WE are reaching out to people in Dumbarton who are affected by diabetes, particularly Type 1 diabetes, to find out more about their experience of diabetes technology such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and the difference it has made to their lives.

Diabetes is a serious condition which requires careful management every day.

For people living with diabetes managing the condition is relentless.

There is no day off.

While CGM or pump technology is not suitable for everyone, we know that it has improved the lives of many of people living with diabetes.

However, availability varies across Scotland with some people opting to self-fund as they cannot get access to this life-changing technology through NHS Scotland.

We welcome the recent government announcement of £10 million to be invested in diabetes technology but we want to ensure that it is invested wisely and fairly with the needs of people living with diabetes at the heart of any decision-making.

We believe that everyone has the right to the support, treatment and technology that can enable them to live well.

We’re calling on people who are living with, or caring for someone who is living with, diabetes to add their voice to our campaign, The Next Step.

If everyone in the diabetes community works together, we can drive Scotland forward to become a leader in diabetes technology and care so that everyone affected by the condition can live happy, healthy lives.

This will not happen overnight but we are confident that we are on the right path.

If anyone would like to find out more about The Next Step campaign or get involved, please get in touch with me on telephone 0141 245 6380 or email gavin.thomson@diabetes.org.uk.

Gavin Thomson, Campaigns & Policy Manager, Diabetes Scotland. Via e-mail.

LIKE many people I have considerable reservations regarding Donald Trump’s ability to be an effective President of the USA.

Of course we have to respect the decision of the American electorate.

However, I strongly support the position of Alistair Carmichael, Scottish Lib Dem MP, who has called on British government ministers to take the lead in condemning the use of torture or waterboarding and to make it clear to President Trump’s administration that a return to using torture by the USA would lead to a withdrawal of sharing of intelligence with them.

During his election campaign not only did Donald Trump support the use of torture and as he said something “a hell of a lot worse.”

The UK has always led the world with our opposition to torture. In recent years by co-operating with rendition and the use of torture we stained our own reputation. That now needs to be repaired.

We should remind our MPs, ministers and leaders that there is no occasion where torture is in any way acceptable.

Finlay Craig, Shore Road, Cove. Via e-mail.

THE New SNP Nat/Bots are trying to fool the public.

It’s all fake politics, fake news, fake PR, fake sales and fake marketing.

“Independence” on its own, unexplained and without cause or reason, is not worth a fart in a trance.

Most notably the New Scot Nat/Bots have studiously avoided and ignored the decisive and crucial question about “The Scottish Constitution.” Small wonder.

All of the indications are that they support an “out with the old Unionist boss, and back in with the new Unionist boss” arrangement. They go on and on with the joke that “We are socialists” but they have produced zero plans for anything resembling a “Scottish Socialist Constitution.”

On the contrary, they can’t wait to team up with the EU, NATO and UN warmongering imperialists. Clearly, they believe it will be good idea to exercise their new found “influence,” viz. which country to bomb and which economy to pirate next under the guise of “trade deals.”

Nothing may be a winning hand when the rest of the school believes you may be holding a Royal Flush.

But not if you are called and you have nothing to show...like the New SNP Nat/Bots. They are New Labour Mark 2...another bunch of losers.

Put the heart back into West Dunbartonshire Council and support your Community Party candidates. The local party for local people and local Government.

James Graham, member of the West Dunbartonshire Community Party. Via e-mail.

MY late Great-Grandmother was a Tory voter.

Prim and proper she was always polite and particularly pointed out to me that it was most important for politicians to speak responsibly.

What she would think of the divisive language deployed by today's Scottish Tories I can only imagine.

We have the Scottish Tory leader who refers to a democratic debate as a “fratricidal conflict” - fratricide, a word for civil war derived from brother killing brother.

Echoing Ms Davidson we had Scotland's sole Tory MP referring to such debate as "Scot against Scot" - as if elections are conflict and disregarding the fact democracy is based on people having different opinions.

Following close on those remarks Ms Davidson referred to Brexit being used as 'weapon' and then referred to people "staring down the barrel of a gun" - more imagery of violence and conflict.

But she has form as she had previously used the term "dodged a bullet."

Isolated it could have passed as a misjudged aberration but in light of the ever increasing rhetoric it has a pattern that now looks deliberate.

Particularly when her Finance spokesperson, Murdo Fraser, only this week says political opponents are threatening to "start shooting the hostages."

Some may say we don't need this importation of Northern Ireland politics into Scotland but even there most politicians avoid such incendiary language because of Northern Ireland's unhappy history and because they know the dangerous signals such language sends to the extremes.

Others more prominent than I can maybe advise the Scottish Tories to cool the rhetoric. If not they may find people like my Great-Grandmother might just send them a signal at the ballot box this May to reign in the divisive language.

William Paterson, Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh.