RAYMOND Hunter (Letters, September 23) may well be correct in his assertion that what will persuade and drive people to support independence is their belief in it. However, when he emphasises the value of positivity isn’t he missing the salient point that the cry for independence is born from negativity?

It is the negativity of Westminster and its mistreatment of Scotland in its pursuit of policies down through many years that we neither voted for nor wanted, the exploitation of our resources and people and the creation of a society that doesn’t fit with our own more egalitarian national psyche that is the driver. And none of this is positive.

Mr Hunter criticises the “Tory scum out” banners that have appeared at rallies and then makes the confusing statement that it sends a message that conservatives are not welcome. I suspect we are all naturally conservative but by no means Conservatives/Tories. And Mr Hunter should surely realise that anyone who supports the Conservative and Unionist party in Scotland is unlikely to ever be persuaded to the independence cause. It simply contravenes the very core of their politics.

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While I agree that inclusivity is of value, indeed important, I also believe that most ordinary people are naturally conservative to the point of apathy. One of the biggest obstacles to winning independence is how many people have simply disengaged with politics, sick fed up with the apparent self-interest of politicians they’ve come to distrust, perceived to be off on some crusade of micro-controlling rather than benefitting us. This is reflected in the low turnout at elections, particularly in local elections, which is disappointing because the decisions taken at local level tend to have the most immediate effect on our lives, making those elections even more crucial. Incredibly, there are some who would deny a people’s vote on Brexit because they’re “fed up” voting; they’d rather have the impending disaster of Brexit than bother to cast a vote to influence it.

For many, political apathy has reached the point where they are no longer interested in what happens beyond their front door, in their immediate neighbourhood, or their family and friends. Unless something directly impinges on their world it doesn’t exist. Isn’t this a powerful barrier to independence? Surely it will take something equally powerful to breach it?

Historically the means to independence has been the very negativity that Mr Hunter eschews. Invariably born of indignation, distrust and unfairness, the negativity rises to the point of anger at a status quo that is perceived as overly dominant, domineering and exploitative. Of the colonies that have left British control, none have returned to the fold of voluntary subjugation. In some cases it took bloody struggle, in others it was achieved by more peaceful means but in each case the driver was anger at being controlled by a foreign power.

So, the reality is not that restoring our independence can be achieved because it’s a jolly good idea and we’ll get it because we want it. Independence is essentially a negative antagonistic process of conflict that motivated people will have to fight to achieve, to demand it, through the ballot box. With this crew at Westminster you could be as nice to them as you like; it won’t budge them. They will simply view it as an act of weakness. And yes, the necessary actions to achieve independence will alienate some Unionist stoics, who will have to be considered as unfortunate political collateral damage.

After many years of UK blue and red Tory domination, with Brexit, hasn’t Westminster delivered the very conditions to make people disgusted and angry enough to shake off their apathy and regain control for Scotland, to conduct our own affairs better than that which has been inflicted on us? Don’t we need to embrace the negativity to win positively?

Jim Taylor
Edinburgh