There is one aspect of the Scottish referendum result that has so far received little comment, but which the Government would be well advised to heed.

Only four areas within Scotland, Dundee, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire voted “yes”; the remainder voted “no”. Dundee has long been a hotbed of Scottish nationalism; the others however are all part of the old industrial heartland of Scotland that has suffered particularly badly the effects of austerity.

There is a very real sense in which many “yes” voters were recording not so much a desire for independence as a rejection of austerity and of the Conservative government that imposed it.

Even if we accept the need to live within our means, there are still choices to be made within that constraint, and the fact is that the Government has chosen to implement austerity in a very unfair manner.

Today’s letters

At one extreme we have seen disabled people subjected to the full rigour of the bedroom tax, regardless of the fact that they need an extra room to house specialist equipment.

At the other we have seen the tax rate for the highest earners reduced from 50 to 45 per cent. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that, hidden within the guise of austerity, the Government is pursuing a traditional Tory agenda of transferring resources away from the needy in order further to enrich the wealthy who have no such need.

The Government would do well to heed the warning given by Scottish voters. If they continue to treat the rest of the UK with the same arrogant disdain they showed towards Scotland (until in the final days they began to fear they might lose), it is very likely that next May the entire country will respond with a resounding “no” to Conservative government.

Cllr Chris Robins

Foxdown Close

Kidlington

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