LIKE Angus Shaw of Cupar (Letters, Jun 3), I too have never joined a political party and I have also been espousing Scottish nationalism since the sixties. I, too, sometimes despair at the way independence for Scotland is being dragged into other “causes”. I wasn’t happy when it was equated with being part of the EU. I dislike Brexit and voted to stay in the EU, but that has nothing, in my mind, to do with Scotland being once again an independent country. Whether or not the monarchy is good or bad or relevant at all has nothing to do with Scotland being independent.

When I began voting I didn’t see Scotland becoming independent in my lifetime but I thought it was something which should happen. I still do. Since the sixties I have been through the rollercoaster of hope and then almost confusion – how could we be so near to independence and have it disappear so rapidly?

READ MORE: BBC Scotland's 'agenda' exposed by Wales comparison, academic claims

I don’t understand people who think Scotland should not be independent but I allow them their views. I don’t agree with them but they must believe they have a strong case for believing as they do, even if I will never understand why. Perhaps these people really do believe Scotland is a region of England.

I agree that the side issues which are nit-picked should ALL be dropped – and let’s just get independence for Scotland.

I have also strongly felt, as Ken Gow of Banchory (Letters, Jun 3) so aptly says – why do we have to “obey” the rules set by another country? Let’s just do what is so obviously best for our country and get on with governing it as we should – let’s make up our own much fairer and saner rules.

Once we are in control of our own country, that is when we should debate whether to attempt to rejoin the EU, that is when we should have a proper debate about the monarchy, that is when everything else should be discussed, not now – now is the time to become independent.

As The National is the only newspaper which talks any sense at all I wouldn’t stop reading it – whether I agree with the contributors or not. Though I confess I prefer it when I do.

Priscilla Douglas
Killearn

SO Angus Shaw finds himself at a political crossroads basically because people won’t “Wheesht for Indy”. Failing to debate people’s visions of an independent Scotland is as skewed as his own take on the meaning of woke. How can you strive for the happy and fulfilled society he craves whilst simultaneously denying minorities a right to be heard or experience the safety and security that he no doubt takes for granted?

His assertion that minorities in this country are getting a greater say than the majority is abject nonsense. Nor indeed are they looking to have such influence. They are simply asking for fairer representation. It is disingenuous on his part to describe folk desiring basic equality, respect and dignity as “grinding an axe”.

READ MORE: Attacks on Scotland's democracy and devolution itself are intensifying

I strongly suspect that like so many others, Angus Shaw is unwittingly being played by the underlying and highly funded right-wing groups that are both extremely loud and highly influential within our media today. The groups who have drip-fed us phrases such as “do-gooders” over the years. The groups who want to deflect our attentions away from the important matters of political theft from the public purse and the quiet erosion of our basic human rights. The groups who would rather we scapegoated minorities and have us squabble amongst ourselves about the manufactured, non-existent threat of innocent citizens rather than encouraging the identification and exposure of truly dangerous political organisations and individuals.

Are people not allowed to feel “outraged and demand justice” simply because Angus and others have unilaterally decided something isn’t offensive? Arrogance beyond belief. It is people such as himself who are causing the division by dismissing the basic right of others to express their own feelings.

I do not fear discussion of what an independent Scotland should look like and neither should he. Balanced debate is healthy and democratic. True democracy is the reason I desire independence. Stifling the expressions of others is the exact opposite of this. If we are not grown-up enough to be able to hold discussions on the varied potential visions that lie ahead without adopting the meltdowns of people such as Angus Shaw then perhaps we are not ready for independence itself.

Alan Black
Paisley

THE Scottish Government really needs to get tough with Westminster and the so-termed Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack, soon to get his seat in the failed politicians’ graveyard of the House of Lords.

It is clear that the Tories are trying their best to sabotage the Deposit Return Scheme by insisting that glass be removed. Our government should advise that they will proceed nonetheless. It is suggested that they lodge a caveat in the Court of Session to prevent any interim interdict being heard ex parte the Tory government. Simultaneously a judicial review should be lodged seeking a ruling that the current position of the UK Government is unreasonable.

READ MORE: 'Questions to answer' for Tories over £20k DRS donation, says FM

As stated in a recent article in The National, Scotland needs to man up given the Tories no longer hide their disdain for the Scottish people. We are certainly not an equal partner in the so-called Union. Failure to take a firm grip of the situation will see future generations stripped of the natural wealth of Scotland’s resources.

Peter Macari
Aberdeen

THE UK Government says that the DRS cannot include glass as it would diverge with the planned UK scheme. Surely then, with Scotland’s scheme up and running, the introduction of an England scheme would be at divergence with an already operating system, thereby negating the Internal Market Bill? Perhaps the Tory UK Government are just playing their new jolly fascist game. How long before Scots and Welsh become illegal immigrants?

M Ross
Aviemore