Letter: In a Gray area

Picking, in turn, the Tories, and then the SNP as his targets was inept politics. Every man and his dog know where responsibility lies for the cuts that are now required; indeed, there is no evidence whatsoever that Labour was not to blame for the structural deficit.

But it his so-called "attack" on the SNP on independence that really takes the biscuit. When those not in favour of independence poll at about 75 per cent, it surely is not an issue. But Labour insist on talking about it to the detriment of their own proposals.

But what did for Labour politicians was their mindless adoption of SNP policies they had previously opposed, such as council tax and student charging, thus giving the impression they did not have a clue what they believed in. I wonder if Mr Gray realises that his free education policy sits uncomfortably alongside his Labour MP colleagues who were marched through the Westminster lobbies to provide support for top-up fees legislation down south?

It ill-behoves the Scottish quality press to regale readers with suggestions about what Labour needs to do to improve its prospects, when polls indicate that over 60 per cent of voters at Holyrood do not want Labour, and even more do not want Iain Gray as first minister.

Douglas R Mayer

Thomson Crescent

Currie, Midlothian

SO Iain Gray is changing his attack from the Tories at Westminster to the SNP's plan for independence (25 April).

We all know that independence is not an issue for the majority in Scotland, although it is the long term goal of the SNP but all the three other major parties oppose it. tooth and nail

So this election is not about independence, it is all about running Scotland and who will make the best job of that, over the next five years.

There is no doubt that, with the support of the Conservatives, on balance, over the past four years, the SNP has done a pretty good job; of the party's 94 pledges 84 have been implemented, along with many Conservative policies.

Constitutional change, that is independence, is a separate issue from running the country and lain Gray has no vision of running Scotland in the current economic mess that Gordon Brown has created and left for all of us.

Kenneth G Ferguson, OBE

Stoneyburn

Edinburgh