Willie Rennie will likely hold on thanks to those with conservative leanings

As you predict, Willie Rennie will probably hold this seat for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I imagine there is quite a large proportion of folk in this area with conservative leanings, and as one of your correspondents noted recently, people who vote LibDem are probably conservatives at heart, but this is a more acceptable vote for them than appearing to support Boris. LibDem is Tory with a smiling face.

The other reason is that although the LibDems have only about 6-7% of the vote, the party focuses all its efforts on a few seats where they have a good chance; another is Edinburgh West. It doesn’t make much difference to their overall tally of MSPs since, with such a low overall percentage of the vote, they will get correspondingly fewer list seats. But, winning a constituency is seen as a bigger prize.

Therein lies the probable reason why Ruth Davidson is dodging the election and taking up her worthless sinecure in the House of Lords. Her prospects of retaining her constituency seat in Edinburgh looked very uncertain. What does she do as leader of the Scottish Conservatives? Muscle in on somebody else’s safer seat, or put herself at the top of the regional list like DRoss is doing? Both avenues don’t look very good, so she decided not to bother. At least moving down to London, she can now exercise her considerable investigative powers on governmental irregularity and breaking ministerial code. The Tories give her a lot of scope for that ...

Hugh Walker

Dunfermline

FIRSTLY, I must thank Colin Counter for his letter (March 23) suggesting first vote SNP and second vote Green. If we want to ensure a pro-indy majority government then that is simply the best way to get it, although this paper makes clear it supports the both votes SNP, which is risky, wastes votes and opens the door to Unionist MSPs. Where another pro-indy non-Green candidate has a better chance on the list vote, then they should get that vote.

Secondly, the poll that really matters is the one that asked “if you were convinced of the economic argument and that you would not be worse off , would you support independence?” and it was 75% for yes. Since 2014 the SNP have failed to achieve that confidence.

To do that, the Yes campaign must be separated from the SNP as called for by Kenny MacAskill and others. A campaign seen by many to be separate and diverse can build an exciting and uniting campaign to win the numbers we need. It can also take the heat off the SNP and they being the sole target as those Nats at it again. A Yes alliance of many groups and smaller parties could not be targeted in this way.

Tony Martin

Gullane

IRRESPECTIVE of the politically charged Holyrood Harassment Committee, Nicola Sturgeon has been cleared by the Hamilton independent inquiry. Amid endless vindictive political opposition she has conducted herself with courageous forbearance, continuing her exemplary leadership during Covid and Brexit. So now it’s back to business.

As the UK Government increases nuclear weapons in Scotland, the Scottish Government is passing legislation strengthening children’s rights. While child poverty and food banks persist, the UK is spending tens of billions upgrading its Trident submarines and nuclear arsenal. This underlines the divergence between a social democratic Scotland and a Tory Brexit Britain.

The public spectacle of Alex Salmond versus Nicola Sturgeon has been a distraction fired by the furious invective of Tory leaders Ruth Davidson and Douglas Ross, aided by senior Holyrood civil servants – and by Peter Murrell. Make no mistake, with the Holyrood elections in a few weeks, the stark choice is between Boris Johnson’s Brexit Britain, which we did not vote for, or building a better future in a nuclear-free independent Scotland.

Grant Frazer

Newtonmore

THE intention to increase the UK nuclear arsenal to 260 warheads must sure belie any discussion that Britain now stands alone, taking directive orders from no-one. Few in Scotland can welcome this decision and the thought of a serious nuclear accident wiping out the majority of the Scottish population. But post-Cold War, we are told we require a deterrent against “rogue states”.

A further decision of no benefit to Scotland is that of the Conservative government to reduce military personnel by 10,000 people. With Scotland’s hundreds of miles of remote sparsely populated coastlines, any incursion by a rogue state would hardly even require a naval force: the invasion could take place by pleasure craft, old bath tubs and troops riding inflatable green dinosaurs.

JD Moir

Aberdeen

FAR from being paranoid, George Kerevan’s Monday article in one sentence sums up the direction of travel of our present society: “we live in a world dominated, economically, culturally and politically – by the internet and big data manipulation” (How secure is our census date if it is contracted out to private businesses?, March 22).

I totally agree, and learn with some concern that the 2022 census data collection in Scotland has been awarded by National Records of Scotland to an American company who offer to sell information commercially.

As we struggle for Scottish independence to shake off the shackles of old-style imperialist domination, we must not allow a more sinister and powerful means of subjugation take control. Beware of “cookies”.

Iain R Thomson

Strathglass