AN interesting aspect of election campaigning is that you are in the community and get to talk about politics with strangers – scary but very interesting!

My experience has been that the electorate are not so hostile to the Alba Party as the mainstream media would like to suggest. In diverse communities the voters are enthusiastic about Alex Salmond, who is still much loved in Scotland despite the narrative of the SNP leadership.

Long-standing SNP supporters who have been closely following the debate about the Gender Recognition Act have expressed their horror at the direction of the party on issues such as safe spaces for women. For others it has not been an issue because they, like me, were ignorant about it and have never been invited to join the debate. I was finally invited to join the debate by the Alba Party, who have listened carefully to what women want and based their policy around it.

The other critical lesson is that independence is very urgent, particularly when you look at the Westminster crooks and cronies whose greatest joy is apparently in rule-breaking. And the devolution settlements are in their sights.

Look at Northern Ireland and how it has fared under the current Prime Minister. We need independence negotiations to start before they shut down Holyrood.

The indy narrative from the SNP leadership needs to be respectful. When Alex Salmond is questioned by the media about his “disagreements” with Ms Sturgeon, he does not allow himself to be drawn into that petty level of discussion. The First Minister should do likewise.

If the support for the SNP drops in this election it will not be because of Alba – a party that has spent time persuading voters to use their constituency vote for the SNP.

The rapid demise of the Labour Party in Scotland provides a terrible warning about complacency.

Maggie Chetty

Glasgow

THE SNP leadership are behaving like gangsters fighting a turf war for control of the independence support. It is one thing supporting your political party, quite another when you are, in effect, asking your members to vote against fellow independence activists who have thrown their weight behind the Alba Party.

It’s not about holding on to your power base, it’s about achieving independence for Scotland. The best way to do that is to support fellow nationalists who may air views on self-ID and the Hate Crime Bill that do not concur with those of the SNP leadership. The days of dictating how members should think on issues of a personal nature are not acceptable to many rank-and-file members.

Over the past five years, the SNP has gone soft on independence. Nicola Sturgeon confirmed on the Andrew Marr Show that this election is “not about independence”. That is why she is so enraged that the Alba Party has taken up that mantle from the SNP. So much so that the First Minister is prepared to turn a blind eye to the abuse dished out by some SNP-elected members who believe that party loyalty is more important than the independence cause.

There is no doubt the First Minister is still feeling vengeful against Alex Salmond and she comes over as more interested in criticising members of the Alba Party than facing the real enemy, the Unionist parties. It’s no surprise that the Unionist media, in particular the Daily Record and The Sun newspapers, print and report every comment made by the First Minister and some elected members.

There will be occasions such as the upcoming election on May 6 when SNP loyalists will be expected to put party before independence and vote SNP on their second vote rather than vote for Alba, and by doing so will invariably return Unionist MSPs. On the other hand, if you use your second vote for the Alba Party, you will get MSPs with a commitment to independence.

In the early 1900s Sir WS Gilbert said when referring to party politicians: “I always voted at my party’s call. And I never thought of thinking for myself at all”. Now it’s time to think independence and vote Alba with your second vote.

Bill Clark

Fort William

SO NatWest threatens to move HQ to London if Scotland votes for independence. The chief executive confirms the potential departure of the Edinburgh-based bank after almost 300 years but was “neutral” on the issue of Scottish independence because it was for the people to decide.

So if the bank wishes to move, why not now? If the bank wishes to stay, how can it be “neutral” on Scottish independence? Neutral? No, just their little contribution to the anti-independence propaganda machine.

Peter Barjonas

Latheronwheel

SUNDAY morning and it was time to wake up and taste the Coffey. BoJo had decreed which Cabinet minister would do the rounds of the studios and it’s Thérèse Coffey’s turn. With the air of a weary social worker having to give a positive report on a miscreant that she really didn’t like, poor Thérèse looked as if she would rather be at home with her feet up, drinking a cup of tea and reading the morning papers.

Her job was just to be there and say nothing – you don’t become a Cabinet minister if you don’t possess these skills. And so the charade of questioning became an exercise in nothingness and forgetfulness. No, she had no knowledge of the price of wallpaper or exclusive sofas or piles of bodies or dodgy trusts – it was a masterclass in how to burn up airtime with nothing more than a vacant expression.

After Sophy Ridge came Andy and the Marr’s attack: same questions, same meaningless answers but more interruptions, just to keep the viewers awake. She held fast, unfazed, but the twinkle in her eye had gone. I switched off having had more than enough Coffey for one day.

Mike Herd

Highland