THE dossier of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party’s problems with their MPs and councillors, (These horrible Tories prove Ruth Davidson runs the nasty party, The National, August 23) makes dismal reading. It would tend to suggest that the party is having great difficulty in attracting good quality people with principles to stand for for election, and also that those responsible for vetting the candidates are either lax – no pun intended – or have little or no choice. Perhaps no candidate is better than a poor quality one.

It is a far cry from the 1970s when I stood in local council elections but was unsuccessful. The dominant party in the area was the Conservatives and at that time the party was made up of thoroughly decent people who had their own political philosophy, which I did not share, but there was no animosity and I had the utmost respect for my political opponents. After the election everything went back to normal.

I find it very sad that a woman, Jane Lax, can be so vitriolic towards another woman, Nicola Sturgeon, and particularly in respect of what must be the devastating experience of a miscarriage.

WATCH: Nicola Sturgeon responds to suspension of Tory over miscarriage tweet

Is it now time for those Conservatives in Scotland, who believe in Scotland, to form a new Conservative Party – dropping the anti-Scottish Unionist tag? They could leave Ruth Davidson’s anti-Scottish agenda behind and start to make a positive contribution to Scotland’s future.

I believe that for Scotland to be successful our elected representatives must come from a wide range of people and backgrounds representing the whole kaleidoscope of political of views.

Their common objective should be to do the very best they can for Scotland and the people who elected them.
Thomas L Inglis
Fintry

“TORY, Tory, Tory, out, out, out.”

This well-known refrain is often chanted with great enthusiasm and merriment by our independence marchers – at Aberdeen on Saturday, for instance. It might though be worthwhile giving this a bit of consideration.

Last Wednesday we were out canvassing and can report that even in a fairly prosperous Highland village, people are turning from No to Yes. One of our group made a wonderful discovery during the evening – a lady who is a Conservative voter but who is also an independence supporter. As the lady explained, she has grandchildren and she is looking to their future.

Now, this lady cannot be the only person of this opinion in the whole of Scotland. In light of this, and given that we need independence supporters of all political persuasions, would it not be more inclusive to amend the chant to: “Boris, Boris, Boris, out, out, out”?
Janet
Yes Ross and Cromarty

PAUL Kavanagh’s Wee Ginger Dug piece (At the next elections, we need a big SNP landslide, The National, August 20) resonated with my 2014 SNP/Yes campaigning where I experienced this so-called ingrained Scottish inferiority complex. I often heard “we cannae dae withoot England”, along with the No mantra “we are too wee, too poor, and too stupid to govern ourselves”.

Now, even with very limited control over our economy, the devolved Scottish Government has outperformed this hesitant, Brexit-obsessed, hugely wasteful and distant Westminster government in every department.

The fact is England, it appears, can’t do without us since we are certainly big enough, rich enough and smart enough to govern and control our own destiny for the benefit of all who live and work in this richly endowed and ancient nation of Scotland.
Grant Frazer
Newtonmore

A PET cat can be the centre of home life, being a constant presence for many years. It’s therefore understandable that the death of a cat can come as a shock, and many owners can find it difficult to come to terms with their loss.

Grieving for a cat may become more difficult as the death of a pet is not always seen as a significant loss, leading some people to hide their feelings. This means many people avoid talking about how grief has affected them, which can cause them to feel very alone.

Ahead of Grief Awareness Day on August 30, Cats Protection is highlighting its free and confidential Paws to Listen support service, so people facing the loss of a cat do not have to feel alone. The service is run by trained volunteers who offer emotional support.

The service is available between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays. Anyone wishing to use the it can call 0800 024 9494 and a call back service is also available. Alternatively, people can email pawstolisten@cats.org.uk For more information, please visit www.cats.org.uk/grief.
Catherine Joyce
Paws to Listen team leader