Glasgow Cathcart by-election 2005

'A peer of the realm must be beyond reproach.' Nigel Dewar Gibb in the Herald, 5 th September 2005.

No place for criminals in the House of Lords

Your Letters, in the Herald 5 th and 6 th September 2005

If the reformed House of Lords wishes to retain any semblance of credibility here and abroad it must, as an urgent priority, create a system to strip titles and privileges from criminal members. I'm sure that a vote among taxpayers would produce a resounding 99.9% in agreement and would also vote to withdraw all benefits from such individuals. Respect and responsibility are current "buzzwords" and the retention of these people in any place of government defies every possible definition of these words.

To have them in the upper house of parliament, the so-called Palace of Westminster, and have the country's legislation scrutinised by a perjurer and a drunken arsonist, and there may be other known criminals involved, makes the whole process a complete laughing stock. A peer of the realm must be beyond reproach.

Nigel Dewar Gibb, 15 Kirklee Road, Glasgow.

Stalinist rewriting

THE Scottish Parliament website already has the criminal former member for Glasgow Cathcart listed in its "ex-members" section. While those in charge of this site must be applauded for their diligence in ensuring that it is totally up to date, one has to wonder at the description of the aforesaid fire-raiser as having "no party affiliation". He was elected as a Labour candidate and I do not recall him resigning from the Labour Party or being expelled by it during his time as an MSP.

Who is in charge of this publicly-funded website Ð and why the Stalinist (or McConnellesque?) rewriting?

And will the executive's review of bail be extended to ensuring that persons who are clearly shown on CCTV setting fire to public buildings and endangering the lives of many innocent persons are not allowed to abuse the criminal justice system for months by pleading innocence when they are obviously guilty?

James Bauld, 12 Kingshill Drive, Glasgow.

Mike Watson's fall from grace is not, as one or two apologists were trying to suggest over the weekend, a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. It's more like a Brian Rix farce. Picture the scene Ð one New Labour machine politician stamps his feet in frustration and goes on a bender at the "success" of a colleague on winning an award. As a result, he torches a set of curtains. It's not great, it's not Greek and it's certainly not tragic.

It does, however, serve to illustrate the petty feuds and jealousies that are rife in the Labour Party today. If reports are correct and Jack McConnell manages to parachute his candidate of choice Ð not even a Labour Party member Ð into Cathcart, how much higher will the flames of discontent be fanned?

John M Adamson, 38 Abbotsford Road, Wishaw.