ONE has been waiting and it has happened; Gordon Brown, the dour relic of Great Britishism, has surfaced to try to get his name in the papers. Yet, he has really nothing to say ("Brown: ‘Britain infected by bitter divisions’", The Herald, November 19).

He says so-called "great British virtues of tolerance, reciprocity between nations" are being displaced by adversarial nationalisms with the “SNP threatening the hardest of ‘hard’ separations”. His solution first and foremost is that we need a Labour government, but we still would in the sclerotic incorporating Union with House of Lords, crumbling monarchy and isolated from Europe.

One must wonder what rose-tinted world Mr Brown now lives in? His views of the British state in the past are selective as he omits the nasty bits such as colonialism, imperialism and the slave trade. He claims UK pragmatic internationalism is a virtue; in other words, leave out the UK's past crimes against humanity.

As independence for Scotland is no more than a charter for international status according to the Claim of Right in line with UN charters for independent nations worldwide, how can such be seen as the hardest of hard separatism? Mr Brown’s weird concept of the UK is a mere continuation of the present unfit for purpose state.

The UK parties in Scotland are in trouble, yet Mr Brown never asks why? Perhaps he needs to look at developments post-2014. The Vow was a lie, he was hoodwinked and outsmarted by Perfidious Albion in the person of David Cameron, and so the "clunking fist" was shown to be a mere replaceable, compliant and willing cog in the Westminster machine.

If there is to be a Labour government again in Scotland, then it needs to be a post-independence Labour Party revitalised after independence, a party with its Unionist trappings consigned to the midden.

John Edgar, Kilmaurs.

BORIS Johnson is perfectly correct in avoiding a "debate" with Nicola Sturgeon ("Johnson's double vow: No debate with FM and no indyref2", The Herald, November 19). Ms Sturgeon does not want to debate the real issues that affect Scotland right now: her administration's failures on health, education, transport and the economy. She simply wants to grandstand her own view that Westminster is not working, the Tories are not working and Brexit is not working. Her only solution to all of this is independence

It may come as a shock to Nicola Sturgeon but Holyrood is not working and independence won't work either. If Ms Sturgeon were a little less extreme and a little more in touch with all of Scotland, not just her own supporters, a debate could be had. Her current position firmly rules this out.

Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow G77.

I MUST confess to severe disillusionment.

I have witnessed over the last few years the enthusiasm of your Unionist correspondents to ensure the health of the Scottish population by highlighting perceived failures of NHS Scotland, whether real or imaginary, and to apportion all blame upon the Scottish Government.

Can you imagine how disappointed I was when at a time when it was announced that the NHS in England had produced its worst performance since records began I could find no contribution from any of the usual suspects. Where were the letters berating the Westminster Government for their incredible mismanagement of the health of the population of England?

Logically these Unionists must care more about the health of the people of Scotland than England, or could their constant attacks on the First Minister and her Government have nothing to do with health and instead be cynical points-scoring at the expense of all our health?

David Stubley, Prestwick.

IF anyone is wondering what a Labour-SNP pact would look like they might consider South Ayrshire Council.

A recent council consultation found against a plan to build a 3G pitch in Girvan – but they are going ahead anyway. Forty-seven per cent of respondents to another “consultation” over a new pool were under 17. A golf academy, proposed by a councillor, is to be built on common good land against immense local opposition. A prime development gap site that cost the council millions to create is to be grassed over for the absence of a plan. The council hesitated in buying back Belleisle House. It is now but a burnt-out shell.

More than 200 elderly residents were told by a councillor that their houses are a fire risk. They are likely to be living in their fire risks for years to come as there is precious few new social housing being built. And with precious little leadership being shown by the council over the very fine Station Hotel, hospital bed blocking and poor school results and a motto of move along now, nothing to see here, one councillor astonishingly described those who dared to pass judgement on this sorry mess as “Serial objectors”

The report card of this particular Labour-SNP coalition does not auger well, because coalitions are always limited by the lowest common denominator. The only coalition certainty is institutionalised under-performance. Be careful what you wish for.

John Dunlop, Ayr.

Read more: Brown says UK divisions could take 'a generation' to end