Snide comment about the SNP's lack of action was factually incorrect
READ MORE: Jeremy Corbyn's new outfit won't back indyref2. No British party will
The inescapable fact is that the 'working classes' and the various other target groups identified by those parties simply chose not to support or vote for them!
Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana no doubt have noble aims behind their decision to form a new party of the left south of the Border but I fear that they, like some present-day Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, will end up tilting at inanimate windmills, having traversed an arid and inhospitable landscape.
In his column Mark Brown also filled up space by having a customary pop at the SNP. I took particular issue with his snide comment that 'The party ... has never so much as broken a window in the cause of independence'. I appreciate that the incident may have taken place before Mark's time, but I recall Jim Sillars nursing a heavily bandaged cut arm and hand sustained while seeking – via a window – to enter and occupy the old Royal High School building in Edinburgh in 1981 as part of the SNP's then civil disobedience campaign.
It is not only BBC Scotland that get their 'facts' wrong!
Brian McGarry
Inverkeithing
IAIN K of Dunoon in his Long Letter (Jul 11) makes an important point about the House of Lords, and the iniquity of 'Lords Spiritual', ie, 26 English Anglican bishops, in particular, influencing decisions on Scotland within the British constitution.
No Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish Anglican bishop sits in the House of Lords. Neither does any Roman Catholic bishop. It is the Scottish Episcopal Church that continues in communion with the Anglican family of churches, which includes the Episcopal Church in the USA, the first bishop of which was consecrated in Aberdeen by Scottish bishops in 1784.
READ MORE: Ian Murray panned for 'disgraceful' U-turns as past motions resurface
I recall two examples that The National has covered on English bishops in the House of Lords attempting to influence decisions upon Scotland:
1. 'Archbishop Sentamu to back UK's Brexit power grab on Holyrood' (March 22, 2018).
2. 'Lord [spiritual, Rt Rev, Julian Henderson, Bishop of Blackburn] suggests England should get a vote in 2023 Scottish independence referendum' (June 23, 2022).
Another interesting point that Iain K provides is that the Church of England, until as late as 1870, was wary of providing schools for poor children as there was fear that an educated public could 'destabilise the establishment'.
The reason I grew up in an Episcopalian family was because my late father, who was Aberdeenshire Liberal before joining with me to vote SNP with me on my first election in the 70s, commenced his education in 1920 at an Episcopal mission school in Peterhead. It was called the Chapel School.
James M
Aberdeen
IT was certainly encouraging to read your article 'Government invests £85m to expand Hospital at Home service' (Jul 10), especially as the First Minister announced this investment while on a visit to Falkirk. However, why did I have to go to page 19 before I read such an important announcement, which ultimately impacts on us all, whether we have cause to use the wonderful services of our NHS or just assured that the service is there for us, free at the point of need?
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
WHY does Westminster make such a habit of looking at problems from the wrong end? Surely the right place to start looking for savings in the recent shambolic welfare pantomime is where the problems originate, within the management of the system?
I saw figures from research some time ago which revealed that only 1% of payments made were fraudulent, but 7% were due to errors made by the department. Whether any of this is due to inefficient or too-complex systems, training of staff, understaffing or human error, it must be possible to reform the system, make it speedy and efficient, make it quick and easy to identify and reclaim any overpayments, and avoid most of them in the first place.
Would this not save more than is proposed to be taken from the sick and disabled?
P Davidson
Falkirk
YOUR leader of July 12 covers criticism of BBC Scotland for giving a prime slot to the 'small boats' story.
Fair enough, but this never-ending immigration has (a) economic (b) demographic and (c) security repercussions here.
READ MORE: BBC slated for pushing small boat crossings as top Scottish story
To (a): Scots taxpayers have to stump up for accommodation and other costs; to (b): our population is now in overshoot due to increasing immigration by English folk, some of whom have moved from towns in which they no longer feel at home; and to (c): the security implications of the Channel being a barn door are huge. If I wished to avenge Gaza, I'd be smuggling in my people carrying phials of biotoxins, dirty bombs, etc etc, to be used anywhere in the UK (remember Glasgow Airport?).
