A RECENT study from Edinburgh University showed that Scotland may have some of the highest known rates of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the world – with an urgent need to use a toilet one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of the conditions.

ScotRail’s U-turn on their promise of free public toilets will be distressing for many people living with Crohn’s or colitis and other chronic health conditions. In a national survey last year, more than 70% of people with Crohn’s or colitis reported that their ability and opportunity for travel were very limited due to the challenges of finding a toilet quickly and safely, in order to avoid accidents in public.

The experience or fear of unpredictable incontinence is very undermining to a person’s confidence and self-esteem and can lead in some cases to the person affected becoming too anxious to leave their home. This impacts their ability to live everyday lives and travel for work or social reasons. ScotRail should reconsider their decision, listen to their customers, and place the wellbeing of travellers above their preference of charging a fee to use a toilet.

Dan McLean
Communications director,
Crohn’s & Colitis UK

I DO not recognise what Lesley Riddoch describes in her recent article (Wings Party could be just the kick that the SNP and Green leadership needs, August 15). The simple truth, which Stu Campbell, Lesley Riddoch, Kevin McKenna and other no longer seem to accept, is that there is no shortcut to independence.

READ MORE: Not for me but Wings Party could be kick that SNP and Greens need

It will happen if and only if we can build a broad, diverse movement that decisively wins support from the great majority of people living in Scotland. Attempts to game the system, by undermining the proportionality of Holyrood elections, or by claiming that a majority of MPs (not votes) would suffice to declare independence, will not only fail, but will set us back as they will be seen as lacking in democratic credibility.

As Nicola Sturgeon said recently, why are we letting Scottish Labour, the LibDems and the Tories off the hook by letting them get away with denying Scotland a referendum? The democratic argument is overwhelming, and we should be relentlessly pursuing it rather than seeking to sidestep it. In addition, it ill behoves supporters of self-determination to complain about lack of action from others: if you feel the SNP is not doing enough, then get out there with stalls and leaflets and talk to 2014 No voters. Don’t complain the campaign hasn’t started yet: it never ended.

Paddy Farrington
Edinburgh

A COUPLE of things from Thursday’s copy of The National have raised questions regarding the ongoing view of the SNP, of which I am a member.

Firstly we had the photograph of First Minister Nicola in Shetland supporting the candidate in the upcoming vote there, for the new MSP. So far so good. Then we have the comments in the article by

Lesley Riddoch suggesting that the ongoing debate regarding the input by Stuart Campbell could provide a timely “kick up the backside” to the party.

Purely by chance I was party to a conversation recently, during which it was suggested that there are currently no SNP candidates in place for a Westminster election, in constituencies which do not have a SNP member at the present time. I really do hope that the person involved was misinformed.

Should that point of view be correct however, surely that is definitely grounds for an admonition as suggested by Lesley. We could be as little as eight to 10 weeks away from a General Election, in which case this is surely a totally intolerable situation. There could be barely enough time to get the large banners and the like, which will be required, manufactured and distributed, let alone the question of getting the faces of candidates known to the voters.

If that is indeed the case then surely questions must be asked of those who are in charge of forward planning for the party. It has after all, been painfully obvious for many months now that an election could be on the cards, almost without warning, and that all the necessary bases should be covered and ready to press the “go” button at a moment’s notice.

By and large party members will usually always vote for our candidates. It is however the votes of the general public which are vital to the success of our cause and the future of the entire independence movement. We must be out there to be seen and recognised by the people at large in order to deserve success.

George M Mitchell
Dunblane

HAVING helped ban two congress women from travelling, is it true Trump can now be reached at Thedonald@netnYahoo.com?

Richard Easson
Dornoch