Tactics for Tories

Rob Murray (Letters, 7 October) notes that a lot has changed (for the Tories) in 50 years. In 1950 there was a “Progressive” (in other words, Conservative) Lord Provost of Glasgow – hardly imaginable now but well within living memory.

As an SNP candidate in 1970 I recall a meeting, at their invitation, with Young Conservatives. I left the meeting feeling that half of them favoured Scottish independence. If the Conservatives in Scotland are to rebrand, maybe they ought to drop unionism from their name and programme.

Unionists could still be members and argue their case but so could those hoping for a right-of-centre party to contribute to the future of an independent Scotland. Similar advice could be given to Labour in Scotland.

David Stevenson

Blacket Place

Edinburgh

It IS a Conservative principle to take decisions at the most local effective level.

The nature of that principle inevitably means local decisions will suit local circumstances, and will not always be identical with decisions of other sister bodies.

Far from being a “fundamental contradiction that lies at the heart of Murdo Fraser’s proposal” (Rob Murray, 7 October), we think it is a thoroughly Conservative thing to do.

(Cllr) Jeremy Balfour

(Cllr) Kate MacKenzie

(Cllr) Joanna Mowat

(Cllr) Alastair Paisley

(Cllr) Cameron Rose

(Cllr) Jason Rust

(Cllr) Iain Whyte

City Chambers

Edinburgh