Alexander attack lacks any credibility

Published on Saturday 4 October 2008 20:02

MY CREDIBILITY was seriously strained reading Wendy Alexander ('Salmond is straining credibility on HBOS, not every sinew', Comment, September 28).

Ms Alexander's musings, clearly residual hubris fuelled by bitterness and a "sense of victimhood", made sad reading. There are people in the Scottish Government and Parliament working hard to save jobs and Ms Alexander is offended by some of the terminology used.

It may be uncomfortable for Ms Alexander, but it was her boss, Gordon Brown, who laid the groundwork for the present financial difficulties. He sold off UK gold reserves at bargain prices, stole billions from pension funds, increased UK national debt to its highest ever level and encouraged personal debt to the highest level on the planet. The gap between rich and poor facilitated by Brown as he cosied up to big business will hit the poorest hardest, and his doubling of tax for the lowest paid – for which he apologised – indicates clearly where Mr Brown and New Labour's priorities lie.

Ms Alexander's "we all share the First Minister's desire for Scotland to be a fantastic place to do business in" is hypocrisy – all Ms Alexander and her New Labour colleagues want is the downfall of the SNP Government so that Scotland can become a fantastic place again for New Labour.

Rather than indulging in this bitter and hypocritical rhetoric, Ms Alexander should consider visiting her constituency and explaining to the elderly how so many more are likely to die of hypothermia this winter due to unbridled profit making by big business. All of this under a Westminster New Labour Government.

B McLean, Dunfermline

THE only political spivs running for cover in recent years have been Labour MSPs, of which Ms Alexander is a shining example. Does she seriously believe that enough time has elapsed since her ignominious departure as Labour leader for the voting public to have forgotten the events surrounding that departure?

For her to attempt to take any moral high ground over recent difficulties in the banking sector is a disgrace. She should still be hanging her head in shame instead of attacking Alex Salmond in the same petty, name-calling attacks that are synonymous with Labour MSPs. The First Minister is doing a good job for Scotland in difficult times; it's a pity Ms Alexander is still too blinkered by Labour doctrine to see that.

C Murphy, West Calder