Letters / The LibDem manifesto
The Scottish LibDems have launched their manifesto. I don’t actually understand the difference between the Scottish LibDems and UK LibDems. What I do know is that they are not going to be in power in Scotland so why are they making special promises to us about devolved issues?
I don’t think they’ll be in power in Westminster either but even if, by a stroke of miraculous bad luck, Nick Clegg does become Deputy Prime Minister again, I am sure their current manifesto promises will be adhered to as stringently as their previous ones.
The LibDems spent two years, like Jake the Peg, as Tory and Labour’s middle leg, convincing the Scottish people that we were “better together”. That’s fair enough, but we can now see with perfect clarity, on national TV and in all the UK papers right now, that the relationship they had in mind was never to be an equal one, or even a democratic one.
We’re better together but only as long as we vote for a Westminster party and don’t ask for anything. The British establishment certainly doesn’t sound like it wants us to have any real power in this United Kingdom we voted to stay part of.
Why is it okay for UKIP to have a voice in Westminster (even an EU referendum) but not the Scots? I am alarmed by the mixed messages we’re being exposed to.
Our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who isn’t even standing for election, is pronounced “The Most Dangerous Woman in Britain!” with the sole purpose of frightening people into voting Tory.
I’ve met Nicola. She’s modest, intelligent, kind, amusing, approachable and quite tiny. I saw no weapons of mass destruction, only high heels.
This is not a woman who will lead us into illegal wars, close down our manufacturing industries, bring in a Poll Tax, or bedroom tax, hike tuition fees to £9,000 a year, cover up crimes, use the Official Secrets Act to hide important information from the Scottish people, or privatise our NHS. Westminster party leaders are the ones with dangerous track records not Nicola.
The Scottish people were promised substantially more powers, home rule, fiscal autonomy etc. by all three Westminster parties in exchange for a No vote.
After the referendum those same three parties have done all they can to water down those new powers at every stage and drag things out. All the deadlines have been missed. What is left of those powers is under threat from grumbling backbenchers and the House of Lords.
A strong SNP voice will secure us the best deal possible regarding new powers for Scotland but also help the whole of the UK by protecting the NHS and reducing austerity in favour of growing the economy and reducing tax avoidance.
Based on past performance, you can trust an SNP manifesto promise but who would still trust a LibDem one?
Angela Sutherland
Weisdale
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