NOT having been a member of the SNP, or any other political party, it is not obvious to me why Brian Lawson (Letters, Mar 23) does not seem to be able to see beyond his prevailing personal differences of opinion with the SNP leadership. Instead of condemning the UK Government for imposing more than a decade of austerity and for its severe economic vandalism, Mr Lawson would apparently prefer to focus on perceived SNP shortcomings which have resulted.

Local councils across the UK have been starved of necessary funding, and not only have a number of councils in England declared bankruptcy but council tax payers in Birmingham will face a 20% rise over the next two years with no guarantee that potholes will be filled and local facilities will remain open. In Scotland during this UK Government-spawned “cost-of-living crisis”, struggling council tax payers will not be burdened with increases over the next year while the Scottish Government is providing increased funding of more than 5% in real terms in order to help address the many local funding demands on our councils.

READ MORE: Humza Yousaf: Council tax freeze U-turn 'embarrassing' for Labour

Following Brexit the UK Government has largely failed to replace the bulk of EU funding, and although it has introduced some direct funding of selected projects and seed capital funding of chosen “green freeports”, there is still a huge shortfall in proportionate infrastructure investment in Scotland. Of course there are considerable concerns around the establishment of freeports, some of which have been expressed by the EU, but the UK Government has denied the Scottish Government the control it enjoyed previously over EU funding and effectively has cornered it into accepting UK Government terms or having Scotland lose prospective UK funding altogether.

Perhaps instead of even whimsically contemplating the tax advantages of having his home included in a green freeport, Mr Lawson could spend more of his time using his considerable political experience to help the rest of us build the case with undecided voters for the people of Scotland to take control of their own destiny.

Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian

I COULD not help but sense the irony of seeing photographs of First Minister Humza Yousaf’s visit to Inverclyde to celebrate his apparent council tax victory over the local Labour-controlled Inverclyde Council. I would have thought that millions of pounds of cuts to council services, regardless of which political party run the council, are nothing to celebrate.

On his way to his photo shoot he must have passed very close to the Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow where the now infamous CalMac ferries still reside many years after they were ordered. I assume there will be no photos to be seen of him on a visit to the yard.

READ MORE: All local authorities in Scotland set to adopt council tax freeze

On a rough calculation, the overspend on these two ferries could easily have financed a two-year national council tax freeze. Had the contract been managed in anything approaching a competent manner, the hundreds of millions of pounds which have been swallowed up by this project could have been used to save us all from a multitude of cuts to vital local services, employed many more teachers and filled almost every pothole in the land.

Glenda Burns
Glasgow

ANENT the recent article on a circular economy (A circular economy will provide serious support, Mar 21), I thought we already had a few examples in operation.

Our overworked and underpaid doctors and nurses work their socks off to keep the NHS running and us all fit and well. They pay all their taxes to the Treasury to help pay for the NHS.

Frank Hester then makes enough profits from his services to the NHS to donate £10-£15 million to the Tory party without missing it.

This helps keep them in power, when they again put an inadequate sum into the NHS, so that it can again pay Mr Hester exorbitant sums, and he can again…

Sadly, this is not the only example of the kind of circular economy devised by the Tories.

P Davidson
Falkirk

A LABOUR leaflet for Douglas Alexander dropped through my door. Well – I enjoy a good laugh as much as the next person but the cynicism is chilling.

The party that took us to war with Iraq (Alexander was part of that government) and introduced the private sector into NHS and education infrastructure reckon they’ve “changed”. Into what they do not say.

Like the Tories, they point the finger at horrific waiting lists but fail to say that they support the very Brexit that caused much of the economic carnage ruining public services. They support the Brexit that means staff vacancies cannot be filled and hugely expensive agency staff are used instead, adding to costs.

READ MORE: Brian Cox hits out at media in BBC Laura Kuenssberg interview

The wealth inequality that blights Britain began to grow exponentially under the last Labour government – of which Alexander was a forward part.

Of course he does not mention his party’s truly shameful lack of leadership over Gaza.

On the back of the leaflet Anas Sarwar promises to “maximise” Scotland’s influence. Scotland’s influence in Westminster is well served by the independent voices of a slew of good SNP MPs behind the impressive Stephen Flynn. Globally Scotland’s influence has been trashed by Tory/Labour failings on Brexit and Gaza.

But most eye-popping of all is the promise – and I quote – that Labour will “give our nation a seat at the table”.

News flash! Scotland wants its own table, and we’d like our crockery and cutlery back as well, thanks...

Amanda Baker
Edinburgh