I’LL try to keep this brief. I read with a mounting sense of frustration the letter from John Scobie (Letters, October 2) attacking the commitment and competence of Nicola Sturgeon. I was thinking, here we go again with significant column inches given to someone with a beef and delighted with the sound of his voice in print, but clueless as to the realities and nuances of political strategy.
READ MORE: Getting on with the day job is not enough – the SNP must inspire
I thought then that it was time to give up on the National. Then I turned the page to see the Long Letter by Judith Jaafar under the headline “False friends would lead our campaign down a blind alley”. This was a very thoughtful contribution, full of passion married to pragmatism, cogently and coherently argued in moderate language. In fact everything the previously mentioned letter was not.
READ MORE: False friends would lead our campaign down a blind alley
Having read it, perhaps the lesson is to stick with The National and accept that in any broad movement, we’re never going to agree with everyone in it. So I suppose this is a plea to agree to disagree, but in a constructive way that doesn’t lose sight of the main prize.
Douglas Turner
Edinburgh
IN response to Judith Jaafar, Scotland is not a colony. We wouldn’t be seeking any resolution through international decolonisation rules.
As I previously said to Jim McKaig, how on earth can it be claimed that a unilateral declaration of independence is somehow nonsensical and potentially illegal? Scotland has been a recognised nation of people down through millenia. Our rights are of long standing.
We entered into a “voluntary” arrangement with the English to unite the parliaments in the treaty of 1707. We have a democratically elected Scottish Parliament representing the people, and should the people determine, in the face of British intransigence and exerting a fascist-like control, to resile from that treaty, then we have a right to do so, and there can be little doubt that it would be recognised internationally.
No-one wants such a course of action, but we have an extreme situation where the Westminster governance no longer adheres to the rule of law, or even common political decency.
Yes, Sturgeon is right to play by the rules, but if push comes to shove and Westminster denies Scots their fundamental right to determine their own future then UDI is most certainly a potential route to the independence we crave and so desperately need.
Rather than nonsensical and potentially illegal isn’t it with regret that if Scotland votes for independance and Westminster refuses it, then UDI may become the political imperative?
Jim Taylor
Edinburgh
READING about the possibility of Mrs May penning a book (Former PM Theresa May claims she has ‘no regrets’ over career, thenational.scot, October 1) made me think: there are children being born in Scotland today who will, as part of their modern studies syllabus in secondary school, be taught how Scotland became a nation again.
These citizens of Scotland will be fascinated by the thought of Scotland being ruled from London, not Edinburgh. They will learn from a trilogy of biographies that together will make up the “Twilight for Britain: How Unionists broke their Beloved Union” collection.
The first book will detail how Cameron the pig botherer, through sheer arrogance, started the process with two referendums. The first awoke Scottish voters to the lies they were being told, the second set off a series of “unfortunate events”... and the rise of the Unionist yapping terriers of ignorance. This book will be called “Arrogant”.
The second will be the most boring of the trilogy. It will detail how Theresa the non-entity flipped overnight from EU supporter to anti-EU figurehead, all for a taste of power. She then skipped through the wheat fields, fanning the flames of intolerance, whilst handing out honours to wife-beaters. This book will be called “Stubborn”.
Last in the trilogy will be the most entertaining, and simply called “LIAR”. The author will still be in jail as the children study his mis-steps. It will reveal how Boris Johnson was used as a puppet to divert the public’s attention by dark forces who now live in a colony on Mars paid for by their Brexit hedge funds, called “Cumming Towers” in memory of their mouthpiece, who mysteriously perished on the first test rocket to Mars after being told he could go ahead alone as an ambassador.
“Arrogant, Stubborn, Liars” will be trending phrase on their devices as they discuss the books, the same catchphrase that became the rallying call for the rejection of the UK by Scotland in 2020.
Charlie Ambrose
Lochgilphead
ON SUNDAY Boris Johnson was heard to say he didn’t want Nicola Sturgeon anywhere near the COP26 meeting which will take place in Glasgow in 2020.
The UK Government do not have a good record on fighting climate change. Fracking has been forced on communities throughout England, funding for carbon capture and storage projects have been cancelled, solar power subsidies were pulled a year earlier than agreed. Trident has been renewed whilst nuclear waste from decommissioned nuclear subs lies in our seas unable to be safely dismantled.
Meanwhile, Scotland produced enough electricity via wind power in the first six months of 2019 to power 4.47 million homes, yet the Westminster government have failed to develop the National Grid to utilise this production effectively. Instead the UK Government chose to build Hinkley Point, so far costing £22 billion.
The Scottish Government last week agreed to a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, widely recognised as being a world-leading target.
Boris clearly does not understand the importance of this summit, his only focus being petty, playground talk devoid of any substance. The UK Government stand to be embarrassed in all areas as comparisons will be made between the two governments and their practical steps taken to fight climate change.
He has once again shown his inadequacies in leadership and inability to understand or face the issues of the 21st century.
Kirsty Etherson
Glasgow
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