Five decades of incompetence: No wonder the UK is dying on its feet

Margaret Thatcher adopted the creed of neoliberalism which has led us to where our broken economy is today; former Bank of England employee Chancellor Rachel Reeves doesn’t appear willing to offer any alternative to this pernicious philosophy: austerity continues to rule okay.

Tony Blair took us into a foreign war on the flimsiest of evidence, the consequences of which are still apparent in the Middle East.

David Cameron offered Scotland an independence referendum, little realising the extent to which Scotland's enthusiasm for independence would be inflamed.

Having failed to learn from that, he took the UK into another referendum which led, somewhat unexpectedly, to Brexit and his departure from office; two unintended consequences for the price of one.

Subsequently the diminutive Tory party membership gave us the unintended consequences of Theresa (Dancing Queen) May, Boris (Let's Party) Johnson and Liz (49 Days) Truss in quick succession, all of whom have done their bit, quite unintentionally I’m sure, to diminish British politics and Britain's international status.

And finally, Rishi Sunak gave his party a surprise General Election which came close to wiping it out as a political force at Westminster.

Given the above, is it any wonder that support for Scottish independence continues to hover around the 50% mark, Northern Ireland has elected its first Sinn Fein First Minister and support for home rule is growing in Wales?

The United Kingdom is dying on its feet, another unintended consequence of the gross political and economic mismanagement by unionist parties across the last half-century.

MS Duncan, Perth.

Read more letters

• Is anyone surprised the SNP has mucked up our finances?
• Why can't the English learn to stand on their own two feet?

Austerity will never work

ANAS Sarwar said it clearly: “Read my lips: no austerity under Labour”. He couldn’t have been clearer if he tried on his promise. And yet, as some did indeed expect, Keir Starmer has seemingly once again proven his Scottish lieutenant wrong by announcing a Budget that will be “painful”, and that will see benefits cut, taxes rise and services reduced. And Scotland will be hit harder than the rest of the country, merely due to geography: it is colder up here than it is in England, which entails higher energy bills, in turn meaning that people have less usable income.

Leaving aside the tedious reality we face to concentrate on a more philosophical point, Sir Keir Starmer promised change: his whole proposition was that things would change after 14 years of Tory rule, 14 years of failed austerity that has left us all poorer, with worse services and a crumbling infrastructure. The Tories left the country in tatters, but Sir Keir’s solution to this seems to be to use the same approach.

I have spoken to lots of people who told me: “Starmer is pandering to the right-wing tabloids just to win the elections, he’ll shift to the left once he’s won”. The problem, as I always replied would happen, is that he isn’t. He’s following the same recipe as the Tories, and the problem is that you can’t expect to get a chocolate cake if you’re using ingredients to make fish and chips. Austerity has never worked and it never will. Most importantly, it hits the poorest, the most vulnerable, and those with a normal (in the statistical sense of “average”) income the most. The impact is disproportionately felt in the lower part of society, which incidentally is also the largest chunk of it after the Tory rule.

Just as there are those who staunchly defend homeopathy, swearing on its good effects despite there being clear evidence that it doesn’t do anything (while being actively damaging as an imaginary cure for very real illnesses), Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves seem to support more austerity to cure the ills of austerity. The same applies to Brexit: the PM seems convinced that more Brexit will cure the negative effects of Brexit. And just like in the case of homeopathy, it simply won’t work.

What the UK needs is real change. It needs someone to finally step up to represent the interests of the common people who struggle to make ends meet. It needs a force that won’t craft new rules to protect workers by consulting with businesses rather than with unions. It needs a force to undo 40 years of damage done by wrong privatisations and concentration of power and wealth into few hands. Keir Starmer has betrayed what his party used to stand for, and he has betrayed Scotland (again) by not listening to its people and to its yearning for change.

Riccardo Robecchi, Glasgow.

Living up to devolution

LABOUR'S leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, has declared that if he heads a Holyrood administration in 2026, many years will be needed to straighten out the mess that is sure to be inherited. Most will understand. The SNP ruling group in Scotland for so long has been the administration from hell.

We need a group that will put aside non-devolved matters and vanity projects and focus fully on providing better services and competence in every facet of our infrastructure. They need to do what devolution was supposed to do and what it says on the tin.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh.

Take pride in our communities

IT'S good to see that Ferguson Marine is to submit bids for the electric ferries contract ("Ferguson Marine to submit bids for electric ferries contract", The Herald, August 30).

It is essential that, in awarding this contract, the full costs, and not just that of building the ferries, are taken into consideration. Yes, it might well be cheaper to actually build ferries overseas, where labour rates are lower, but to that must be added the costs of transporting the ferries here, the costs of maintenance and repairs, the costs of people from Scotland travelling out to check on progress, or even working overseas for the duration of the contract. However, these are not the only costs of moving work overseas.

If the Ferguson Marine yard loses work what happens to the workforce, but not only them, the local shops currently frequented by the employees, local suppliers and the general wellbeing of Port Glasgow?

Look into your wardrobe, your kitchen, living room, your children's toys, your garage: just how many of the items you see are made in the UK? Over recent decades we have exported the building and manufacture of so many things that we need in our daily lives and to what benefit?

People have lost their jobs, factories have been demolished, communities have lost their spirit, the poor have got poorer, the rich have got richer, but as a society we have all lost out with the lack of meaningful work for so many people.

In Scotland at least, we need to take a pride in our communities and start to make so much more of the items we need every day, from ferries to toasters, in our own country, rather than exploiting the poor in other countries, where company owners move production to the cheapest location they can find.

Patricia Fort, Glasgow.

Ferguson Marine has confirmed it is bidding for a contract to build seven electric ferries for Calmac (Image: PA)

Supporting local jobs

IN a time where the resilience of our economy is tested, the importance of supporting British jobs and local manufacturing cannot be overstated. It is essential for the economic stability and growth of our communities across Scotland and the entire UK.

Scotland, with its vibrant history in diverse industries, from the shipyards of the Clyde to the textile mills of the Borders, is a testament to our nation's capability and ingenuity. Argyll, too, is rich with industries that form the backbone of its economy, including farming, crofting, fishing, and notably, our world-renowned distilleries, all of which contribute significantly to our local and national prosperity.

However, as we face increasing global competition, protecting these industries and the jobs they provide is more crucial than ever. Supportive policies that promote local manufacturing and job creation are vital. They not only preserve the heritage of skilled craftsmanship but also ensure the sustainability of our communities.

Investing in local industries means securing a future for our youth, offering them careers that sustain both their personal growth and the health of our local economies. As consumers, choosing locally-made products directly supports this initiative, strengthening job security for many and fostering a thriving market for local goods.

Let us advocate for robust policies that bolster British manufacturing and prioritise the training of our future workforce. By choosing local products and supporting local jobs, we play an active role in maintaining the vibrancy of our economy.

Now is the time to stand behind British jobs and the industries that sustain our communities, ensuring that the legacy of British craftsmanship endures and flourishes for generations to come.

Alastair Redman, Independent Councillor for the Kintyre and the Islands, Port Charlotte, Islay.