Labour are creating uncertainty and acting against democratic freedom

The National

4 days ago

Firstly, those charged with offences under that law are immediately subject to a judicial system compromised and discredited by those individualistic interpretations from arresting officers – onwards and upwards.
Secondly, as the number of people charged with offences under interpretations of that law increases, the unclear 'catch-all' nature of the law becomes more firmly established; random arrests and charges are more firmly associated with individual enforcement officers; and outcomes are subject to further interpretations by the various courts.
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Thirdly, in consequence, general fear of such a law, the uncertainty of how it will be enforced in any particular situation, destroys trust between civilians and law-enforcement officers.
Fourthly, also in consequence, law-enforcement officers are burdened with the grotesque responsibility of unravelling such a bad law, often to the level of semantics, in each situation.
Fifthly, since stable democracy and social cohesion are both absolutely dependent on governance by consent of the electorate, and since the dangers from unclear legislation are well-known and understood throughout the world, to proceed – as the current Westminster government has just done – to impose a dangerously vague and wide-ranging law against protesters campaigning against genocide and war criminals is a very frightening act against UK democracy.
Therefore, I believe this current Labour administration should face an urgent, exceptional, vote of no-confidence within Westminster. This is because it is creating widespread fear and uncertainty; it is acting against democratic freedom within the United Kingdom, against the basic assumptions of rights within the UK constitution and endangering social and political stability – especially government by consent.
Each Member of Parliament and each political party will be judged, sooner than later, on how they dealt with their awful responsibilities at this time. A General Election is urgently needed.
Frances McKie
Evanton, Ross-shire
AS if it wasn't bad enough that the Labour Party is effectively running down Scotland economically by focusing tens of billions of pounds of UK Government investment in carbon capture and storage projects, steel-making and oil-refining in England, and by maintaining a disadvantageous energy pricing mechanism (in spite of zonal pricing proposals from Octopus Energy and Scotland's considerable contribution to the UK's renewable energy supply), Labour are now talking down Scottish Water.
On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Labour's [[UK Government]] Environment Secretary, London MP Steve Reed, stated of [[Scottish Water]] that 'their nationalised pollution in rivers in Scotland is worse than in England'. Unsurprisingly this grossly misleading statement went unchallenged by the BBC host.
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The facts are that the Scottish [[Environment]] Protection Agency reports that 87% of Scotland's rivers are in good health (as stated by Stephen Flynn on the Kuenssberg show) while only 15% of England's rivers are rated at that level, with The Rivers Trust reporting that not a single waterway in England is in overall good health.
It is of course understood that with England being more densely populated there is a greater level of monitoring in England, but most sensible people would rather be taking a shower, never mind drinking the water, in Glasgow or Edinburgh, rather than in London.
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian
REGARDING your piece on high-value assets being sold to keep local government afloat, this is not new (Council sell hundreds of public assets as they feel pinch from constrained budgets, Jul 13). All that started big time in the 80s and before, lest we forget – and it seems we have.
We need major reform of local government with a local income tax to suit regional/local economies, with policies and service delivery to suit, instead of centralised policy and service delivery, where the centre should be oversight and enforcement.
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So what are the SNP waiting for? Better weather? Get in with it, before the local elections in 2027. Halve the number of councillors, and pay them a full-time wage of £45k with no outside business interests (if so, to be put in trust until and unless unelected.)
Community councils, again with half the members, can be given funding or the ability to raise funding, paid a stipend of £5k per annum or a percentage of local income tax depending on population.
Yes, in many ways back to pre-1974/75, but it worked, and worked much better. Local responsibility, local accountability – this is the road to a much improved democracy and interest in it.
James J Paton
SAAT – Shetland Autonomy Action Team