I AM writing to question the rationale provided by Richard Walker in Thursday’s National (Both Votes SNP is best way to ensure independence, April 8). While it is very amiable in tone, I don’t detect much urgency about the road to independence. Indeed this is what has mystified me about SNP pronouncements in the election campaign so far.
Alex Salmond, leader of the Alba Party, has highlighted that achieving a strong position for independence in the election allows a variety of possible routes to independence. This sounds eminently sensible to me.
There are a number of reasons why we should be getting on with this urgently. As other National readers have highlighted, the Internal Market Act immediately threatens the Scottish economy and Scottish institutions. Boris Johnson and his colleagues have repeatedly shown their disdain for the law, for parliamentary traditions and for the powers of the devolved parliaments. They have already begun to reverse decades of campaigning on race equality with their recently published report.
The impact of Brexit has yet to make itself felt in terms of jobs, tourism and educational opportunities. The Johnson government will do whatever it wants no matter how hare-brained, selfish or wasteful. We need to get independence on the table for negotiation as quickly as possible.
The SNP must remember that many Yes voters want independence and it is not the preserve of any one party.
I was astonished to read that Richard Walker thought that the surplus constituency votes were not “wasteful”. I think that if our goal is seriously for independence, we need to collect as many independence votes as we can.
I will vote SNP 1 and Alba 2.
Maggie Chetty
Glasgow
IN response to George Rhind’s letter (April 8). The list vote situation in the West of Scotland is very far from complex – it’s really dead simple. Given the SNP’s commanding lead in the constituency vote, as reported in Thursday’s National, short of a monumental political disaster in the next four weeks, the SNP will get NO seats from the West of Scotland list. The SNP list vote will probably be divided by nine or 10.
Every SNP list vote in the West of Scotland, and in most of the other electoral regions of Scotland, will help put a Unionist in Holyrood. It is time the SNP looked at the bigger picture and put country before party, and independence before devolution.
On Thursday The National devoted almost two full pages to an article from Richard Walker, who begins by admitting “I’m doing so to maximise my own chances of getting a seat” and ends by stating that “both votes SNP is not perhaps the most generous-spirited slogan ever coined” and then has the cheek to ask us to take a hard look at our own motivations. Well Richard, I have certainly looked at yours and I don’t like what I see.
John Baird
Paisley
IT is so encouraging for me to read a letter such as written by Owen Kelly in Thursday’s National about the obsequious contents of the UK press. It also is encouraging that your paper exists to provide a very welcome alternative to the blatant, mostly incorrect and mischievous propaganda output not just via the British press but other media such as the BBC.
I have experienced rife propaganda since being able to read and listen to the radio. It all started in Kenya, Uganda, Malaya and on the high seas as a radio officer trying to find a broadcast that the crew would be happy with. It is never-ending but perhaps there is some hope that our advancing civilisation is becoming a bit more adept at recognising and sifting the dross out.
So thank goodness for The National. It gives perhaps the only proper aspect in the UK press to our impending election in May and provides, instead of one-sided opinion, some showing and publishing of different opinions for its readership to examine as they think fit by treating us with a modicum of intelligence for Scotland’s independence.
So, keep up your worthwhile reputation that you have established for your discerning readership, letter-writers, and successful journalists. Don’t go away!
W D Mill Irving
Kilbirnie
I’M unclear why there is such attention placed on seat numbers in the forthcoming election in respect of it providing a referendum mandate. The election vote is proportional in nature whilst a referendum would be via popular vote, hence the vote percentage is the statistic that counts. Anything over 50% for independence parties would be a mandate. Votes moving among independence parties may change seat numbers but would not change the overall percentage vote.
Callum Towns
via email
IT is reported that Douglas Ross fears the PM will not be visiting Scotland during the election campaign! Boris, we are missing your presence! Well, the Scottish Conservatives are missing the presence of the PM, I am not sure anyone else in Scotland has even noticed there is no space in his diary for a visit to Scotland.
However, should he make space, perhaps a visit similar to the one he made in 2020 to Scottish fishing communities should be on his route, just as a wee gesture and an opportunity for them to give their verdict to Mr Johnson of his government’s sell-out of the Scottish fishing industry as a result of Brexit.
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
WHY did Scottish Labour have to get their leaflets printed in Kettering, Northants? Are there no printers in Scotland able to print leaflets?
Ann Leitch
via email
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We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
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Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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