Focus on poverty

The issue, raised by the Rowntree Foundation, of public 
attitudes to state benefits and poverty (Brian Wilson, Perspective, 15 May) is so much more important than the obsession with the constitution currently displayed by our political classes.

It far transcends in importance the flag you wave or where you put the border posts.

It is the sort of thing that makes me so frustrated with many of our Nationalist brethren, at least those who are (or claim to be) of a leftish leaning.

We should not be in 
different parties arguing about how everything would be 
fabulous (or not) if we could only shake off the English yoke.

People of like mind should be working together to address the real problems of poverty and the demonisation of the poor, unemployment, social care, 
the economy, housing, health and all those large matters that go to making up society and its needs.

Instead we constantly argue about how many angels can dance on the point of a constitutional pin, gaining nothing and losing focus on the real people we should be helping and the real problems that we should be solving.

It’s a tragedy that we have to wait another 18 months to even think about devoting our full political energies to considering the needs of the people of 
Scotland, a category which is 
real and present, and quite 
distinct from the mythical 
Caledonia that obsesses so many otherwise good and intelligent people.

Alex Gallagher

Phillips Avenue

Largs