JEREMY Hunt calls for live debates between Boris Johnson and himself before, wait for it, the Tory party members vote!

This matter is now an internal Tory party issue. The general public have no vote, ergo the Tories should look to another means to reach out to their members.

They should call an extraordinary party congress run by themselves and hold it in camera. That would spare us all having to listen! The two candidates can address their members there, answer questions from the floor and sell their programme, contact each member by a prospectus and release a copy to the press. Simple!!

The last thing the public need at this stage is for money from the public broadcaster to assist this internal party stramash!

John Edgar
Kilmaurs

IN the coming weeks, Scotland’s powerlessness to control our destiny will be to the fore, as Bojo and Hunt fight over the right to bully us out of the EU against our clearly expressed will.

Yet look up social attitudes on the Scottish Government website and you find that there is consistently overwhelming support (80%) for our parliament, not Westminster, to take all decisions for Scotland, or all but defence and foreign affairs (and surely Brexit will have dented support for the latter).

Secondly, consider the massive White Paper produced for 2014. This turned independence into a party-political manifesto that could be challenged on all fronts and of course was, especially on the currency question.

If you take a blank sheet of paper, this is pretty much the only White Paper we need. The SNP have been dreaming for over 50 years about what an independent Scotland might look like. But the answer is simply that it will be whatever we choose to make it: we, not Westminster, will write the text in our own time, issue by issue, law by law.

The Tories opposed devolution because they couldn’t believe that Scots could run any of our own affairs. We’ve proved otherwise and next year the Scottish Parliament will come of age. It’s time it for it to take full responsibility for our future.

The other side of my White Paper is grey, the colour of uncertainty, where the major decisions are taken by people who don’t represent us, care about us or listen to us. England will always do what England wants, but should Scotland always do what England wants?

So I want the referendum question to be “Should the Scottish Parliament make all decisions for Scotland?” A Yes vote will break the Union of Parliaments but nothing else, initially, and the rest is up to us. Westminster cannot stop us exercising our Claim of Right, so let’s stop dreaming and start acting.

Robert Fraser
Edinburgh

I NOTED in your commentary on the Tory leadership contest that Ross Thomson MSP believes Boris Johnson can “make us believe in ourselves and our potential as a country again”.

A tad ironic as Ross and his fellow travellers have spent the last three centuries ensuring Scots NEVER believed in themselves or their potential. Hopefully Ross’s predicted triumph will actually be the catalyst for Scotland becoming an independent – and confident – nation again.

Kevin Cordell
Dundee

BORIS, you really should have told us earlier; if you had, some of us scurrilous Scots might have had a different view on your situation.

According to the widely reported news items over the last couple of days, which you have in no way denied, you have been one of the huge number of homeless citizens in our society, but in your case have been lucky enough to be taken in by a kindly lady, and again have been fortunate in that your situation has developed into your status becoming, as we say in Scotland, a “bidie-in”.

It makes your desperate attempt to gain access to that well known tied cottage, “Number 10”, all the more understandable. I’m sure it will also have better sound-proofing.

George M Mitchell
Dunblane

WE should always be fair to our political opponents and give credit where credit is due. So let’s admit that Boris is big enough, and he’s certainly rich enough; he’s just not smart enough. But two out of three is not bad for a buffoon.

Alan Lawson
Dundee

THERE appears to be more than one version of the recent event at Mansion House.

It’s quite possible that Mark Field was just trying to be helpful to a woman who had inadvertently strayed into the wrong venue.

As she approached, he gallantly leapt to his feet and, shaking her warmly by the neck, escorted her to the appropriate exit.

Or it may be that, fearing a terrorist attack from a woman in a red dress, possibly concealing a machete or milk carton in her undergarments, Mr Field resolved to put his foot down with a firm hand and bravely attempt a citizen’s arrest.

This shows that Conservative MPs are more than mere money-grabbers. They are at least ready to seize control where the situation demands.

Mark has simply misconstrued carpe diem (seize the day) as seize the dame.

James Stevenson
Auchterarder

PERHAPS I’ve missed it, but where is the explanation for Scottish ministers siding with the Tories to block Andy Wightman’s proposed amendments to regulate Airbnb-type lets and hill tracks in the Planning Bill?

Does the Scottish Government fundamentally disagree that there is a need for regulating these activities, or were the amendments thrown out on some technicality? Can anyone tell me, please, as it seems problematic to say the least?

Roddie Macpherson
Avoch