I READ with interest your report "How Labour conned the Big Yin into TV political broadcast " (The Herald, June 11).

The report claims that after Billy Connolly was "conned" by the Labour Party in 1974, he avoided politicians.

That is not entirely correct. At the 1979 General Election, I was defending the most marginal Labour seat in Scotland. My constituency of West Stirlingshire included Drymen, where Billy resided at that time. On the eve of polling day, I received a phone call from the Big Yin himself, offering his services for my campaign. The result was that, on General Election day, Billy and I did a tour of the entire constituency with a loudspeaker mounted on the roof of my car. We stopped at every town and village, where we would get out of the car and do impromptu street meetings. Billy would crack a few jokes and then sign autographs, while I did my best to exhort the assembled masses to exercise their franchise. Billy of course was a much bigger attraction than me, but the formula seemed to work because I was returned to Parliament with the biggest majority in the history of West Stirlingshire.

During the course of that memorable day, I discovered that Billy and I were agreed on most of the big political issues of the day with one notable exception. I was a strong supporter of the campaign for a Scottish Parliament but I failed to persuade Billy on that one. However, I am delighted to see from your report that, more than 40 years later, the Big Yin seems to inch further towards independence than ever before.

Dennis Canavan, Bannockburn.

Praise well received

CREDIT where credit is due, indeed; and both Prince Philip, in terms of his long service, and, yes, Ian W Thomson, in terms of his very fair appreciation of the Duke (Letters, June 11), merit applause.

Mr Thomson and I have, at times, crossed swords (metaphorically speaking, of course), in these pages, with our opposing monarchist views; this time around, I could have put it no better myself. Thank you, Mr Thomson.

Brian D Henderson, Glasgow G42.

X-ray vision

YOUR article on Glasgow's mass X-ray campaign ("Those were the days" Glasgow’s 1957 X-ray crusade", The Herald, June 11) reminded me that when the Glasgow Council were all lined up a passing local worthy was heard to say: "It doesn't take an X-ray to see through that lot."

As it happens, mine failed and had to be redone.

Alasdair Speirs, Barnyards, Fife.

The plot thickens

ALAN Stephen (Letters, June 11), who has taken up jigsaws 70 years on but is being driven up the wall by the last wee piece he cannot find, should check the bottom of his garden. That's where we found our last missing jigsaw piece after the puzzle had sat on the table for two weeks.

Margaret MacDougall, Greenock.

Home truths

RE the article on lie detector tests ("MPS challenge proposals for lie detector tests to monitor terrorist offenders", The Herald, June 10): Many years ago a retired lecturer told me of the following incident at Glasgow University in the early 1900s.

John Glaister, the renowned Professor of Forensic Medicine, was conducting a departmental meeting. A young lecturer suggested that a lie detector recently developed in the United States should be purchased.

Glaister advised a wait and see policy to check if they were reliable and fit for purpose.

Frustrated, the young lecturer asked: “Professor, have you ever seen a lie detector?”

“Seen one?” Glaister replied, “I’ve been married to one for 30 years.”

Iain MacInnes, Glasgow G41.