In your Glasgow north west election article, one voter made a valid point that MPs make promises they don't keep.

An outstanding example of this is the total failure of both Tory and Labour governments to provide the elderly with a decent pension.

Margaret Thatcher broke the link between earnings and pensioners while Gordon Brown broke Labour's promise to restore that link.

Mr Brown showed how little concern he had for senior citizens by handing out a pension rise of 75p per week. After years of neglect it is hardly surprising the UK pension of one of the worst in the EU.

Felix P McCabe, Cardonald

Gordon Matheson bemoaned a shortfall in Glasgow's budget and wanted an additional £109 million.

To help balance the books, the council should demand some of the £1200 million generated in excise duties and taxes every year by Scotch Whisky.

If Scotland received this instead of the Exchequer, Glasgow's share would be £135 million. Some people may dismiss as unrealistic the idea that Scotland should get revenues from this uniquely Scottish product, but it is better than the current arrangement where every penny goes to London.

Unfortunately, Mr Matheson knows that Labour's Gregg McClymont MP and Iain Gray MSP had the opportunity to obtain this revenue during The Smith Commission but instead voted with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to decline it.

George Murray via email

I would like to add my tuppence worth into the booze ban at football. Football has segregated supporters and normal speech the away supporters are called the opposition. This is very confrontational and is designed this way. Rugby fans mix together to watch the game. It creates an atmosphere of one against the other. Last week at a football ground,without booze, visiting fans were pelted with various items.

For 90 minutes people come to release tensions and are kept apart from "the enemy" but add booze and its a situation that can burst easily inflamed. Perhaps there is a more Machiavellian mind at work here. If there is booze allowed and the "class card" is used it will not be helping anybody. If we go back to those bad old days we might have our A&E departments over-run and then we need more staff and maybe we can't afford to pay them long term and that could be the excuse to push to privatise the NHS.

Charles P O'Brien, Clydebank, via email