George Morton
Rosyth
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Glasgow Times
20 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Veterans protest against possible repeal of Legacy Act
MPs including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Mark Francois and Stuart Anderson joined former soldiers as the Act was debated inside the House of Commons on Monday. They marched to Parliament Square in Westminster, brandishing regiment flags and Union flags, and were flanked by a motorbike procession. The debate comes after more than 165,000 people signed a petition calling for the Government to keep the Legacy Act, which was put in place in 2023 by the former Conservative government to halt all but the most serious allegations involving Troubles-related cases from being investigated any further. The Labour Government announced it would repeal and replace the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 following criticism over immunity for soldiers by human rights groups. Veterans and MPs alike said they feared this would open up soldiers to being prosecuted for acts and create a 'two-tier' justice system, in which IRA soldiers are given immunity but British troops are open to prosecution. James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, said he feared it would dissuade people from joining the Armed Forces because they could be 'persecuted' further down the line. He said: 'We all know we need more people in our Army, our Navy, our Air Force. 'Fundamentally, this is about us as a country, recognising that we live in a time of heightened threat…When that is happening, we will be strengthening our Armed Forces. The last thing we want to do is be going after them again for what they did decades ago. What message is that going to send to all the young people whom we want to join the Army in future?' Detail from the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment cap badge (Niall Carson/PA) Sir Iain, the former leader of the Conservative Party who served in Northern Ireland, told the PA news agency that veterans were angry about the potential changes to the legislation. He said: 'They feel they served their country. They did what they could do. They did their best. It was difficult, I can promise you now, I patrolled the streets. 'We see the pursuit of Northern Ireland veterans whose cases were heard previously and settled. 'They are the ones being pursued yet again in the courts under the arrangements and this is wrong. 'You don't see any of the IRA being pursued. 'Right now this is a very one-sided arrangement with the British soldiers who didn't ask to go there.' Mr Francois, a shadow junior defence minister who backed the petition, added: 'What the Government is doing is wrong. 'They're not treating veterans who were there to uphold the law in Northern Ireland the same as they are treating alleged terrorists. 'There should be no moral equivalence between the veterans and the terrorists.' Aldwin Wight, 72, a former special forces commanding officer who lives in Cornwall, said: 'These are people we've served with. 'They're very close to us, and seeing them caught up in this sort of endless doom loop of legislation is not good. 'We're in a fairly dark situation at the moment in security terms and therefore there are going to be incidents and you've got to have people who are willing to step forward and take on the hard tasks. 'And you don't want to do that as it were, with your solicitor in your pocket. 'You want to do it with a clear operational view of what you're doing.' Denise Walker, 58, a veteran in the catering corps, came down from Glasgow to protest. She said: 'This has led to our servicemen fearing that we're going to be up for prosecution again. 'At the end of the day, this Government sent us over there to do a job on their behalf. 'We followed their orders to the letter.' David Holmes, a 64-year old veteran who runs the Rolling Thunder veteran motorbike group which protested, said: 'I spent years campaigning with this. 'We worked with the previous government. We found a good solution. 'People want closure, but actually to put 70 and 80-year-old soldiers in the dock for doing their job they were asked to do by the government on what is basically trumped up charges (is wrong). 'The only evidence is they were there at the time.' Northern Ireland Secretary, Hilary Benn, said: 'The Legacy Act has been rejected in Northern Ireland and found by our domestic courts to be unlawful, not least because it would have offered immunity to terrorists. Any incoming government would have had to repeal unlawful legislation and it is simply wrong for anyone to suggest otherwise. 'This Government's commitment to our Operation Banner veterans is unshakeable. Their professionalism and sacrifice saved countless lives in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom, and ultimately helped bring about peace. The Legacy Act did nothing to help our veterans – it offered only false and undeliverable promises. 'I and the Defence Secretary are engaging with our veterans community and with all interested parties over future legislation, and we will ensure that there are far better protections in place.'
South Wales Guardian
35 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
French action ‘has prevented nearly 500 small boat crossings this year'
Yvette Cooper told MPs nearly 500 crossings had been 'prevented' by the French police, with 385 reaching British shores. Speaking in the Commons, Ms Cooper told MPs the Government had five tactics to address small boat crossings, including strengthening the border and clamping down on illegal working. Her statement came days after the Government secured a new agreement with France over returning migrants who had arrived on small boats. She said: 'French actions have prevented 496 boat crossings this year, but 385 boats have crossed. 'And criminal gangs are operating new tactics, increasing the overcrowding of boats so that more people arrive, and loading them in shallow waters, exploiting the French rules that means their authorities have not been able to intervene in the water.' It is unclear whether the figure refers to small boat crossings being stopped before or during attempts to leave the coastline, or by other means such as seizing boats from warehouses. The Home Secretary referred to 'appalling scenes' of people clambering onto crowded boats in shallow waters, and said French police had faced 'disgraceful violence' from gang members behind the crossings. She continued: 'We cannot stand for this. That is why the new action agreed with France includes establishing a new French Compagnie de Marche of specialist enforcement officers, with stronger public order powers to address increases in violence on French beaches and prevent boat launches before they reach the water.' Some 22,492 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel, according to latest Home Office figures. This is up 57% on this point last year (14,291) and 71% higher than at this stage in 2023 (13,144), according to PA news agency analysis. Last week's agreement saw a deal struck for a one in, one out system that would see a small boat migrant exchange for a legal asylum seeker. No details have been given about how many people will be covered by the scheme, but reports from France have indicated it could initially be limited to around 50 a week – a small fraction of the weekly average this year of 782. Priority will be given to people from countries where they are most likely to be granted asylum as genuine refugees, who are most likely to be exploited by smuggling gangs and also asylum seekers who have connections to the UK. The accord came at the end of a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK. Ms Cooper said: 'The new agreement reached at the summit last week means stronger partnership working with source and transit countries to prevent illegal migration.' Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp rubbished the idea that progress had been made on the issue, and said statistics showed small boat crossings had risen under Labour. Mr Philp said the 12 months since Labour's election last July had seen a 40% rise year-on-year in terms of crossings. He said: 'The Home Secretary comes here today sounding rather pleased with herself. I'm afraid she has no reason to. 'A year ago, she promised to smash the gangs, she said again and again that was her plan, indeed it was her only plan. Yet today, there is no mention of what was once her favourite catchphrase. 'That's because her claim to smash the gangs has become a joke, an embarrassment to her and to the Government.' He added that rather than closing asylum hotels, there were 3,000 more people in them than last year. 'She is setting records, just all the wrong ones,' he said. Ms Cooper replied: 'This crisis, the small boats chaos, went on for 340 weeks under the Tories, a period in which when he was immigration minister, overall migration near trebled and small boat crossings increased tenfold when he was the immigration minister in charge.' She later said the Government's plan would involve greater co-operation with other governments, rather than 'standing at the shoreline shouting at the sea'. Ms Cooper said: 'We will best strengthen our border security by working with countries on the other side of those borders who face exactly the same challenges far better than just standing at the shoreline shouting at the sea.' Conservative former minister Andrew Murrison asked the Home Secretary to respond to the idea that the UK was 'perceived as being attractive to illegal migrants'. She replied: 'I do think frankly it has been too easy to work illegally in this country for too long, and we know that one of the things that the criminal gangs say to people is, 'it will be easy to get a job'. 'They will even give people discounts if they can come and work for those same criminal gangs operating in the UK.'
