I WAS not surprised by the disclosure in Saturday’s National of the bigotry and racism at the roots of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (Ruth’s hall of shame, The National, March 31).

As one who knows the offensive nature of terms like “Teuchter” to my grandmother, “frog” to my wonderful granddaughter and “Dago’ of the jewel who is soon to be wed to my younger son, and brought up as a wee Lambhill Orangeboy, I know the foulness of bigotry and racism and ken fine how it likes to hide under the auspices of decent society.

Any self-respecting person can dutifully buy The Herald and go to church on the Sabbath without worrying too much about the victims of the policies secretly upheld by his or her elected representative

I have in my hand a leaflet from a currently serving MSP which tells me of the wonders he has achieved and which are yet to come. Nowhere among the glossy pages is there the admission that he is a Tory, not even the slightest hint that he is a Conservative and Unionist. Such an admission would be toxic.

It says all you need to know about these people that they are too ashamed to admit what they are.

KM Campbell
Bank House

KIRSTEEN Paterson’s article, (Tories need to ‘kick the racists out the party’, The National, March 31) fails to recognise that these people, whose views I find deeply offensive were approved by Conservative Party vetting procedures and were elected by their constituents. To expect Ruth Davidson, given her track record, to take action is completely unrealistic.

In a democratic country the only people who can sack them are the electorate. Perhaps some of the party’s supporters can ponder and wonder if the money they have donated is being used to create a society of which they can be proud, and if not then withdraw their support. One of the problems of a country which is founded on democratic principles is that freedom of speech, within the law, is fundamental.

What I find sad is that the Conservative Party cannot find sufficient people of ability and commitment to Scotland and its future to stand for election – why?

Thomas L Inglis
Fintry

APPARENTLY uber BritNat Eddie Izzard is being fielded as Labour’s latest hope of winning back votes in Scotland.

That’s the same Izzard who stood on a red, white and blue platform, waving Union flags alongside Cameron and co saying: “Lead us Scotland, don’t leave us”.

All those flag-waving luvvies who told us they loved us, just as long as we don’t start thinking for ourselves.

When you express an opinion that Scotland may be better off running its own affairs you suddenly become a dangerous nationalist as opposed to the cuddly red, white and blue variety.

Izzard is just as removed from our world as the Etonian Oxbridge royalist elites that run Westminster. I will personally never vote Labour again, unless of course it’s a truly Scottish socialist Labour in an independent Scotland. Maybe.

Mark Harper
Dysart

THE Wee Ginger Dug’s article deploring online abuse, both Unionist and nationalist, could have mentioned The Scotsman’s letters page (Sign the Indy Pledge – and help improve our movement, The National, March 28). It’s one of the reasons I long ago gave up on The Scotsman. I last bought a copy on Saturday, March 10 to find that nothing much had changed.

In the space of 80-odd words, one letter described independence-minded folk like me as “pathetically insular”, “petty minded”, “parochial” and “prejudiced”. It also said we were also tainted by racism and with “misguided emotion”. An even shorter letter referred to independence-minded people as “child-minded political fanatics” and as being “at the very least, narrow minded and obsessional”.

The gentlemen who wrote these letters, like their online counterparts, certainly didn’t mince their words. Their sweeping generalisations insulted almost half the population of Scotland! You’d think for a letter to grace the pages of a national newspaper, it ought to be moderately well argued and not the kind of unbridled rant found online. On this occasion, The Scotsman’s letters editor didn’t seem to agree.

Thankfully, The National’s letters page never stoops so low.

Alastair Mcleish
Edinburgh

TORY Murdo Fraser’s response to Clara Ponsati’s persecution was to inform us all that he is booking his holiday in Spain as usual, stating: “Always feel right at home there”. He was supported by Red Tory MSP Graham Simpson, who declared: “Agreed”. Us too.”

Great stuff – the downside being that those two keep coming back.

Malcolm Cordell
Dundee

YOUR correspondent Richard Easson (Letters, March 29) made a good point and probably conveyed the correct sentiment about Guernica, but that town is in the Basque country, not Catalunya!

GF
Edinburgh