Scotland Matters Letters

HUMZA Yousaf is certainly attempting to be Nicola Sturgeon’s “continuity candidate”. He is continuing in the recent SNP tradition of not having notes taken or meetings recorded (“Hague casts doubts over FM’s missed vote on gay marriages”, The Herald, May 9). This seems to be an all-too-common approach by the SNP. It casts severe doubts over its ability to negotiate on important issues if it takes such a slap-dash attitude. Perish the thought that these politicians should ever try and arrange a genuine attempt at an independence referendum. This would have more holes in it than a Swiss cheese and would be easily cut to ribbons. Is an SNP government with Green “help” seriously the best Scotland can do? Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.

Let’s Make Scotland Normal Again!! Help us do more videos like this!! CLICK BELOW!!

The pro-UK side has never had a better opportunity to get rid of the SNP/Greens and their ill-conceived independence obsession. Scotland Matters has big plans to help all this happen and so we are appealing again for donations to fuel our campaign.

HELP SCOTLAND MATTERS GET THEM ALL OUT! Donate to our campaign of online action, leafleting, billboards, meetings, advans and advertising.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER

CLICK HERE TO DONATE VIA CHEQUE OR BANK TRANSFER

Humza Yousaf tells us that Scottish politics is more toxic than it has ever been. Amen to that, but a bit rich coming from someone in the SNP, where demonisation of the “other has long been a tool in the box (the other in this case being the English/Tories/ London). They promoted this as there seems to be a constituency for it here, hence they hoped to gather votes. What they never realised is that it released a poison into society, which is dangerous. Willian Ballantine, Bo’ness.

At long last it seems that the anathema of the SNP is on the wane. Hopefully, we can expect some respite from the tartan/woad rallies and anti-UK slogans. And at the Scottish Parliament — now that the absolute shambles to be found in almost all administrative sec-tors by the SNP/Green alliance is becoming public—surely an early Holyrood election is a must. he SNP politicians who have already left, or are about to leave office, have left a legacy of economic and administrative mayhem for whoever is selected to pick up the pieces at Holyrood. There is no rationale for the Scottish electorate having to wait until the spring of 2026 for elections to the Scottish Parliament to be held. With what can only be described as a “shambles” within the SNP administration, it is surely imperative that elections for Holyrood be called as soon as possible! Robert IG Scott, Northfield, Ceres, Fife.

IT seems ignorance really is bliss in Kevin McKenna’s myopic world. His “At Large” column (“Campaigners for Yes movement have their own kind of majesty”, The Herald, May 8) was filled with all the clues as to why the majority of Scottish people shun nationalism. He seems oblivious as to why he saw so few people dare to openly celebrate the Coronation or fly the Union Flag when passing through Possilpark and Maryhill to an All Under One Banner (AUOB) march for independence while he asserts a dubious attendance figure of 15,000 (going on 5,000) and quoting one attendee: “Ye cannae beat a bit of chaos and rebellion on Coronation day, can ye big man ?” Maybe, just maybe, the majority of law-abiding Scots remember the divisive, embittered referendum that set neighbour against neighbour, split families and friends, we remember the torch and pitchfork mobs surrounding the BBC because Alex Salmond was asked awkward questions by the BBC’s Nick Robinson; even now we have former Westminster SNP leader Ian Blackford spouting indignant outrage at journalists who asked an innocuous question as to why the new SNP Westminster leader was not informed of events. We remember Labour’s Jim Murphy being hit with an e while trying to express his opinion of the benefits of unity within the UK. Mr McKenna snipes from the sideline while not offering any better alternative, either by the replacing of the monarchy with an equally privileged tier of other privileged high heid yins, or by replacing Westminster’s Parliament with a mini-me version of exactly the very same parties now in Holyrood. It is also interesting to see and hear the morphing of the fickle, shallow mindset of independence supporters from SNP to the soon-to-be new, fresh, cuddly independence party. Allan Thompson, Bearsden.

IF A new award was made for outstanding moral courage, Joanna Cherry would be the first recipient. She has been threatened, abused, vilified, sacked for her views, not for ability, from the SNP front bench, and is now the target for silencing. It takes a special courage to be, like her, on your own, stay upright and refuse to bend to that gale of toxic malice. But why among our umpteen elected MPs and MSPs does Joanna Cherry appear so alone? Why did the righteous outrage of our whole body of public figures not pour their wrath upon The Stand for cancelling her? They must know The Stand’s decision was an assault not just on her personal right to free speech, but on the very principle itself. Yet what we have from them is thunderous silence. Were there medals for moral cowardice, they would find a place on many an elected chest. What Joanna Cherry is fighting for is not her own right alone. At stake in this issue is the foundation of our democratic way of life: the right of the individual to think freely, express those thoughts freely without fear, and to be heard in the public sphere. That is what makes our society fundamentally different from those where authoritarians rule. Desert the principle of free speech, and we are on the road to joining them. Jim Sillers, Edinburgh.

Share this entry