Lord Foulkes ‘is playing politics with people’s lives’ Defending our democracy

IN times of national crisis like this, it’s vital that a nation’s leader communicates with its citizens.

Nicola Sturgeon has done so steadfastly and with clarity, and she has demonstrated empathy and understanding for the difficulties that Covid has caused us all. The contrast with Boris Johnson is obvious.

So (the dreaded “so” at the start of a sentence), it’s outrageous for Lord George Foulkes, Labour member of that unelected House, to put pressure on Ofcom and the BBC to stop coverage of the First Minister’s coronavirus briefings.

We’re in the midst of a major public health emergency and many lives depend on how the government manages it; communication is a vital part of that management.

Lord Foulkes is playing politics with people’s lives. Maybe he’s looking back to Scottish Labour’s glory days, when it dominated Scottish politics.

I have news for him: the SNP are now in government at Holyrood and Scottish Labour is a rotting hulk, ready to slip beneath the waves.

If Lord Foulkes hopes to restore his party’s fortunes in Scotland, he should stop his political games and look instead for some people and policies that Scottish voters might actually find interesting. Doug Maughan, Dunblane.

AT long last, someone from Labour has picked up the sword and gone to defend democracy in Scotland.

Lord Foulkes has involved the broadcasting watchdog, Ofcom, and asked them to investigate the daily briefings of Nicola Sturgeon in the run-up to the Holyrood elections early next year.

To claim as he does, that Ms Sturgeon uses this high-profile exposure on BBC and STV to expound her political views is the understatement of this century so far.

The Tories claim it is used to push SNP policy and stir up resentment. Absolutely; who could possibly argue with that? Shame on you, BBC Scotland and STV; enough is enough. Alexander Mckay, Edinburgh.