‘OH, Jeremy Corbyn!” How that sound rang out with the adulation of the crowds at Glastonbury. Jeremy Corbyn, the hope for the revitalisation of the Labour Party. A man of principle who was willing to defy the whip in parliament to stand up for what he believed. Against the odds he was elected as party leader, and I for one cheered him on.

Now when I hear the phrase “Oh Jeremy Corbyn” it’s not so much in the rapturous tones of Glastonbury, but more the tone of my mother when she “wasn’t angry, just disappointed”. The leadership role seems to have drained him of those qualities that I, for one, had so admired.

He was not only a member of CND but a strong campaigner for nuclear disarmament. Now he’s supporting the renewal of Trident? Really Jeremy? It doesn’t bother you that there are weapons of mass destruction kept within a few miles of one of the most highly populated areas in Scotland?

He talks about Tory austerity with a severe dose of selective amnesia, obviously choosing to forget the aiding and abetting of this by his party, which either abstained or voted for cuts and the reduction of the benefit cap from £26,000 to £23,000. That is a fraction of an MP’s salary, let alone a party leader’s. Ah, I hear you say, “that was a different time and a different leader”. True, but many of the MPs who voted or abstained remain in place.

Jeremy seems to think he is in with a shout for No10 if he can get another snap General Election. He is trying to target marginal seats in Scotland. Not the Tory seats, funnily enough. The thing that never ceases to astound is his apparent lack of knowledge about Scotland and how our government works. He appears completely unaware that, rather than passing on Tory austerity (which his party enabled by either abstaining or voting for), the Scottish Government spends millions mitigating the worst effects of it.

No-one in Scotland is impacted by the bedroom tax – that’s mitigated. Our 16-18-year-olds still get support with housing. If you fall ill in Scotland, you do not have the worry of how you’re going to afford to pay for your medication, as we already have free prescriptions. Our students do not have to pay for tuition.

He talks about the Scottish Government being timid. Really, Jeremy, is that a road you want to go down? You could issue the whip on Brexit but not on Trident? Which the Scottish Labour voted against at conference as they did in the Scottish Parliament!

He is talking about investing in every part of Scotland (no details, just buzzwords) whilst at the same time being as woolly about Brexit as Theresa May herself, knowing the level of damage it will do to the Scottish economy and the devastating impact on the 80,000 people who will probably find themselves without a job. So Jeremy, just like the other British nationalist politicians, is not really concerned about what’s in the best interest of Scotland. We’re just required to help make up the numbers he needs to get into No.10.

Unfortunately, it appears that the adage is right! Power does indeed corrupt. So, Jeremy, in the words of my mum, I’m not angry, just really, really disappointed.

Irene Mcleod
Wemyss Bay

ON his recent trip to North Britain to drum up support for the ailing SLP, Jeremy Corbyn was photographed being shown how to play the bass guitar – not inappropriately, as the Glastonbury rock star and lead vocalist of Corby & the Abstainers is a regular feature at Westminster, where his backing-group provides the accompaniment to the Boris Brexit Band.

The silent cheerleader for exit is scheduled to appear on Britain’s Got No Talent, promoting his latest single Gimme A Jobs-First Brexit (Whatever That Means, Babe).

The object of Corb’s road trip north was to offer much-needed tuition to branch band-leader Leonard, of Dick & the Deadbeats fame. Apparently, Lenny’s solo party political broadcast performance, unwittingly referencing themes from the Devolved and Reserved Issues Songbook, turned out to be somewhat off-key.

James Stevenson
Auchterarder

IN yesterday’s Sunday Herald, Andrew Whitaker quotes Theresa May as saying: “People in the UK feel very strongly that if we take a decision, then governments should not turn round and say ‘no, you got that wrong’.”

This was with regard to having a second EU referendum, and with remember only 52 per cent of the UK voting for the first one.

So, does she consider this from Scotland’s point of view, when 63 per cent took the decision and voted to Remain but we are being told we got it wrong! The answer is, of course, that she does not consider Scotland’s point of view at all and we are being totally ignored in this Brexit mess.

It’s a second independence referendum we need, not a second EU one, and the sooner the better!!!

Elizabeth Cameron
Renfrew

IF I may say so, John Finnie is wide of the mark in saying “in Edinburgh the council opened up bus lanes to general traffic” (Here’s how we’ll create a Scottish bus revolution, The National, February 16).

In reality common sense prevailed at last and nearly all bus lanes/Greenways are now part-time, thus avoiding the ridiculous former situation when other traffic had to queue needlessly at all times of day, and yet umpteen lanes lay empty all over the city.

GF
Edinburgh