THE untimely death last week of Craig Munro, one of our finest activists and advocates, puts things into context.

Craig was the person we should all be. In a whole life dedicated to the campaign for our independence he sought nothing for himself. But for very many of us that was how it was then. Like thousands of others he pounded the streets, knocked the doors, delivered the leaflets in campaigns we had no chance of winning. He continually helped raise funds and served as branch and constituency office bearer as he helped us wrench Argyll & Bute from the Unionists before he made his way to Partick. And how he made us laugh.

But more importantly Craig never attacked anybody. I repeat. Craig never attacked anybody. He certainly never attacked any other members. He won all the battles anyway.

READ MORE: 'Admirable doesn't scratch the surface': Tributes pour in for Yes activist Craig Munro​

Which is in direct contrast to some of the stuff we are seeing now. As we stand at the highest point we have ever reached, with a leader with popularity ratings rarely achieved and independence in sight, we have figures who are treating the Scottish public to an exhibition of public infighting and even some supposed supporters contributing to a campaign to bring our leadership down. None of this appears to have anything to do with our core aim of achieving independence for our country but seems mainly to be propelled by personal ambitions, offence and jealousies.

Of course not everybody in the team is happy with all of the SNP. That’s politics. That’s normal. But let me explain how it works. The SNP membership elects its leaders. Any member of the SNP properly proposed and seconded can seek election to virtually any post. Anybody with issues with any of our leaders is free to contest against any one of them.

At our recent conference and annual election of our executive there was no challenge to our leader. Hardly surprising, certainly, as any challenger would have been thrashed in the vote. So the sniping just continues from the sidelines. It’s really easy to do. Lots of it from people with no responsibilities and elected to no position in the SNP and very often not in the SNP at all. And of course with the full support of the regiment of false friends now among us.

David McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll