Readers’ letters: Keir Starmer treated Ian Murray with casual brutality

One of the first pieces of news about Starmer’s reshuffle on Friday, after Angela Rayner’s resignation, was, in heavy type with exclamation marks, the intelligence that Murray had been “sacked”. Mr Murray certainly thought so, as his departure letter showed.

Then on Saturday, almost as an aside, it emerged that Mr Murray has been appointed Minister of State in two ministries, those headed by Lisa Nandy and Liz Kendall. This strange arrangement is certainly a demotion, unless Starmer uncharacteristically has a cunning plan.

The normal way of proceeding would have been for Starmer to meet Mr Murray to tell him that he was losing his cabinet position and being shifted to another post in the government, not leaving him in limbo for a day. Murray is still in the team, albeit in its outer circle, and so he must prove himself worthy of higher office.

I hope that he will find that a change from fevered Scottish politics is as good as a rest.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Shrewd successor

No doubt Ian Murray is a great constituency MP and held the fort during Labour's collapse but I’m struggling to see what he achieved as Secretary of State for Scotland. He certainly failed to convince his colleagues to save the Grangemouth refinery and was mostly AWOL during the past calamitous year for the North Sea oil industry, the ludicrous wind farms, pylons and giant substations stampede and the rise and seeming disappearance of GB Energy.

Douglas Alexander’s return as is shrewd move and I hope he can turn around the above looming disasters and inject some energy and direction into Anas Sawar, whose lacklustre leadership, if polls are correct, may well hand an unbelievable fouth victory for the SNP in next year’s Holyrood elections.

Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

Murray mistreated

As a dyed-in-the-wool Hibs fan, it hurts me to say that in Ian Murray – a keen supporter of the other Edinburgh team – Labour had a stalwart. He kept the party together in Scotland almost single-handed and helped get Labour 37 seats at the last UK election. He was a terrific, hands-on Scottish Secretary. The Prime Minister rewarded his hard work and dedication with a sacking in his reshuffle. If he felt Douglas Alexander had to have the position, he could have given Ian Murray a promotion, plenty were available.

The automaton-like PM most certainly lacks the human ''feel'' for people and politics that most leaders have instinctively. It bodes ill for Labour.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Indefensible

Why people express surprise that John Swinney plans to fight the next election on independence is beyond me. He can hardly fight on the disastrous record that is 18 years of SNP government!

Brian Barbour, Haddington, East Lothian

Nothing to fear

Alistair Carmichael describes compulsory ID cards as “illiberal” (Scotsman, 5 September).

Generally, most countries in the world issue identity cards, with fewer than ten countries worldwide not issuing them, mostly confined to the anglosphere, microstates and unrecognised states. As of 1996, identity cards were compulsory in more than100 countries. The UK is just one of six OECD countries not to use an ID scheme. Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair has called for digital ID to boost government efficiency.

In Canada, run by a liberal government, although there is no ID card system, various forms of identification serve similar purposes, such as passports and provincial driver’s licences. Liberalism is all very well but has limits. At all times the government needs to know the identity of every citizen. If anyone objects to this, one must suspect them of subversion.

Steuart Campbell, Edinburgh

Blanket ban

Parents are rightly angered that East Dunbartonshire Council approved a new policy that says that pupils are entitled to have their phones in classrooms (Scotsman, 6 September). Contrast this with Edinburgh where councillors have voted to ban them.

Phones in classes and education do not mix. A consultation in May in East Dunbartonshire found that 93 per cent of primary teachers and 88 per cent of secondary teachers wanted a complete ban. So what is the point of a consultation if councillors ignore the findings?

The education of our children is too important to leave in the hands of councillors when their allegiance is to their political party and not to the public who pay their far too generous salaries. The Scottish Government needs to grow a backbone and step in and ensure that all 32 councils in Scotland and the 1,227 councillors ensure that phones are not allowed in classrooms. These same councillors need to be reminded that their constituents pay their salaries and that there will be council elections in May 2026.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Refugee capital

All honour to the people of Glasgow, the refugee capital of Britain. Can we now have some news reporting about how travel-exausted and destitute refugees are faring, and what decent citizens are doing to help them?

Who awarded this accolade on Glasgow? The leader of the Reform Party. What is he? A champion of the fascist gangster Putin and his war against free countries and the Oswald Mosley of the 21st century.

But thanks for honouring Glasgow. Sir Keir, please help Glasgow fund her merciful hospitality.

Tim Cox, Bern, Switzerland

Write to The Scotsman

We welcome your thoughts – NO letters submitted elsewhere, please. Write to [email protected] including name, address and phone number – we won't print full details. Keep letters under 300 words, with no attachments, and avoid 'Letters to the Editor/Readers’ Letters' or similar in your subject line – be specific. If referring to an article, include date, page number and heading.