Benn inspiration

“The Burning Passion of Tony Benn” (Magazine, 18 August) was an inspiration. He and I have followed parallel roads in politics for 65 years – him at the top and me at the bottom!

I used to agree with him on “the mistake of nationalism” when it was equated with superiority, domination and aggression accompanied by the 
candyfloss culture as exemplified
by the Olympics’ closing 
ceremony. But this is an English imperialist inheritance whereas Scotland has a tradition of internationalism, community values and equality.

Also important are the questions posed by Gerry Hassan in the same issue: “Who dictates change and for what?” But unfortunately he doesn’t give us the answers.

For instance, at present Labour is to the right of the SNP but things would change if Scottish members of the Labour Party followed the scenario of the former First Minister Henry McLeish instead of that imposed by its London headquarters.

Scottish Labour should reject the Anglo-American model of an unregulated free market, a banking system of greed, a 
widening gap between rich and poor and the threat of nuclear weapons. A campaign on these issues could end the present malaise and cynicism and gain a Labour majority in the next parliament to complete the independence negotiations in 2016 as a global example of a change for the better. What a marvellous prospect that would be!

Ray Newton

Buckstone Way

Edinburgh