I SAT for eight hours on Wednesday glued to the TV screen watching Nicola Sturgeon give her answers to the Holyrood committee.

My eight hours of watching was nothing compared to the eight hours Nicola endured of intensive cross-examination, some of which degenerated into the absurd self-righteous Tory party political broadcast from Margaret Mitchell.

The unintended consequence that cross-party committee delivered, to which I thank them, is that it shows: Scotland, in First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, is being led by a stateswoman. She has tenacity and courage. She has strength and compassion.

Scotland, it has been confirmed, has in Nicola a leader the people can be proud of – and that says a lot in this dysfunctional world.

There are not many countries in the world where you can just use the first name of a person, in this case Nicola, and everyone knows that you are talking about the First Minister of Scotland. The use of a single word to convey a message, a brand or a political message is the dream money of marketing managers!

You can bet that the democratic world’s media, and beyond, were watching Nicola, the First Minister of Scotland (yes, that wee country – with probably one of the world’s biggest diaspora which is proud to have its Scottish roots) defend and promote the operation of Scottish democracy and equality of treatment against the “political wolves” of the other parties whose only agenda was to destroy a political leader they cannot defeat under the democratic process of the ballot box.

The people of Scotland can stand proud, in the eyes of the world, by the stature of Nicola.

READ MORE: Senior Tory MSPs 'not consulted' about Nicola Sturgeon no-confidence vote plan

Now, let us move forward united as one movement under the leadership of Nicola and make sure that we deliver a super-majority for the SNP in the May election which will allow us to pass the Referendum Bill for independence – this is the only recognisable route. Then we can win that independence referendum.

Stewart Dickson

Skirling, by Biggar

I HAVE to take my hat off to Nicola Sturgeon for managing to get through what only can be described as a “full-on” interrogation. I personally think it is disgraceful that anyone, let alone the Scottish First Minister, was subjected to this ordeal.

As always she rose to the challenge and came through the process with her head held high. It makes me ponder on how Boris Johnston would have handled a similar fate?

How would he have coped with an eight-hour interrogation on, say, the Priti Patel saga, the Dominic Cummings fiasco, Matt Hancock acting unlawfully, to name but a few. The Conservatives are quick to judge and want the “lamb led to the slaughter”. They need to take a good hard look at themselves!

Let’s learn from any mistakes, move on and let Nicola Sturgeon get back to the job she is good at – running Scotland!

Nicola Murray

via email

DID the publicly owned BBC act responsibly in its recent airing of Debate Night Scotland? This programme aired the same day as the First Minister gave evidence to the current Holyrood inquiry and the panel included two members of the inquiry committee, Alex Cole-Hamilton and Jackie Baillie.

Various issues were discussed, as expected, but on same day as the UK Chancellor delivered a Budget which had massive implications for so many, it was unbelievable that half the programme was taken up discussing the evidence Nicola Sturgeon MSP gave to the inquiry and going over the evidence Alex Salmond had previously given.

The question is, was the BBC acting responsibly by inviting members of the committee on while the inquiry is still live?

Catriona C Clark

Falkirk

DOES Nicola Sturgeon have any human rights? Or did she waive them when she was sworn into office? Eight hours of interrogation by a politically hostile committee intent on destroying the cause of Scottish democracy (aka independence). Is that fair? When can we draw a line and move on? Never, according to the Cons-the-natives party.

C Walker

via email

I WOULD have thought the members of the Holyrood committee should feel morally obliged to try to be objective when assessing evidence.

Instead, Murdo Fraser and Jackie Baillie have been insinuating the guilt of the First Minister for weeks now, without hearing her testimony. At Wednesday’s committee meeting their hostility was plain to see.

It was obvious that these two sudden converts to the Salmond narrative have allowed the prospect of political advantage to take precedence over all else. In this, they were aided by the prolonged hostile questioning by Margaret Mitchell, an apology for a vice-convener. Linda Fabiani should have intervened on any number of occasions, but failed to do her duty.

The public display of such evident bias is a sorry spectacle and no basis upon which to demand the resignation of the best First Minister Scotland has ever had.

Alastair McLeish

Edinburgh

BORIS was RIGHT! (Bet that’s got your attention.) Devolution has been a disaster for Scotland. Come to that, the previous several hundred years of direct rule from Westminster wisnae much cop either, so let’s have total self-government instead.

It’s never been tried. You can’t describe Scotland’s first independent incarnation as a democracy. We punters had no say in running it, so why not try independence?

READ MORE: Scottish independence: Ian Blackford says vote could be held this year

In spite of the dire warnings of the “Rule Britannia” brigade, whose version of independence would likely see us receiving food parcels from Albania, it’s unlikely to be worse than what we’ve had up to now.

Barry Stewart

Blantyre