I thank the Evening Times for the article by Stewart Paterson on the 'bedroom tax' and how it could drive some people to suicide.

In the second week in November the Labour Party in Westminster put forward a motion to abolish the 'tax'. It failed by 26 votes.

One quarter of Labour MPs did not support the motion. Familiar names among those who did not vote to abolish it were Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling, Jim Murphy and Anas Sarwar.

Scottish voters should know of this hypocrisy.

Colin Mackellar Glasgow

Mall madness

Someone help me out here. For the life of me, I can't think of anything you can get at midnight which isn't available the rest of the day.

Why then must we make Christmas all about late night shopping?

Most malls open at 8am and close around 8pm, that's 12 hours of shopping, seven days a week. I would have thought that was ample time.

Has anyone given a thought for the workers in the retail industry? Do they have a choice to work these long, unsociable hours, or is it just a case of the owners not giving a jot about them because they get richer?

John Campbell Posted online

Bridge-builder

Re the recent articles and letters on Sir William Arrol. My father worked in the Dalmarnock plant as a foreman 1930s/40s and I heard lots of tales from him about different projects around the world.

To get from Barrow in Furness to Walney Island you have to cross the Jubilee bridge, built in 1903 by Arrols. Every time I cross it, I give the plaque a little pat.

Alastair Berry Via email

Sick thieves

re money stolen from sick kids. This is about as sad as one can imagine.

Thieving sick kids' money - money that was going to put smiles on the faces of children, some of whom are sadly living on borrowed time, is the lowest of the low.

John Irvine Posted online