SCOTTISH Labour’s interim leader Alex Rowley said at the national conference (September 25) today that only Labour and not the SNP can deliver an end to the Tories and win the next General Election.

The anomalies here are obvious.

First, Scotland should be the priority of Scottish Labour, but in the Scottish Parliament the SNP is by far the largest party with twice as many seats as the Tories in second place. Scottish Labour can do nothing to alter that.

Secondly, if Scottish Labour had not jumped into bed with the Tories prior to the referendum for Scottish independence, we would not now have to concern ourselves with the squabbles among the Westminster Establishment parties, and we would have no interest or involvement in the chaotic Brexit shambles. Labour No voters are directly responsible for us being lumbered with this Tory Government.

Let us not be sidetracked from these simple truths. Every other issue is peripheral.

Any scraps that have been “generously” thrown at us from the Westminster table – both Tory and Labour spreads – resulted directly from the threat of Scottish independence.

Since the very first meeting of the new Parliament on May 12, 1999, that underlying threat was and still is the prime mover in supplementing the discarded off-cuts in the begging bowl.

If Scottish Labour had a more independence perspective, or even sided with the SNP, I am convinced its popularity would soar. It seems that the attraction of Westminster is ultimately a personal careerist pursuit, far away from the Scottish electorate’s ideals.

William Burns,

41/8 Pennywell Road, Edinburgh.