Readers' Letters: How could SNP let Edinburgh lose TV Festival?

Instead of bemoaning Brexit perhaps she would like to turn her attention to Edinburgh losing its TV Festival after five decades to Manchester (“TV Festival to relocate from Edinburgh after 50 years”, 23 June). Maybe she could explain all the stones left unturned by herself and her predecessor to prevent this happening. I'm sure we would all like to know.

It's easy to complain about others’ responsibilities but considerably more difficult to deliver on your own responsibilities, something which has been a feature of the last 20 years of SNP governance.

Ian McNair, Cellardyke, Fife

Phones aff!

The Edinburgh International Festival’s announcement that the festival will this year be “phone-free” (“Phones banned from EIF events after 'every single' Queen's Hall concert disrupted last summer”, 22 June) hides the fact that the situation which it is aimed to redress – mobile phones going off during classical concerts – was entirely created by the Edinburgh International Festival itself, in that it did not give a clear and unambiguous message to audiences that mobile phones must be switched off.

Previously, a vague message from Nicola Benedetti was broadcast before Queen’s Hall concerts, which did not amount to an instruction to switch phones off. Consequently, some people left phones on, with predictable results. Why is the EIF so reluctant to tell audiences to switch phones off? Is this a misguided attempt not to “alienate” audiences (such as the recently adopted policy of Birmingham Concert Hall to allow phones to be switched on during concerts – later reversed after protests)?

In this respect, EIF and the UK in general are out on a limb – in the rest of Europe and beyond it is self-evident that a message is given before classical concerts, operas and theatre performances requiring mobile phones to be switched off and, if anyone does try to switch them on during a performance, an attendant quickly comes to tell them to switch them off. As in many other respects, the premier arts institution in the UK, the Wigmore Hall, should be exemplary, where before each performance audiences are politely requested to switch phones off. This is what the EIF needs to do.

Robert Halsall, Aberdeen

Be prepared

While welcoming Andy Burnham as prospective prime minister, I share the concerns of commentators such as Andrew Neil (voiced on YouTube) that he may fare no better than Keir Starmer in standing up to the electoral threat posed by Reform, given his limited room to manoeuvre under the current Treasury rules he wants to stick to.

Burnham’s commitment to electoral reform could, however, offer a way out of this impasse. Burnham should make the best possible use of what time he has left before the next general election – August 2029 at the latest – to set up a commission to formulate and implement recommendations on electoral reform, such as introduction of the single transferable vote (STV).

He should draw on the lesson of his victory at the Makerfield by-election, which was secured by the tactical voting (second preferences under STV) of the Greens, Lib Dems and even some Tories to head off Reform.

Graham Atherton, Edinburgh

Labour pains

Some years ago, the lunatic fringe of the Labour Party attempted to convince the electorate that Jeremy Corbyn's policies were the way to go.

The British voters handed Labour a resounding defeat at the polls, and Labour responded by appointing a sensible centre-left leader who managed to convince the public, and sadly himself, that Labour had learned their lesson. Labour, assisted by a shambolic Conservative government, were duly rewarded with a sweeping victory at the last election, and to no one's great surprise immediately set about underminding the Prime Minister and re-establishing the dominance of the hard left in the Labour party.

The electorate have recognised this and the consequence has been the rapid rise of the Reform UK party, and the Labour Party, having no further need of their sensible Trojan horse, has dumped him in favour of a new leadership which believes that the UK should no longer kow-tow to the markets and “should be bolder in borrowing to invest”.

These remarks are an indicator of the economic illiteracy we can expect to see implemented from now on, or until such time as the markets step in.

Graham M McLeod, Kinross, Perth and Kinross

Decent record

Keir Starmer has bowed to the inevitable and resigned, but he can go with his head held high.

He did not tank the economy like Liz Truss, he did not turn a blind eye to parties when the population was locked down like Boris Johnson, he did not accept a £5 million gift and lavish “donations” from tax exiles like Nigel Farage.

But he did make a few mistakes, like every UK prime minister since records began.

I didn’t vote Labour but I know Starmer did a decent job at an extremely difficult time for the country and has left it in a better state than when he took over, despite what the right wing press says. And he stood up to Donald Trump when lesser politicians such as Farage would have dropped to their knees in adulation.

Andy Burnham is an excellent candidate to take over and I wish him well, particularly in fighting the hate and division promulgated by the odious Reform and even crazier Restore and leading us back into the EU where we belong.

Starmer will become an elder statesman and voice of reason in British politics like John Major and Neil Kinnock, and good luck to him in the future. He deserves it.

D Mitchell, Doune, Perthshire

Ideas needed

Perhaps with the now inevitable leadership change within the Labour Party, we will experience radical new ideas throughout the whole of the UK political scene. Such an element of change is needed badly in Scotland, where for far too long we have been subjected to the mostly toxic ideologies of the SNP, supported by its Green partners.

Most unfortunately, over the years a once-dominant Labour Party has struggled to retain the support of the electorate in Scotland, but perhaps a change of national leadership will cause the electorate to think again.

Certainly, in Scotland political change is much overdue. The SNP can only be described as a spent force, much mired in scandal. It is all too apparent that John Swinney, and his team, are constantly being rebuked by all non-SNP Members at Holyrood.

Robert I G Scott, Northfield, Ceres, Fife

Brexit mystery

Why does SNP MSP Calum Kerr (your report, 22 June) fail to explain why, in 2019, the SNP refused to support the Tory amendment to the Brexit Bill that would have retained UK membership in the Customs Union? SNP support would have led to victory for the amendment. The party have never said why no bread was better than half a loaf!

Ian Moir, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway

It’s all talk

The recent declaration by Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, promising Palestinians she will use her role to seek “the peace you desire and the freedom you deserve”, rings hollow. While such sentiments may sound noble, fundamentally, they amount to hypocritical verbiage.

The Archbishop lacks meaningful political or military power to enact tangible geopolitical change. Promising marginalised communities a freedom she cannot possibly deliver exploits their suffering for performative moral posturing.

As a prominent religious figure whose institution wields virtually no diplomatic leverage in the Middle East, the Archbishop's soaring rhetoric serves only to soothe her own conscience. True solidarity requires concrete action and systemic influence, not empty platitudes that masquerade as profound advocacy. By offering grand assurances that will predictably yield no real results, she delivers false hope to a suffering population.

If church leaders wish to make genuine contributions, they must focus on practical, actionable diplomacy rather than exploiting the desperation of Palestinians for superficial, flattering declarations.

Doug Clark, Currie, Edinburgh

London calling

Nicola Sturgeon moves to London, does this mean she will pay HMRC under the Scottish tax band or English, which is cheaper under place of residence?

Tommy Gallacher, West Calder, West Lothian

Tartan tonic

I am writing as a resident of Boston to express my gratitude for the presence of the Tartan Army.

It’s a bit difficult living in America these days, with a clown king for president who routinely insults our allies and is nothing short of a cosmic embarrassment.

But in spite of that, Scottish football fans descended on Boston, bringing with them song and celebration, humour and camaraderie. They lifted our spirits and helped us see the humanity that binds us together.

Thank you.

J A Hamilton, Boston, Massachusetts

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