towards Labour’s downfall in Scotland, and that, I feel, is apparent within his letter. That is not the only factor in its downward spiral of course, but it does demonstrate how out of touch Scottish Labour is with what was previously its unassailable support base.

I grew up as a natural Labour supporter in a solid Labour-supporting family. However, the party’s blatant disregard for its own supporters, its belief that they were voting fodder to be corralled into the poll booths whenever there was an election, its lies and general disrespect for the electorate of Scotland and nationally across the UK, allied to its wretched Scottish hubris all caused me to question my loyalty to Labour.

In addition, the performance of the Labour “leadership” nationally during the EU referendum was an unforgivable disgrace; allowing a weak Conservative-led Remain campaign, too frightened of fracturing its own party even further, to permit a Leave campaign largely built on lies and misinformation to proceed with only the mildest of challenge. Many of those who previously voted for Labour in Scotland will not forget that betrayal in a hurry.

I no longer hold any political allegiance. I am marginally more in favour of the Union, but I’m not wed to it. I still vote, but I vote on the basis of the arguments put forward, and not on the basis of a party rosette. Labour has lost its electorate and that is not the fault of the SNP or any other political party. It is wholly down to the actions of the Labour Party, and those who have in the past and still do inhabit it.

Mr Lakin says “the Labour Party has a proud track record over many decades”. He should take the blinkers off. Millions of us have.

Eric Ferguson,

The Planting, Monument Road, Ayr.

I EXPECT Ian Lakin's local SNP branch will know not to waste time or resources in canvassing or leafleting his address. If, however, he were to read any of the party's literature or listen to any of its members with an open mind, he might discover that SNP policies have been arrived at due to the political beliefs of its leaders and the overwhelming majority of its members. The idea that it's all down to a desire to upstage the Labour Party is ludicrous.

I am one of a vast number of former Labour sympathisers who have moved over to the SNP because they could see that Labour was never going to deliver the sort of society we want to live in. The Blair and Brown years were very instructive - illegal wars, PFI and peerages seemed to be all the party was about.

I invite Mr Lakin to consider Scotland's current position within the United Kingdom. We have seen every promise made to us in the 2014 referendum broken without compunction. We have been threatened with removal from the EU on the basis of a Leave campaign that lied continually and brazenly ,and we see our elected representatives in the House of Commons either ignored by the frequenters of the Westminster bars or shouted down by arrogant yahoos.

If Mr Lakin is content with this insulting treatment, that's fine. But please don't expect any Scot with a modicum of self-respect to follow suit.

David C Purdie,

12 Mayburn Vale, Loanhead, Midlothian.

THE causes behind the collapse of the Labour Party in Scotland are so various and complex that they will keep academics in business for many years to come: indeed, it is the combination of factors, both external and of the Party's own making, into such a perfect storm that has made that collapse so complete.

However, views such as those expressed by Ian Thomson illustrate one of Labour's own most obvious political failures: "the egregious failure, when placed with a large majority, to rebuild the country’s schools, welfare services, and health provision". If Mr Thomson truly believes this, he is mistaken, and Labour itself should have better informed him.

In fact, Labour rebuilt hundreds of schools, for example the whole secondary estate in Glasgow, and committed resources to deprived areas for this purpose throughout England. It also created the welfare provision which is now so viciously under attack from the Tories (with no relief offered by the SNP, despite the new powers of the Scottish Parliament). And it invested in the NHS so that satisfaction levels were at an all-time high.

Like every government, the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were not perfect. However, Labour might have done rather better if subsequent leaders were more inclined to make known its many positive achievements, from devolution to lifting hundreds of thousands of children and pensioners from poverty.

Peter A Russell,

87 Munro Road, Jordanhill, Glasgow.