I NOTE with interest that prominent Scotland in Union (SiU) supporters are attacking the First Minister over her visit to Auschwitz.

This is an interesting group fighting to retain their United Kingdom. Daily I read three newspapers (including The National) and my first port of call is the letters page in each. My how I delight to view another diatribe from what appears to be a scrievers’ group linked in some way to SiU!

Sometimes I have the pleasure of perusing the same letter in two or even all three of the publications on the same or successive days.

Some weeks the correspondents have so much time on their hands that they can make two or three contributions.

Their modus operandi appears to be to do down Scotland and especially its government at every opportunity, usually using well-worn mantras based on semi-truths or Westminster propaganda. What has always struck me is their sheer lack of support for Scotland.

I do not know the background of the members of the scrievers’ circle. However it might be significant that the addresses of many of these subscribers appear to be in leafy suburbs and therefore many of the writers may have considerable incomes, savings, pensions or investments.

As they appear to condemn most of the actions of the Scottish Government which aim to alleviate Tory hardship policies and counter general Labour confusion, could it be their main purpose is to retain the Union in the hope of benefitting their personal wealth rather than aiming for a better existence for Scotland and its peoples?

They seem to consider Scotland incapable of being an independent country while being content to allow their beloved United Kingdom to continue and be led out of Europe to probable oblivion by the weakest, most inept Prime Minister I have experienced in my 70-plus years.

Doubtless I shall have to endure a set of letters from the scrievers’ circle when they can decide which (or how many) of their numerous correspondents should attempt to undermine my comments.

Colin R Mowat
Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire

THE personal attack on Scotland’s First Minister by Scotland in Union after the visit to Auschwitz betrays the intolerant, xenophobic ethos of that group, now transparently exposing the long-suspected and now abandoned pretence of “Mr Nice Guy”.

It has long been known that when an argument is being won, the unprincipled antagonist will attack personally its presenter. That is precisely the despicable tactic of the opponents of an independent Scotland, who are predictably aware of the growing cross-party support for that aspiration.

All who espouse Unionist opinion should be ashamed to belittle their case in this way, but the independence movement will realise, also long suspected, that “the gloves are off” and that there is no depth to which certain parties will not stoop to attack the Scottish aim of recovery of the country’s sovereignty.

No further condemnation of such behaviour is necessary, and it is hoped only that those who initiate and admire such strategy will slide back into the pond from which they have emerged.

J Hamilton
Bearsden

THE attack on Nicola Sturgeon over her visit to Auschwitz gives a fair indication of the calibre of people heading up Scotland in Union.

The founder Alastair Cameron previously issued a stricture which specifically stated that the members of the “group” of letter writers can only “mention their existence verbally”.

He put this writing to the group and then denied its existence.

He made this order because doing anything more “risks editors discriminating and nationalists reacting” and “this diverse group being portrayed as a monolithic campaign”.

The members of the non-existent group were urged to “all keep up the great work”. With that degree of ineptitude, no wonder their benighted Union is slowly collapsing before their eyes.

Douglas Turner
Edinburgh

I AM shocked and amazed and even a little bit depressed by the statements which have appeared in The National from Pete Wishart, Alex Neil and Ian O Bayne (Letters, November 3) calling on the SNP not to support a referendum on the Brexit deal being cobbled together by Theresa May’s hapless government. Instead we are to stand shoulder to shoulder with the little Brits, Rees-Mogg, Bojo and most of the Scots Tory MPs, and vote for Brexit – or even worse abstain, like a bunch of cowards afraid to make up our minds.

Apparently our support for a second referendum might encourage a future UK Government to call for a second or even a third indyref if the Yes campaign won by a small number of votes. I am sorry Pete, Alex and Ian, but I think the UK powers-that-be may have thought that one out for themselves and will have decided on as many indyrefs as they need to keep Scotland shackled to the UK.

Our decision on Brexit must be based on principle. Brexit, any Brexit, is bad for Scotland, it’s bad for Ireland and it’s bad for the EU. It’s bad for England too but they seem to want it. However, we in the SNP must be concerned first of all for Scotland but also for our neighbours in Europe.

No doubt in the not-too-distant future we shall argue for a frictionless border at Berwick, and the best way to achieve that will be to keep us all in the EU or at least in the single market. The SNP wants Scotland to be a European country and to take its place in helping to reform the EU. We want to be European and we want to be independent. Now there is a good slogan – Independence in Europe – where have I heard that before?

No doubt the politically naive thought it would be useful to blunt the attacks that we were separatists. Let’s hope they learn. To be a nationalist you have to be an internationalist, respecting the rights of all nations but protecting the rights of your own.

George Leslie
Fenwick