Scottish Labour

You report (13 March) a statement from a Scottish Labour spokesman, which I took to mean a Scottish member of the UK Labour Party.

However, the message goes on to claim that a vote in Scotland for any party other than “Scottish Labour” would result in the return of the Tories to Westminster “by the back door”.

I’ve never heard of such a party, any more than of the “Scottish Labour Party” which recently distributed leaflets encouraging Scottish electors to vote Scottish Labour to save “our” NHS. As far as I know, only the UK national party is offering Labour candidates at the coming election.

It also seems glaringly obvious to me that anyone voting for any non-Labour outfit doesn’t want Labour in office, and therefore is unlikely to be attracted to the idea of helping them in whatever fashion, and certainly not by voting for them.

That apart, I find it childishly patronising to talk of “back door” electoral success; isn’t that what Labour itself is attempting in seeking support from non-supporters?

In any case, the winners will unavoidably enter by the front door through the invitation of the majority of votes cast.

Robert Dow

Ormiston Road

Tranent