Labour MSP Michael Marra needs an epiphany after shifting blame to SNP

Blame other people! Does Michael Marra not realise that to gain political support he has to appeal to people, not expect loyalty first? Labour is a busted flush in England, never mind in Scotland. He needs to remember that Scotland is more socialist than England and therefore the principles he supposedly upholds are better achieved here. After a hundred and more years of trying to oppose Toryism, and failing consistently across the UK, a competent strategist would realise that getting a socialist Scotland achieves far more for his goals than will ever be achieved tied to Westminster. He clearly doesn’t understand how a society based on Westminster and UK politics works!

READ MORE: Labour MSP blames SNP voters for ‘jeopardising Labour support in England’

If he wants to live in a more social country then his interests lie only in an independent Scotland. To be a competent leader requires strategic and analytical capability, and he should therefore examine why Labour has consistently failed in England. Bearing in mind the demographic imbalance, we all get what England wants – or can’t get what England doesn’t want.

The biggest question he needs to ask himself and his dwindling band of supporters is how on earth a socialist England is ever going to be achieved against the background of embedded establishment privilege and corruption, and how this continually losing battle is achieving his socialist aims for Scotland. If Labour cannot achieve a socialist England, how on earth does he think he can create a socialist Scotland? What is so special about being tied to the UK? He needs to find an epiphany moment.

Nick Cole
Meigle, Perthshire

KIRSTY Strickland has it absolutely correct (Lies, not rule-breaking, should be focus of opposition, Dec 13). The way to nail Johnson is not through his breaches of the rules but through his three main character flaws, namely lies, lies and even more lies. This disgraceful flaw has shown up throughout his whole journalistic and political career and runs through him like the word Blackpool runs through a stick of rock. However, I am in two minds about removing him completely since he is such a wonderful recruiting sergeant for the forces of independence. Perhaps severely wounding his credibility would be more to our advantage.

Jim Paterson
Lanark

AS criticisms of Boris Johnson’s career and in particular his premiership reach a crescendo, and bring with them people seeking parallels with Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress, I hae ma doots it’ll end in the same way with Cressida Dick in charge of the Met.

The time is long past when we could, like Dicey and Rait in their Thoughts on the Union, beat about the bush when discussing what a voluntary union between two sovereign countries could bring. It was of course engineered by English bribery and corruption, and accepted by cash-strapped Scottish nobles following Darien.

I have to say that I’m totally pissed off with the fraudulent claims by Johnson and his party to be the United Kingdom government, when it is clear beyond peradventure that they are a de facto English nationalist government and arch enemy of Scotland and others in the Union.

READ MORE: Stephen Kerr deletes tweet after false claim about Government's indyref spending

Having said that, it must be nigh-on 70 years since the Tories ever had any form of political ascendancy in Scotland and they are unlikely ever to have it again. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is rapidly approaching its demise, thanks in part to the Johnson brigade. The good folk of Northern Ireland are bound to come to a decision that they could be substantially better off in the EU, and Irish unification will follow. It will then become the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

When Scotland decides to use its prerogative to end the Union it will not be leaving it, as some correspondents seem to think. It will be ensuring its demise, and the only piece left will be little England, on its own for the first time in more than 300 years, while the whole legal basis of its governance is being rapidly dismantled by the gang of delinquents that Johnson has appointed to aid him in turning England into a fascist state.

READ MORE: Treasury admits 'additional' funds to fight Omicron come from existing pledges

He said during the COP conference: “I do not believe that the UK is a corrupt country”. Neither does anyone else, but it has become painfully obvious that he himself has become a corrupting influence on what is now a foreign government that is turning most decent people’s stomachs with bills to do away with human rights and neuter the power of the law to intervene when they exceed their political authority, and others to give themselves powers to intercede and countermand judge’s decisions from the highest courts in the land.

As Richard Murphy said recently: “Johnson has, with the active and willing connivance of the Tory party, undermined the role of PM, the significance of politics, the authority of government and the rule of law.” Perhaps treason should be added to his litany of offences.

Bruce Moglia
Bridge of Weir

WHY would Starmer and Blackford want Johnson to resign when he is their best asset for the future of their respective policies?

Mike Underwood
Linlithgow

BORIS Johnson’s popularity (outwith Scotland) has sunk to an all-time low! In Scotland it was always low, in line with the Tory party’s demise here along with the other Unionists. Of course, the headlines only tell of England, but London journos think they talk for us all! Why has it taken so long for this? He was a disaster case waiting to happen. Hard-wired to lie, why did it take so long?

John Edgar
Kilmaurs

Q. When is a Tory Party not a Tory Party?

A. When it is a business meeting.

Donald Anderson
Glasgow