THE Business Insider online has stated that the poem “Friendly Fire” printed in The Spectator under Boris Johnson’s editorship was penned by a staffer named James Michie in 2004. The language is disgraceful, suggesting that Scots be penned in a ghetto followed by comprehensive extermination!

This revelation, followed by the latest survey in the new YouGov poll on attitudes to Brexit and the Union among UK Tory party members, is very instructive.

63% would give up the Union in order to get Brexit, indicating that they harbour utter disdain for Scots (and Northern Irish).

How the Unionist branch parties react to this in Scotland will be eagerly awaited.

What will Ruth Davidson do now? Now that her branch recorded a drop at the last election it seems her shtick to date has flopped. Is she about to be toppled?

If 63% of Tory members across the UK do not care about the Union, then perhaps Ruth Davidson must realise that the party she represents does not think much of Scots either, and no doubt she is included! It must be devastating to be discarded like that!

So much for the Precious Union from the mouths of the Conservative and Unionist Party UK-wide! It must be deflating to know that the branch has been wasting its time all along!

There is a way the hapless Ruth Davidson can retaliate. Time for Scots to come together! Do not get angry, get indy2!

John Edgar
Kilmaurs

FOLLOWING last night’s debacle of a TV debate, why would anyone vote for one of the five candidates to become Prime Minister if there was a General Election?

Rory Stewart’s approach that Parliament has to be persuaded to make a decision on Brexit before the UK can move on seems to be the most pragmatic.

Bumbling Boris Johnson dissembled on everything, but Islamophobia will be controlled because his great, great grandfather was a Muslim.

Jeremy Hunt never actually explained what he stood for, but the force of his missing personality would persuade the EU to see things his way.

Michael Gove did his best to upstage Jeremy Corbyn by saying he would pour billions into cash-starved national and local government departments despite having voted, over the past nine years, to squeeze the life out of them. “I’ve outlined my detailed plan” is unlikely to convince anyone.

Sajiid Javid’s list of soundbites and his declaration that his family was well served by social security when they first moved to the UK begs the question why did he join the Tory party?

On global warming they all agreed that 2050 is a reasonable target to become carbon-neutral, but none of them explained that carbon-neutral is not the same as zero-carbon.

With more performances like this, surely independence is on the horizon.

Mike Underwood
Linlithgow

THE BBC’s prime ministerial debate was as big a shambles as Brexit has been and will continue to be under the guidance of any of these candidates.

We watched five past, present and no doubt future Cabinet members floundering on every question, the first half hour passing without evidence of any semblance of a coherent Cabinet policy on Brexit.

The presenter was lost trying to maintain control among that loud-mouthed, ill-mannered, clueless bunch, resembling the very polite sergeant in Dad’s Army when what was needed was the sergeant major from It Ain’t Half Hot Mum.

The assistance of the technicians on camera and microphones, who switched them off after they ignored her requests, brought some semblance of order to the chaos.

Perhaps we should be grateful to the BBC for airing this debate, which helps pave the way towards the end of their precious union of equal partners which is neither precious nor a union of equal partners.

John Jamieson
South Queensferry

IF further proof were needed that Ruth Davidson has a poor grasp of maths, look no further than her comments on Tuesday’s round of voting in the Tory leadership contest, which saw her preferred candidate, Home Secretary Sajid Javid, only just make the cut with 33 votes. Boris got 126. She said Mr Javid was “doing really well”.

Brian Lawson
Paisley

ALL sides of the equation are coming together.

The Tories are deep trouble, the American presidency is struggling for survival, the pound is collapsing, the dollar is being replaced as the default oil currency!

What can we do to focus minds outwith these minor niggles?

I know, let’s start a war somewhere. Let’s identify a new and dreadfully dangerous enemy (no, not our own governments).

Let’s wave the flags, rally the troops, deflect the focus! It should be Israel? Every bit as bad as Saudi, perhaps worse. Definitely worse in my mind, but I can’t say that in case I am charged with anti-semitism.

No, let’s have a go at Iran. We’re still smarting that they got out from under and nationalised the oil that had been making us and the Americans filthy rich! The cheek of it, eh?

Get the flags ready to wave our lads off to the war!

Not my flag though. Keep my flag out of this 17th-century mindset. We march to a different drum. Ours signals helping, mending, healing, teaching and building peace, not killing killing killing.

Christopher Bruce
Taynuilt