Skewed logic

Colin Hamilton’s qualified support for major reform of the House of Lords and the introduction of proportional representation for Westminster elections (Letters, 28 April) is welcomed and I presume he agrees that these objectives are more critical to progressing UK democracy than whatever policies political parties adopt to encourage internal discipline.

That said, his apparent preference to believe “revelations” contained in a “secret dossier” and presumably other material that has miraculously been exposed by the mainstream media in the lead-up to the election on 7 May, such as the contents of a “leaked memo” at the Scotland Office, rather than the straightforward words of the UK’s most trusted political leader, perhaps may sway others to sincerely question who is wearing a “blindfold”.

Furthermore, Mr Hamilton, along with other anti-SNP scribes, would seemingly also prefer to believe an Institute for Fiscal Studies report that has effectively been discredited by all of the major UK political parties than apply some basic common sense.

Is it plausible that more than £100 billion could be invested to stimulate UK growth over the next five years without achieving any additional economic growth?

Is it likely that a Westminster government borrowing slightly more to increase targeted spending and pursuing progressive 
tax rises, allied to a considerable reduction in expenditure on nuclear weapons, will add to austerity in comparison with the 
implementation of policies 
promoted by the other main 
political parties?

Thankfully, increasing numbers of the Scottish electorate appear neither to have limited 
vision nor skewed logic.

Stan Grodynski

Longniddry

East Lothian