I didn’t agree with Alex Salmond, but he ran circles around the current SNP

Though I utterly opposed Alex Salmond’s divisive nationalist dogma, I am not going to use his death to launch an ad hominem attack on him. Like every death, his is a personal tragedy for his family and friends, and a loss to many of his colleagues.

It’s understood he had aspirations to rejoin Holyrood in 2026 as an Alba MSP – and indeed, I would have thoroughly enjoyed watching his finely tuned debating skills reduce to rubble those ineffectual and frankly incompetent individuals who lead the SNP these days.

Martin Redfern

Roxburghshire

I read your editorial about Labour’s first 100 days with interest. The government has made some unforced errors, but perhaps the “legendary” Morgan McSweeney can help right this ship.

The Conservative party are not faring much better, particularly after losing their centrist candidate, James Cleverly, and being stuck with the more hard-right Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick (neither of which seem set to put the Tories back on track). It would be tragic if it wasn’t so laughable.

So the poor, beleaguered public are as usual the ones who will suffer. Hopefully the Budget won’t be the doom-fest that it is predicted to be. Labour can win hearts and minds again, but it has to do far better – and fast.

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

Starmer is in danger of continuing to fight yesterday’s battles, when he has an ideal opportunity with his solid parliamentary majority to reset the agenda. No one wanted to mention Brexit during the election, but since significant growth in the economy would come from a revival of our traditional trade with the EU, it is absurd now to rule out rejoining the single market or the customs union – especially since the majority of voters now accept that Brexit was a mistake.

Even more short-sighted is for Starmer to refuse to consider reopening free movement for young people, which would help our universities and sectors like hospitality, and generate goodwill towards the UK within Europe – with few implications for long-term population growth. It should not be kept as a bargaining tool – it should be an essential first move towards closer relations with the EU.

Gavin Turner

Norfolk

Clair Woodward bemoans the reluctance of HR managers to recruit older staff in her recent article. As a long-retired personnel manager (before the term HR became popular) I have always thought that older recruits bring two valuable qualities to a role.

Firstly, they have long experience and maturity. Secondly, they do not see the job as a step to advancement and are likely to be content in the position through to normal retirement.

If we want to grow the economy, we must learn to use all the skills available.

John Wilkin

Address supplied