Scotland on Sunday letters: The country needs a strong Conservative Party

Liz Truss announces her resignation outside 10 Downing Street

Oh dear, oh dear. Our leader, who claimed she was a “fighter not a quitter”, has enacted what is hopefully her final U-turn. Liz Truss “cannot deliver the mandate” she was elected on by about 80,000 Tory members, rather than the UK electorate.

Her brief tenure has been disastrous for the party and the country. Rishi Sunak, amongst others, accurately predicted the economy would tank if Truss pursued her extreme economic growth plan and it was clear then as it is now that his policies would have provided some badly needed economic stability.

It seems that the Conservative Party is now in a state of meltdown because, as a founding father of Conservatism Edmund Burke might have put it, “no one dared oppose extreme measures”. He was referring then to the French Revolution but Britain will have a revolution if the Tories bring back Boris Johnson. He cannot be allowed to return from the wilderness and stand in the way of the party’s recovery.

The party must have a conviction politician as leader and a period of stability to recover and become a credible alternative to a Labour Party which just recently itself was unelectable and an SNP increasingly turning itself into a single-issue party. A weak Conservative Party is in no-one’s interest, it cannot again be allowed to take the British people for granted to pursue its own agenda for its rich supporters or elect another self-serving career politician as its leader. It needs to reflect and learn.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

It must be Sunak

The Conservative Party has little alternative but to crown Rishi Sunak as the new Prime Minister. Sunak has the experience, skills and presence to become a good Prime Minister and end this very damaging Whitehall farce.

Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen

Soap opera

So, Boris resigned because of all his Covid misdemeanours and evasions and a Parliamentary committee is looking into whether he is guilty of contempt of Parliament.

Conservative Party members voted for Liz Truss amid conspiracy theories that it was somehow arranged that she would win, royally screw up as PM and have to resign. Boris would then enter the race to replace her. So far this seems to be what is happening, and he might well win.

But what if the Parliamentary inquiry decides he is guilty and he has to resign? And Liz Truss, complete with a policy, personality and brain makeover stands, wins again and is even more catastrophic than the last time. So catastrophic in fact that King Charles abdicates and joins the SNP, Liz calls him an attention-seeker and has to resign again, enabling Boris to have a Muhammad Ali-like third crack at the title? This could run and run.

Allan Sutherland, Aberdeen

Howzat!

In the 48 hours before Boris Johnson "walked" in July, more than 50 MPs resigned from his government. If his dismissal is somehow reversed, how long before he scores a century?

James Bruce, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Cat’s whiskers

Larry, the 10 Downing Street cat, has been the most permanent resident of that address in recent times. I propose that he be put forward as a candidate for PM. After all, he can't do a worse job than those who've been in that office in recent decades.

Geoff Moore, Alness, Highland

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