I BECAME an active member of the labour movement in Scotland in 1953 when I was 15 and went to work in Blairhall Colliery in Fife, where I joined the National Union of Mineworkers. I am still today a retired member of Unison and contributing to the political levy. I was for many years an active member of the Labour Party and worked as an unpaid door-knocker for countless elections in Scotland and England. So I have a long record of supporting the Labour Party.

When I first joined the movement, Labour were very popular in Scotland and for very good reasons. The Attlee government had created the NHS in the teeth of Tory opposition, they had established full employment, nationalised the coal mines, created public gas and electricity companies, built lots of houses for workers and done a host of work to improve the conditions of working people.

READ MORE: Labour led by right-wing illiberal group engaged in witch-hunt says MP

It is not surprising that they were universally popular in working-class areas. In the mining areas we did not bother to canvas, we just made sure people could get out to vote, we knew that 90% of them would vote Labour.

In those days we knew that the Tories were our political enemies and that Labour were on our side. However that has all gone; Labour and the Tories work together to help the rich and take from the poor. I left the Labour Party many years ago, although I remained in the labour movement through my trade union membership. The last time I worked for the movement in the political world was when I joined with many Labour members in the Labour for Independence group in the referendum campaign.

At that time may Labour Party members, indeed one ex-UK Government Labour minister, were working for independence and the Labour Party in Scotland claimed we were not members of the labour movement but were SNP plants.

READ MORE: Stuart Cosgrove: Ken Loach, the Pope, Corbyn and Starmer’s lost Labour Party

The letter from Leah Gunn Barrett in Friday’s National hits the nail on the head about the Labour Party in Scotland today. They are happy to accept wealthy business owners who avoid paying the living wage to their employees, take up seats in the Lords, and work in partnership with the Tories, and helping the Westminster establishment steal Scotland’s natural resources.

This is not the labour movement I and many Scots worked so hard for, this is a gang of charlatans who are using Labour’s good name to try and make political advances for their own personal interests. They care nothing about the working people or the Scottish people in general, they are just like the Tories only less honest.

Andy Anderson
Ardrossan

AS Kenny MacAskill attempts to wish away support for the SNP in the hope that Alba will grow to replace the SNP as “The Party of Independence”, his weekly anti-SNP ramblings in The Scotsman appear to betray increasing desperation.

While Humza Yousaf has yet to set the heather on fire, despite the criticisms of Mr MacAskill and others who claim to have independence at the heart of their ambitions Mr Yousaf seems, so far, to have performed well in addressing SNP internal issues and in re-prioritising matters around the primary objective of self-determination, all in an open and transparent matter.

READ MORE: 10 key moments from Humza Yousaf's first 100 days as First Minister

Of course, there are still many day-to-day Scottish Government challenges to contend with, but even the UK media appear to now admit (albeit reluctantly) that “Humza” has seemingly allayed pressing concerns among members and the SNP looks set to re-grow its membership.

Undoubtedly there will still be some who will not be happy until the SNP reflect their particular views on independence and the way ahead, but this should not deter those who have broader perspectives (not necessarily more patience) from renewing their confidence in the SNP and from believing that Humza Yousaf can deliver self-determination for the people of Scotland.

Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian

FIRST Minister Humza Yousaf has signed a new deal with local authorities in an effort to reset the relationships between them and the Scottish Government. This new deal, with “trust and mutual respect” at its core, will see local authorities being freed from “ring-fenced funding” from central government – a very welcome move, because local authorities know their local needs, know the local priorities and can direct spending appropriately. Decisions made at local government level affect us all from the moment we open our eyes each day, so this move by the First Minister not only makes sense going forward, but it also gives local government the spending powers needed to serve local communities.

However, three key areas were highlighted for priority in this deal: 1) tackling poverty, 2) a just transition to net zero, and 3) the provision of sustainable public services. All vital priorities for us all going forward, vital priorities which demand this new deal being led by our new First Minister.

Catriona C Clark
Falkirk

AS members of the Conservative government at Westminster continue to fight like ferrets in a sack, we should not overlook the weakness of the Rishi Sunak. Lord Goldsmith resigns and gives a comprehensive list of reasons for this resignation. A Number 10 spokesperson then claims that the reason Goldsmith resigned was because Goldsmith refused to apologise for remarks he had made about the House of Commons Privileges Committee, of which there is no mention in the resignation letter.

READ MORE: Zac Goldsmith resigns from UK Government and attacks Rishi Sunak

It does not seem to dawn on Sunak or his advisers that if the leader of the government tells a minister to apologise and the minister refuses to do so, then the course of action open to Sunak is to sack him. Instead, we have a pathetic attempt to “spin” the truth again.

Gavin Brown
Linlithgow