Supine Labour

The SNP, Michael Kelly tells us, "never did particularly well as Thatcher set about destroying Scotland's economy" (Opinion, 18 May). And what did Labour achieve during that period?

Labour, not the SNP, was by far the strongest party in Scotland during the Thatcher years, and Labour's utter supineness in the face of the Thatcher onslaught should have wrecked the party's credibility for all time to come.

And as to next year's Holyrood elections: if Mr Kelly dreams that, having been soundly beaten in England, his party will grab Scotland as a consolation prize, he is in for a rude awakening. After four years of government by a party with vision, energy and independence of thought, Scotland is no more likely to revert to rule by the McConnells and McLeishes of politics than it is to hand all power back to Westminster.

DERRICK McCLURE

Rosehill Terrace

Aberdeen

Michael Kelly repeats the Labour myth that it was the SNP who brought down Jim Callaghan in 1979 and put Mrs Thatcher into power (Opinion, 18 May).

Jim Callaghan brought down his own government by not making it an issue of confidence for Labour MPs to follow Labour Party policy and vote for Scottish devolution as had been supported by a majority of those who voted in the 1979 referendum.

That majority did not include 40 per cent of the electorate but it was still open to the UK parliament to vote to give it effect. Most UK governments in living memory have had the voting support of less than 40 per cent of the electorate.

Mr Kelly mentions Iain Gray's efforts to recruit to the Labour Party Liberal Democrat voters, distressed by Liberal MPs having brought the Conservatives to power.

He does not mention that it was UK Labour leaders who rejected an alliance with the Liberals, and possibly others, so ensuring that the UK got a Conservative Prime Minister – it is no myth that it is Labour who brought the Conservatives to power in 2010 as well as in 1979.

DAVID STEVENSON

Blacket Place

Edinburgh