The National:

JUST four people have written to the Scottish Government to complain about indyref2 – and two of them praised Nicola Sturgeon. 

Details of the correspondence were released in a Freedom of Information request yesterday, it’s not known who submitted the request but it’s almost certainly Unionists. 

In fairness, it might not be.

But we really hope it is, because if it is then it’s a plot that's backfired horribly.

The FOI request called for “copies of emails sent to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon from members of the public regarding their concern/anger/unhappiness and/or similar" at:

  • Firstly, the "announcement of the Referendums Bill in her Programme for Government 2020-21".
  • And then "secondly, the Scottish Government’s decision to actively pursue another independence referendum but the email does not necessarily need to reference the Referendums Bill”.

The Government revealed that nobody – not one person – had complained about the announcement of the Referendums Bill in the Programme for Government.

However, four people had emailed Sturgeon to complain about indy. I mean, that's fewer anti-indy letters than the Herald gets in a day. 

In the first email, the writer said they had “been impressed by the clear, precise way you have dealt with the pandemic so far”, before adding: “Why is your government spending money on preparing for another referendum when Scotland is in a recession and in the middle a health emergency? All money should be spent on these crises. This is not the time and I think will lead to a fall in your Government’s popularity.”

The second letter writer wasn’t so keen on Sturgeon in general. It “very much disappoints me to hear you on the bandwagon for Independence again,” they wrote.

The third started off: “I'm a concerned individual who originally voted against you in the first scottish referendum however since Boris came into power and mishandled the pandemic I have become a supporter of your party.”

However, the writer warned, “this might be short lived," saying he'd "like to understand why the SNP is aiming and pushing out future Scottish Independence during a global pandemic when we also may face a recession".

"Would it be better in the nation's interest to maintain the union until we are stable if the first few years may not go exactly as planned?”

That reads like a soft no to us. 

The fourth was far more blunt. “First minister. How about getting on with the day job and throw the indy ref in the bin. You know we don't need this now or in the future.

"The people of Scotland want you to concentrate on the covid virus pandemic and not on your own agenda of destroying the country with another referendum!

"Personally I don't know anyone who wants another referendum or independence.”

We'll put them in the maybe pile.