If genocide isn't a red line for Harris, what hope is there?

If genocide is not a red line then what actually does constitute a red line? And if those purporting to be liberal can excuse a president in waiting's continued backing of Israel's continuing assault on Gaza, we must ask where does this leave American politics? For what shall it profit anyone if they gain the whole world and lose their soul? The battle for the soul of the Democratic Party will have been won and lost: the desire for power overshadowing any genuine respect for human life.

Martin James Johnstone, Lochwinnoch.

Read more letters

• Shame on Keir Starmer for making us the USA's poodle once again
• SNP thought indy would bail them out of A9 failure

When will the world wake up?

YOU report on an Israeli drone attack on a medical facility in Gaza ("Israeli drone strikes clinic as vaccinations for polio being given out", The Herald, November 4). The victims were mostly children.

On another page you report on five pro-Palestinian protesters in Glasgow who are appealing against jail sentences of at least a year each for demonstrating at the Thales factory in Govan ("Drones site protesters in appeal over jail sentences", The Herald, November 4). Three of the charges were for breach of the peace.

Thales French owners have a contract with an Israeli defence contractor which supplies 85 per cent of drones used by the Israeli Defense Force for attacks on Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.

The Thales 5 should not be in jail. Children waiting for vaccinations should not be targeted by an Israeli drone.

When is the world going to wake up to what's happening in the Middle East?

Andy Stenton, Glasgow.

Labour day of reckoning coming

SO many cheesy grins abound amongst Labour front benchers at Westminster these days, they must have access to exceptionally good dentists; even more look like the cats that got the cream. Despite pre-election polls indicating a huge Labour majority, some three months later, they all look so pleased with themselves it is as though they find it hard to believe they are actually in Government.

This euphoria is even more surprising considering Labour’s poll ratings have absolutely tanked in recent weeks, due to the way the change to the winter fuel payment for many pensioners was managed, followed by the surrendering of an Overseas Territory to a friend of Russia and the donations scandal, to name but a few missteps which have dominated the headlines in recent weeks.

Basking in the glory of giving the Conservative Party a beating at the General Election and blaming them for just about everything that is wrong with our country, including the fact that night turns into day, will only wash for so long and they should remember Rumi’s adage, “if you dwell on the past, you will miss the future”.

The day of reckoning is fast approaching by way of the fall-out from a Budget that has seen the biggest tax hikes imposed on this country for generations and far from promoting “growth, growth, growth”, to quote the Prime Minister, growth is forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility to fall, fall, fall after 2025. Members of this new government will soon realise that governing is no picnic and that balancing the UK budget is an almost impossible task.

As the markets have issued a stark rebuke to her attack on our economic prospects and the amount of planned borrowing outlined in the budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves may have to row back on some of her policies, such as the inheritance tax changes that could decimate the farming industry. Even many of her own back benchers are railing at what is going to be an extremely hard sell on the doorstep.

Meanwhile her boss, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer, continues to look like a rabbit in the headlights whenever confronted by a journalist who poses a question he dislikes. His take on the Budget is one of intransigence. The country was well warned by Rishi Sunak what to expect if Labour came to power and they have not been disappointed. As the new leader of the Tory party, can Kemi Badenoch now capitalise on the downturn of Labour’s popularity and restore her party’s fortunes in time for the next election? A tall order indeed.

Christopher H Jones, Giffnock.

Turn spotlight on unionists

I READ with interest the letter (November 4) from Duncan Sooman in which he passes comment on a number of issues. Normally I become inured to such “SNP bad” letters particularly when there is an occasionally a semblance of accuracy to some of them.

However, I would respectfully point out to Mr Sooman that his points regarding the A9 dualling project should be directed to the Labour and Tory party (in Scotland), for they voted the Government down and chose the so-called Edinburgh Tram Project in favour of a new A9. Whether that was the correct decision at the time is for another day.

To describe independence as a “dead duck” is arrant nonsense. The latest polls show the Labour Party is sinking without trace in Scotland with 52% ( and rising on an upward trajectory ) in favour of independence. This is coincidentally the same figure as described as a “substantial majority” by many leading media and political commentators with regard to the Brexit result.

Will Mr Sooman respect or deny democracy?

Also, his observation and indeed criticism regarding a TV company paying a former First Minister a sum of money for appearing on TV seems to be without merit. Nicola Sturgeon accepted the job and everything was publicly available. Presumably this was the going rate given the timing and circumstances. There is no story here. Certainly the amount is considerably less than I’m a Celebrity, Big Brother, dancing on Ice, and Strictly Come Dancing: programmes which made quite a bit of cash for several very prominent unionist politicians.

Mr Sooman might wish to turn his attention on those in government and those closely linked to government who perpetrated corruption on a massive multi-billion scale in relation to VIP lanes, defective PPE equipment, track and trace systems costing millions that didn’t work and much more. Perhaps we will hear no more because they were all perpetrated by unionist parties and not the SNP.

Stewart Falconer, Alyth.

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves (Image: PA)

Charity begins at home

CHARITY begins at home. Recent UK governments do not seem to follow that old rule. I voted Labour at the recent General Election and am perplexed that the Chancellor's answers to questions on the Budget and planned spending always seem to be along the lines of ''well, if I don't do as I am doing, tell me where the money is coming from?''

While appreciating all her difficulties, has Rachel Reeves ever thought of reducing expenditure? Or is this taboo? I am unsure why dishing out astronomical grants of for example £11 billion-plus ''to help poorer countries with climate change'' is considered essential and sacrosanct. Many aspects of the crushingly expensive net zero programme are also, at the very least, questionable. Open-handed and bottomless foreign aid is not given out willy-nilly by countries far richer than the UK.

Surely the people of this country, the ones supplying the cash any government has to spend, and many of whom are themselves in dire need, must come first in the queue.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh.

Community spirit

WHAT a wonderful sight. Thousands of people from the city and districts coming to the aid of the horrifically devastated areas around Valencia, most of them with brushes, shovels or vital supplies, many of them youngsters and all prepared to get mucked in. There were so many in fact that they had to be controlled to allow the emergency services to do their job. As an old socialist it is a perfect example of how communities can come together without government interference.

Ian Smith, Troon.