AFTER Natalie Elphicke’s defection from the Tories to Labour, Stephen Flynn called on Labour to “show some standards”. Mrs Elphicke is further right than Jacob Rees-Mogg according to JRM himself. So it seems that Sir Keir has done just that, as he is delighted to welcome her to the Labour Party.

Meanwhile the erstwhile leader of the Scottish Branch of UK Labour says Anas Sarwar would relish having the opportunity to choose between scrapping free tuition fees or free school meals. Well actually, Kezia, we want both and if we were not paying for vanity projects in England and nuclear weapons we could easily afford both.

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Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite the Union, must be spitting tacks that Labour are already watering down their plans to ban zero-hours contracts and improve parental leave and sick pay. So unashamedly the Labour Party continues its move to the right and betrays working-class people and the trade union movement in the process, in its pursuit of power at any cost. Those unions still paying the political levy must be asking whether or not they are getting value for their investment.

So to the “dream team”, John and Kate: be bold. Concentrate on the things that matter to people, eg reducing child poverty, reducing premature deaths from alcohol and drug consumption, introducing a land tax, abolishing the community charge, improving NHS waiting times, and tackling the cost-of-living crisis brought on by Brexit and Tory austerity, neither of which we voted for. Show people we can improve their lives whilst continuing to make the case that it could be even better with independence. Labour have lost their soul. Capture the genuine middle left in Scotland. There is much to play for.

Professor Alan Boyter
Strachur, Argyll

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SO the Labour Party (or at least its leader) has welcomed Madam Elphicke to the party. How are they going to attract working-class voters when they are comfortable with someone who makes Attila the Hun look like Bambi? Perhaps Baldrick told them that it would be a cunning plan so that their heroes in the Tory party could win the next General Election.

M Ross
Aviemore

IT has been a longstanding tradition for students to hold protests about anything that is considered unjustifiable, whether it be an internal matter or an external matter.

Vice-chancellor and principals have, to my knowledge, never interfered on the premise that initial discussions had taken place so that academic and other staff who might be affected were dutifully informed.

In my experience with such matters during my student years, certain members of staff have shown their support by either taking part in the protests or through verbal support.

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I have to object to the “clueless, capitalist, kowtowing” (thanks, Iain K of Dunoon) Rishi Sunak’s interference by inviting university leaders to No 10. This presumably to instruct them to put an end to our student population protesting against Israel’s genocidal attacks on the Gazan population.

Whatever Sunak’s reasoning, it cannot be acceptable for him to regard these student protests as in any which way a danger to his pathetic administrations where Netanyahu and Israel is concerned.

The also “pathetic” excuse that Sunak’s government is not actually selling armaments (or parts thereof) is unbelievable.

For heaven’s sakes, UK industries involved in the manufacturing of that which is necessary for Israel’s war against Gaza cannot do so without the Westminster government’s provision of the appropriate certification.

Iain K of Dunoon’s description in his letter of Rishi Sunak and his government is just about right.

Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife

I HAVE never subscribed to any form of social media. It is, frankly, a complete waste of time. I see folk looking at their phones to see if a message about their latest post has interested anyone. I see couples in a restaurant paying for a table and someone to cook for them and then spending the whole time on their phones. They don’t even look at each other. Whatever is the point?

Every single problem that is encountered with social media could be solved in one stroke – make all subscribers reveal their identity. Anonymity is the reason that threats are made. No accountability, no threats. The solution is so simple.

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I have never been threatened by anyone on social media. Why? I don’t subscribe to it. Zuckerberg and Musk are making huge amounts of money. Why? They are pandering to the vanity of their subscribers. I will never understand why politicians even look at their threats. If they didn’t subscribe, they would never see a threat. And if every subscriber had to give their name and address, there would be no threats.

It’s all so ridiculously simple. And then, of course, we could go back to talking to each other.

Tony Kime
Kelso