I HAVE to disagree with the claims John Jones made as to Nicola Sturgeon’s other commitments being seen as a snub. I was at the march, the rally and an after-event concert and the issue was not raised in any conversation I had.

The beauty of the independence movement and the further progress we have made since 2014 has been the grass roots being the motor driving the agenda. This we showed once again in Edinburgh. Senior elected representatives have been at most rallies this year. It really is time to stop finding fault with who was or wasn’t there and get on with the day job of working together to deliver an independent Scotland.

Colin Macpherson
Straubing

READ MORE: No-show from Sturgeon at Edinburgh march was a slap in the face

THE letter from John Jones caused me some disquiet. Is this seriously a complaint against the First Minister, who, if she had turned up, would have been attacked by all parties opposed to independence as well as the mainstream media? A case of damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.

Having been at a number of local meetings with the First Minister in attendance have no doubt her ultimate goal is a free Scotland.

I wonder how many fellow marchers voiced the same opinion as John? I certainly never heard anyone say it was “a snub”.

Hector Maclean
Glasgow

REGARDING the letter from John Jones, who suggests that it was a slap in the face for all the supporters of independence that Nicola Sturgeon wasn’t at the march in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Why, I ask? The Yes movement is made up of people all supporting independence from all walks of life. The Yes movement is not the SNP. I have always voted SNP, I became a member after 2014 so I am an ardent supporter of Scotland becoming independent.

I noticed from the pictures in Monday’s National that Joanna Cherry and several other SNP MSPs were at the march. I don’t see why it should be so relevant to some people that Nicola wasn’t there. Nicola did tweet that she was sorry she couldn’t attend on this occasion.

Don’t be so childish by expecting our very busy First Minister to be at every Yes march.

Anne Smart
Milton of Campsie

“To have the biggest and last march of the year in the capital without at least an appearance of the First Minister was a disgrace,” writes John Jones. She was probably too busy getting on with her day job of running the country.

Alistair Waddell
via thenational.scot