DESPITE Theresa May wearing SNP colours, she has made it abundantly clear she is against independence, that she is determined to keep the Union. Under David Cameron we might have had a chance for another referendum. Under Theresa May it already seems further away.

She has avowed fairness for all and has spoken about working for everyone, but this cannot be true. She cannot work for me as I am an independence supporter and I believe in the social justice the SNP are working towards, things that seem abhorrent to Theresa May.

Also, I do not believe most of what she said in her speech.

I now think we should not mess about with waiting for another referendum. We should simply declare independence. What can she do – send in the army? We have been fighting for independence for far too long. It is time to sever relations and ties with England. Tear up the Act of Union, it is out of date for the

21st century.

My parents did not live to see independence, I wish to live to see us free from Westminster. So, come on Nicola Sturgeon, let’s take back our country and sign on properly with the EU.

Prof A McGregor Kettles (retired)
Aberdeenshire

THE tenor of newly-anointed UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s first speech was dictated by a desperate attempt to restore some popular support for a widely-despised Conservative Government.

Arguably, not since Margaret Thatcher stood in Downing Street and quoted St Francis of Assisi – “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony” – has there been such a brazen display of political cynicism. May’s will be a government of class warfare, of savage austerity, attacks on democratic rights, of militarism and war.

The agenda of her government is set by the deepening crisis of British and world capitalism. UK growth has slowed to 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of this year and the UK has a record current account deficit.

Writing on the influential Conservative Home website, Ryan Bourne, head of public policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs, urged: “Our new Prime Minister must resist the temptation of Keynesianism and maintain fiscal sanity.”

May is a hard-line Thatcherite, who is considered capable not merely of political spin designed to paper over the Tories’ reputation as the “nasty party,” but also of ruthlessly defending the interests of the ruling class.

Her political record includes opposing a minimum wage as an unacceptable burden on business and declaring that tax credits for poorer workers “disincentivise” people from working more hours or finding better-paid jobs.” Ending poverty, she added, was about ending “idleness”.

May can rely on a pliant media to uncritically repeat her lies and to claim that the election of a woman as Prime Minister is somehow progressive – even after Thatcher. But the main advantage she enjoys is in the fact that she faces no opposition from the Labour Party and the trade unions.

Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee

FIRST female Conservative Prime Minister: “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony.”

Second female Conservative Prime Minister vows to

“create a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few”.

Aye right.

Dennis White
Blackwood, Lanark

THERESA May has started badly hasn’t she? (‘I’ll save the Union’: the barking words of May, The National, July 14.

The Conservative and Unionist party was so named for its union with the Liberal Unionist Party in 1912 and has no relationship with May and her Union dreams for Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

The union with the Tories was not a good idea. Look at the Liberals now.  In fact the term Unionism, in the hands of the Tories is a poisoned chalice. 

Christopher Bruce 
Taynuilt 

I THOUGHT Hans Christian Andersen died years ago. Clearly I was mistaken. He appears to be writing speeches for Theresa May.

Rona Bird
Crichton, Midlothian

WITH Boris Johnson let loose on the world as Foreign Secretary, I’d better speed up digging my nuclear bunker as it won’t be long before that buffoon upsets someone. As for the rest, despair does not do justice as to how I feel. Roll on indyref2.

Charlie Gallagher
Sullom, Shetland

THE appointment of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson as Foreign Secretary – despite his history of adultery, dishonesty (making up stories as a journalist), elitism, laziness – signifies there is hope for all sinners. Step forward Alistair Carmichael as the new Minister for Truth and Tony Blair as the chairman of the Iraqi Peace and Reconciliation Commission.

James Mills
Johnstone

I BELIEVE “the Union”as portrayed by Theresa May will be run on similar lines to the government of William Pitt, who said: “The Highlanders are hardy, intrepid, accustomed to rough country, and it is no great mischief if they fall. How can you better employ a secret enemy than by making his end conducive to the common good?”

Frederick Stewart
Portlethen


Democracy seems to be a tough idea to grasp

WILL the Labour Party every get its act together? We live in a democracy, yet few of its MPs seem to understand this. There’s every chance when the next leadership election returns Corbyn as leader again, the party will split. To paraphrase Milton’s Satan, Labour politicians seem to believe it’s better to reign in obscurity than to serve under Jeremy Corbyn. Stephen McCarthy Glasgow HOW ironic that Labour leadership challengers Owen Smith and Angela Eagle are calling for a second EU referendum.

I’ve heard that others in the Labour parliamentary group at Westminster are planning repeated leadership elections if this current coup against Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t work. Apparently they think this will wear Corbyn down and lead to his resignation.

It seems that both the will of the public in a referendum and their members in a leadership race are to be ignored by these so-called democrats in the Labour Party.

Isn’t this the same Labour Party that constantly drones on about not having a second independence referendum in Scotland? Kenny MacLaren Paisley