IT was with mixed emotions that I learned Lesley Laird had failed to retain her seat at the General Election.

On a personal level she helped me with an irritating problem and I was extremely grateful for her assistance.

Regretfully, however, I could not in all conscience vote for a party led by Jeremy Corbyn, whose election could, I believe, have been financially ruinous for for the UK.

Losing the General Election by a considerable margin was probably the best thing that could have happened to the Labour Party.

For the past few years they have been like a football team that is playing its reserves in the first team whilst a number of its first team players have been languishing on the back benches.

It may seen unbelievable that at the moment that all is not yet lost for Labour at the next election. If they can replace Corbyn with a moderate leader untainted by the current regime and that leader can produce a sensible manifesto at the next election which is financially believable, all things are possible.

There is also the possibility that over the next five years Boris Johnson will lose some of his popularity, particularly if things go badly post Brexit.

If, however, Labour elect another leader in the Corbyn mould, they are facing a long period in the wilderness, if not total oblivion.

The current composition of Labour Party members electing the new leader, however, gives me no grounds for optimism.

Meantime the SNP are buoyed up by their electoral results. In truth, however, this is a party going nowhere for the foreseeable future. The Conservatives will not agree to the holding of another Independence Referendum regardless of how many reasoned arguments Nicola Sturgeon puts forward.

Sooner or later it is going to dawn on the SNP membership that their leader cannot, despite her claims to the contrary, deliver a second Independence Referendum.

In fairness to Nicola Sturgeon, however, I don't think another leader would fare any better.

The Liberal Democrats, a misnomer if I ever heard one, lost their leader Jo Swinson. Despite her self endorsement, it is doubtful if Ms Swinson will be remembered as one of the best Prime Minister's Britain never had.

After the Swinson election result we were treated to a display of uncontrolled glee by Nicola Sturgeon. I can understand her reaction having experienced the same euphoria when the result of the Independence Referendum was declared.

Finally the latest election confirmed the importance of having a good slogan. In the previous election, although they did not win, Labour benefited from the slogan 'for the many, not the few'.

In this election the Conservative slogan 'lets' get Brexit done' chimed perfectly with an electorate who were fed up to the back teeth with the seemingly endless blockade of Brexit by Parliament.

When they were finally afforded the opportunity of a General Election they took it with both hands and voted for the party they considered would bring the Brexit impasse to an end and the rest, as they say, is history.

JAMES MARTN,

Cocklaw Street,

Kelty.