LIKE many of your correspondents, I am very anxious to see the SNP and the Yes movement taking action on independence.

Not just because I want to see an independent Scotland in my lifetime, but also because I believe this reckless and lawless Westminster government is wreaking havoc with the economies of the UK. The impact of Brexit is beginning to show with the lack of European fruit pickers and hospitality workers, the havoc with Scottish fish and shellfish and the disaster for UK farmers of the Australia deal and the Internal Market legislation.

I am mystified by the Scottish Government’s lack of urgency about independence after the SNP’s election commentary. I agree with those who advocate united action for independence but you can only unite with action on the ground and not with shadows.

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I have already written to this paper to say that the independence movement must unite in action and it is not very encouraging to hear the First Minister making disparaging comments about the Alba Party and its leader, Alex Salmond.

While the FM is welcome to her personal views, she was elected to drive the campaign for independence. Alba is part of that. There are many good people on the ground who are baffled by the talk of “when Covid is over”.

To announce an SNP autumn virtual conference over the conference dates already announced by the Alba Party is not a good look for the FM. But perhaps what it really shows is that the SNP leadership is rattled by Alex Salmond’s demands for action on independence.

There is a solution to this, First Minister – let us get going on Yes movement discussions and white papers on pensions, currency, banking reform and plans for a vibrant independent economy! Let us set a date!

Maggie Chetty
Glasgow

A LOT of people in the Yes movement are critical of Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government for their lack of progress on the independence issue in a general way, without saying specifically what steps they feel need to be taken.

I think such criticism is worse than useless and can in fact harm the struggle for independence.

I can think of a whole number of ways Nicola could take steps to help the independence cause that are much less dramatic, and probably more effective, than naming the date for a referendum.

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One simple thing she could do today is to respond to the demand from the Royal College of Nursing for the Scottish Government to agree a 12% increase for nurses, by making a statement explaining the government’s position. Something like: “Yes, I agree that nurses and other NHS staff are grossly under-paid. I agree that they should get a significant increase in their wages over and above inflation. If we currently had full power over the Scottish economy we would do that today and address this gross inequality.

“However, our resources today are controlled by the Westminster Treasury which inhibits our ability to use Scotland’s full resources as we would like to do. So we are not able to do that today. We are determined to establish an independent Scotland soon, which will have the power to address matters such as this, and we promise you that when we get this power we will put this right as an early priority.”

Now, if Nicola were to make such a promise she would have the support of a large majority of the Scottish people and she would be preparing the ground for independence by demonstrating to the Scottish public what independence is all about and why we need it soon.

Andy Anderson
Saltcoats

MAY I request that Mr Andrew Haddow furnish readers and all Yes groups with the information required to “challenge and engage with No voters”. He has obviously given this much thought since 2014 and is ahead of the game currently played by the SNP hierarchy.

In his letter of Tuesday he wants critics to stop telling the SNP “what they are doing wrong”. Perhaps he should delete the word “wrong” and insert the word “not” in front of “doing”, to sum up the frustration felt by many indy supporters. I look forward to using the “Haddow Principle” in my future independence conversations and conversions. I await with bated breath.

Sandy Coghill
Sligachan, Isle of Skye

IT is hardly surprising that Murdo Fraser was given a platform to undermine the travel ban on Greater Manchester by the EBC in the guise of EBC Radio Manchester. Given this and other recent pronouncements by the bold Murdo, should we shortly expect the removal of the current Scottish Government by coup d’etat and its replacement with a local authority in waiting that would include the bold Murdo? Should I and others not holding the same views as Murdo book our place in the Gulag now? Should The National prepare for being closed down?

Meanwhile, would Michael Fry care to nominate any of the admirable Scottish capitalists he referred to in his latest article (Why we should not weep that bastion of socialism has bitten the dust, June 22)? We can then examine their record of service to the greater good and learn from their example. If we can’t have an equal society can we at least aim for a fair one, Michael?

Finally I hope that the apparently long overdue scrapping of the Scottish Qualifications Authority does not prove to be another exercise in simply shifting the deck chairs and personnel around and coming up with another name for the same organisation to continue as afore in propping up a nineteenth century exams system and the rest.

Melvyn Gibson
via email