WE have not had to wait long to see the real character of the Labour Party revealed and where its interests really lie.

Following on from the two-child benefit scandal, we now learn that they are contemplating renewing their interest in private finance initiatives (PFIs) to cope with necessary infrastructure renewal.

This should set off alarm bells everywhere as Labour have form with PFIs, which have been an unmitigated disaster. Let me be clear. PFI’s are pure gangsterism, they are the epitome of capitalist corruption and economic insanity. They cannot be justified under any circumstances.

In 2011, official figures showed that under Labour’s PFIs the British taxpayer will pay £229 billion for projects that will be worth £56bn. This is the real legacy of Gordon Brown.

As Labour health secretary, Andy Burnham, now Mayor of Greater Manchester, and who laughingly describes himself as a socialist, was in charge of 221 PFI projects. At least with Labour we can be sure that irony will never perish.

Even the arch-Thatcherite Tory Edmund Leigh, who, in 2011 chaired the Public Accounts Committee, called these revelations the unacceptable face of capitalism.

Research found that hospital trusts that have PFI contracts lead the sector in A&E closures as the costs of having PFI means they cannot afford to run an A&E. The Telegraph published documents showing that hospital trusts with PFIs have double the occupation costs of those with none.

With the new Labour government actually contemplating renewing this madness, we really should ask ourselves why something so obviously insane is being considered, but, as I’ve said before, you get what you vote for.

Peter Kerr

Kilmarnock

IT’S now clear Labour – the party of no change – will continue Tory policy of stripping Scotland’s assets such as oil and renewables. They even have plans for new nuclear power stations when Scotland already produces more energy than we need.

We should remind investors that once Scotland is independent, all contracts and treaties signed in Scotland by the UK Government will be void, as the “UK” as constituted in international law will no longer exist.

This should especially apply to all oil licences and PFI schemes signed by Westminster. They should be re-examined and cancelled if the contracts prove to be egregious or unfair, with infrastructure handed back to the appropriate council, free of debt and with an added monetary claim on the contract holder if the fabric has not been maintained in accordance with the existing contract.

The very suggestion that this will happen will halt investor interest in these types of contracts under ex-UK rules. We must start preparing for independence immediately.

Alan Laird

Stirling

VOTE Labour for change, eh? Who’d have thought the change was to starve innocent bairns and freeze grannies to death! Rachel Reeves has made Maggie Thatcher look like Snow White, with a new low in callousness and cruelty.

It also makes the idea of a Labour government in Holyrood led by Anas Sarwar look about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit! Now Labour supporters are starting to try to defend Ms Reeves’s indefensible actions

 According to online chats on the website of a well-known Scottish tabloid which would stick up for Labour until its nose bled, the line being peddled is that all pensioners who don’t get Pension Credit are “well-heeled” and “won’t miss” the Winter Fuel Payment.

What they seem to forget from the position of their superannuated, public-sector pensions, is another announcement from Ms Reeves which would mean that if they or their partners required long-time care the payment cap has been removed. Meaning that they could very well lose everything they worked and saved for.

Andrew Haddow

Glasgow

YET again the BBC are twisting and turning the news to the benefit of Labour. The latest examples include pushing the blame for Scots pensioners losing their Winter Fuel Payment onto the SNP Scottish Government.

The benefit hasn’t been devolved yet, but that doesn’t stop the BBC parroting the Labour line that the SNP could offset Labour’s cuts to the payment if they wanted. Of course the BBC won’t list all the other barbaric policies the SNP is already mitigating, such as the bedroom tax!

While everyone should be celebrating more new medical students coming through the system, which will boost the number of doctors in Scotland’s NHS, the BBC runs with a story of how the universities are running out of corpses for said trainee doctors to practise on!

It’s clear there’s nothing that the BBC won’t find an angle to denigrate the Scottish Government, Scotland or independence. Even in sport they’re at it. Andy Murray’s last competition is the Olympics – but despite the enormity of the event, the BBC didn’t bother with mainstream coverage of his matches – instead they were showing re-runs of other competitors winning medals.

Yet again the BBC proves it provides a substandard service to Scotland.

Cllr Kenny MacLaren

Paisley

FIRST we had Kid Starver, now we have Rip Off Rachel. Who will be next to abuse the less well-off in the now not-quite-so-United Kingdom?

If you voted this lot into power, go and stand in the corner of the room until you feel sorry for what you did.

I think the "black hole" is actually in the Labour Party morality fund. Independence anyone?

M Ross

Aviemore