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
French action ‘has prevented nearly 500 small boat crossings this year'
Yvette Cooper told MPs nearly 500 crossings had been 'prevented' by the French police, with 385 reaching British shores. Speaking in the Commons, Ms Cooper told MPs the Government had five tactics to address small boat crossings, including strengthening the border and clamping down on illegal working. Her statement came days after the Government secured a new agreement with France over returning migrants who had arrived on small boats. She said: 'French actions have prevented 496 boat crossings this year, but 385 boats have crossed. 'And criminal gangs are operating new tactics, increasing the overcrowding of boats so that more people arrive, and loading them in shallow waters, exploiting the French rules that means their authorities have not been able to intervene in the water.' It is unclear whether the figure refers to small boat crossings being stopped before or during attempts to leave the coastline, or by other means such as seizing boats from warehouses. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron during Mr Macron's state visit to the UK (Leon Neal/PA) The Home Secretary referred to 'appalling scenes' of people clambering onto crowded boats in shallow waters, and said French police had faced 'disgraceful violence' from gang members behind the crossings. She continued: 'We cannot stand for this. That is why the new action agreed with France includes establishing a new French Compagnie de Marche of specialist enforcement officers, with stronger public order powers to address increases in violence on French beaches and prevent boat launches before they reach the water.' Some 22,492 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel, according to latest Home Office figures. This is up 57% on this point last year (14,291) and 71% higher than at this stage in 2023 (13,144), according to PA news agency analysis. Last week's agreement saw a deal struck for a one in, one out system that would see a small boat migrant exchange for a legal asylum seeker. No details have been given about how many people will be covered by the scheme, but reports from France have indicated it could initially be limited to around 50 a week – a small fraction of the weekly average this year of 782. Priority will be given to people from countries where they are most likely to be granted asylum as genuine refugees, who are most likely to be exploited by smuggling gangs and also asylum seekers who have connections to the UK. The accord came at the end of a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper during the UK-France Summit on day three of Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK (Yui Mok/PA) Ms Cooper said: 'The new agreement reached at the summit last week means stronger partnership working with source and transit countries to prevent illegal migration.' Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp rubbished the idea that progress had been made on the issue, and said statistics showed small boat crossings had risen under Labour. Mr Philp said the 12 months since Labour's election last July had seen a 40% rise year-on-year in terms of crossings. He said: 'The Home Secretary comes here today sounding rather pleased with herself. I'm afraid she has no reason to. 'A year ago, she promised to smash the gangs, she said again and again that was her plan, indeed it was her only plan. Yet today, there is no mention of what was once her favourite catchphrase. 'That's because her claim to smash the gangs has become a joke, an embarrassment to her and to the Government.' He added that rather than closing asylum hotels, there were 3,000 more people in them than last year. 'She is setting records, just all the wrong ones,' he said. People thought to be migrants are brought in to the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA) Ms Cooper replied: 'This crisis, the small boats chaos, went on for 340 weeks under the Tories, a period in which when he was immigration minister, overall migration near trebled and small boat crossings increased tenfold when he was the immigration minister in charge.' She later said the Government's plan would involve greater co-operation with other governments, rather than 'standing at the shoreline shouting at the sea'. Ms Cooper said: 'We will best strengthen our border security by working with countries on the other side of those borders who face exactly the same challenges far better than just standing at the shoreline shouting at the sea.' Conservative former minister Andrew Murrison asked the Home Secretary to respond to the idea that the UK was 'perceived as being attractive to illegal migrants'. She replied: 'I do think frankly it has been too easy to work illegally in this country for too long, and we know that one of the things that the criminal gangs say to people is, 'it will be easy to get a job'. 'They will even give people discounts if they can come and work for those same criminal gangs operating in the UK.'
