THE Labour Party in Scotland have now had their spring conference, and what have we learned?
It seems Sarwar lied when he told the BBC’s Martin Geissler that the Labour Party whips had been in touch with SNP whips regarding the call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The chief whip of the SNP categorically denied this had happened.
The Labour Party in Scotland passed a motion calling for a ceasefire – but what will happen when the two Labour MPs vote tomorrow?
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar called out over 'untrue' SNP claims in BBC interview
David Lammy on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg would not give a straight answer, and bounced around the question which only required a yes or no answer.
Rachel Reeves, responding while out campaigning, was very reluctant to even discuss the question of a ceasefire with a member of the public.
Sir Keir spoke at the conference on the last day to an anything-but-full conference hall – which when full holds 500 – and then ran away without speaking to journalists, ie running away from the question of a ceasefire. He did not give a clear response to the question of a ceasefire.
This does not bode well for a Labour government.
Winifred McCartney
Paisley
SATURDAY’S National front page and pages four and five featured the Labour Party (Scotland) conference in Glasgow. There has been extensive coverage of it on TV, radio, press and social media. As a SNP member, it raised in my mind an obvious question – when is the SNP spring conference? I was looking forward to its possible return to Glasgow from the Aberdeen venue it seems to have favoured in recent years.
A brief email conversation with my branch secretary informed me that there is no SNP spring conference this year. Given the amount of media coverage a conference of Scotland’s governing party has the potential to generate, I am at a loss to understand this situation.
READ MORE: Labour 'planning to support' SNP's Gaza ceasefire motion
Has the party’s financial situation been the main reason, or is there some other cunning plan? In any case it would be good if someone from SNP HQ could explain the logic, assuming there is any.
Saturday’s page six featured an article headed “ Yousaf hits campaign trail in Ross’s seat”. It seems First Minister Humza Yousaf was set to campaign in the Westminster seat of Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross.
Yousaf said it was time to “ensure Scotland is Tory-free” as he campaigned alongside SNP activists and the candidate for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, Graham Leadbitter. The Tories are making a pretty good job of Scotland being potentially Tory-free without needing much help from the SNP. While I am sure a fleeting visit from “the boss” will be welcomed by local activists and candidates I do wonder if that, given recent by-election results and opinion polls, basing the SNP’s entire campaign on trying to ensure Scotland is “Tory-free” is really a wise move.
While the SNP are targeting the small number of Tory seats, the Labour Party have their eye very firmly fixed on the large number of potentially vulnerable SNP seats. The UK General Election is now only months away. Perhaps the SNP need to seriously re-consider if their strategy makes any real sense.
Brian Lawson
Paisley
I DOUBT that the windfall tax on the oil and gas industry proposed by UK Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer and supported by Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar will be fed back into reducing our energy bills.
I am reading that Sizewell C costs are rising and that there is a hunt ongoing for international investors. The estimated costs vary from £20 billion to £44bn and downstream users will need to stump up. I predict that this is where the UK will use any windfall receipts: to backfill the nuclear generation supply.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf slams Labour windfall tax plan – speech in full
Experts in the north-east’s oil and gas industry, if they are to be believed, say the windfall tax will cost the jobs of 20,000 to 40,000 at a minimum, and at worst case nearly 100,000 jobs in the north-east and throughout the energy supply chain.
The rowing back on Labour’s £28bn green budget commitment by Starmer may also be used to bring forward Hinkley C in Somerset, which has been delayed till 2031.
Alistair Ballantyne
Angus
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here