Pots and kettles

Defending the shared interests and benefits of the United Kingdom requires a “common vision and a common future” – the words of Labour leader Ed Miliband in his New Year message to the country.

This message sounded very much in line with the Better 
Together campaign – all talk and no substance.

What is Mr Miliband’s “common vision”? What are the benefits of the United Kingdom for Scotland?

Mr Miliband went on the negative once again, accusing the SNP of giving up on social justice, a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black. What has the opposition in Westminster done to protect social justice?

My memory may fail me, but nothing springs to mind. I do, however, recall 57 Labour MPs missing from the chambers during Labour’s own motion to abolish the bedroom tax.

Mr Miliband surely knows actions speak louder than words and there has been little opposition to the drastic austerity measures being rolled out by the coalition, so perhaps his New Year message should have been a pledge to speak up for the vulnerable in society who are seeing no social justice from the coalition or his party for that matter.

Catriona C Clark

Hawthorn Drive

Falkirk

Reading Bob Taylor’s letter (31 December), which detailed the way in which the Scottish Government is presiding over an unprecendented transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in this country, I found it ironic that those who benefit the most from this largesse – those who receive benefits for nothing while being well able to pay for them or who live in large, council tax-frozen houses while local authorities cut much needed services – are, according to polls of voting intentions, the people who are least likely to vote for independence.

Ian Lewis

Mayfield Terrace

Edinburgh