IAIN Macwhirter suggests that John Swinney, in preparing his 2016/17 budget, is walking into a trap of George Osborne’s making over welfare and taxation (“Fiscal trap that is lying in wait for Swinney”, The Herald, October 13). Perhaps so, but it could easily have been so much worse for Mr Swinney.

If the Nationalists had won their referendum Scotland would be “independent” in five months’ time. As a consequence John Swinney would have had all the powers he asked for over taxes, benefits and everything else, but he would have a very much bigger fiscal deficit, no national currency, a collapsing oil income and no real idea how, or even whether, the markets would be prepared to finance his plans. Even so he would still be expected to fulfill his promise to the Scottish people that “independence” would bring permanently lower taxes and higher benefits.

Rather than fretting over the problems of balancing his budget with a few extra powers and a little less cash, it is entirely possible that Mr Swinney is resting easily in his bed at nights secure in the knowledge that, whatever decisions or risks he takes, he has the strength and the wealth and the political stability of the United Kingdom to come to his rescue when they fail. He may even be heaving a small sigh of relief as he drifts off to dream his party’s dream that, as long as it is financed by the UK, apparently never dies.

Alex Gallagher,

Labour councillor, North Ayrshire Council,

12 Phillips Avenue, Largs.

ANOTHER day, another Jeremy Corby U-turn (“Labour economic policy is a shambles”, says party stalwart”, The Herald, October 13). This one, however is to be greatly welcomed as it indicates that Labour now intends to vote with the SNP against the UK Government's fiscal charter this week.

It was of course quite shocking that there would ever been any doubt that the Labour Party would oppose Tory cuts, and it is astonishing that they were ever considering voting for the charter.

The key test now is whether all Labour MPs will join the SNP and vote no to Tory austerity, or their credibility will be yet further in ruins. However once again it shows that Labour is a party in chaos, and is deeply divided on the issue of austerity as with so much else.

Mr Corbyn has already had to climb down on Trident following a humiliating U-turn at the Labour conference when he was overruled by his shadow cabinet and senior colleagues.

This is yet another test for a man who, while he nominally commands his party, is clearly not in control of it.

Alex Orr,

Flat 2, 77 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.