BORIS Johnson’s Queen’s Speech was a repugnant obscenity. There was the ludicrous spectacle of the deeply unpopular, witless, idiotic Dauphin Charles standing in for his 96-year-old mother. Next to him was the Imperial Crown that had its own car to deliver it to the ceremony. The event took place in the House of Lords, a glorified geriatric home for cronies, donors and failures from the political class, none of whom are subject to democratic accountability.

In a time of crisis when inflation is out of control and the cost of food and fuel are beyond the means of ordinary workers, Tory Johnson told them to get stuffed. Instead he promoted Empire nostalgia, the stripping of basic rights under the ludicrously named “Brexit Freedom Bill” (this will make it easier to scrap any EU legislation that is an impediment to profits), a clampdown on people protesting against reactionary Tory filth, the removal of the Human rights Act, the privatisation of Channel 4, and redefinition of national security laws to make it easier to prosecute whistleblowers.

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While there is no money to help those in need, the Tories have found £3 billion to fund war in Ukraine. The Tories are prepared to send whatever resources are needed to keep the conflict going. This serves the interests of British imperialism. The Tories are talking about ripping up the Northern Ireland protocol. This is being done to appease Orange Order-supporting bigots in the DUP. In taking this course of action, the Tories risk a trade war with the EU. This would compound the devastation being wrought by Tory economic incompetence. Such a path would raise the wrath of Washington.

Brexit is a slow unfolding Suez. It was always going to be a disaster. There is simply no way to put up barriers with your biggest trading partner and expect things to run smoothly. Many on the left share the delusion that Brexit could have been better. There is simply no empirical evidence to back up this assertion. If it were, other countries would be queuing up to leave the EU. They are not.

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The state of Tory Britain in 2022 is a post-industrial wasteland of misery, poverty, fear and ignorance at home and a despised laughing stock and pariah abroad. Scotland should have become independent by now. The fact that has not happened is a damning indictment of the current leadership of the movement. There needs to be an urgent and quick campaign for independence now.

Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee

“THE continued success and integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom is of paramount importance to Her Majesty’s Government.”

And in that one statement the democratic and legitimate move to a position of self-determination by the constituent parts of the UK runs headlong into that which is undemocratic, very much reactionary, and because of that most definitely conservative. The theatrical presentation by an unelected head of state acting on behalf of a government that is so out of touch with reality that they are the justifiable butt of many a joke on the world stage brought nothing but toe-curling cringe on my part.

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Not that any of us should be surprised, nor express any degree of shock with the statement – after all it is, I believe, the expected reaction by the unhinged administration in Downing Street to the current democratic desire of so many across this archipelago. It is most definitely a case of “wounded pride drowns its misgivings as to its own strength by setting itself an extravagant programme to accomplish” (unknown writer, Paris 1919).

Not to be outdone by the administration in Downing Street, one of their lapdogs here in Scotland presented a rather strange delivery on reserved matters, complaining (what else?) that the Scottish administration is actively working overseas forging links. The branch office chief whip Mr Kerr definitely got himself in a bit of a pickle, rambling by all accounts for some 10 minutes but in true Tory fashion using many words, wasting much oxygen, saying very little and achieving nothing he in all probability had set out to achieve.

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Busy days lie to our front, but that seems to be the lot of those that take the path of the political activist. Our goal is by no means insurmountable but equally it is by no means guaranteed. I firmly believe that we have no more than 10% of the electorate that are open to change, and that is where our endeavours must focus.

Onwards and upwards and let’s get those that are open to change onside.

Cliff Purvis
Veterans for Scottish Independence 2.0 and SNP Armed Forces & Veterans

THE government’s lack of a long-term policy is causing chaos for retailers. Witness the recent closures of the Marks & Spencer Sauchiehall Street store and the Tesco store at Parkhead Forge.

Many hard-working people will lose their jobs because the Tory government can’t come up with long-term solutions to economic troubles, and why should they when it doesn’t affect them?

Perhaps Boris Johson believes that the £350 million a week he claimed would be pumped into the NHS after Brexit is still going to happen.

This is the upshot of concentrating wealth in too few hands.

Stephen McCarthy
Glasgow

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IN October the UK Government will give a £200 rebate on all electricity bills, but this has to be repaid in annual chunks of £40 for five years. This is, in effect, a compulsory government-imposed loan. Is this legal? To avoid any possible illegality (not that such is unusual for the Boris billionaire chumocracy), might they not better help the hard-pressed populace by applying a 50% tax on energy companies’ profit? Simple, legal and lots of money.

M Ross
Aviemore