IN what has been a very busy week in politics, the complete lack of response from the supporters of the empire is absolutely thunderous.

A group that take the moral or political high ground on each and every SNPBAD story have been completely silent on each of the Westminster shockers of last week.

Where are the foot soldiers rushing to defend the Home Secretary now that her senior civil servant has resigned and is taking her department to tribunal on the grounds of constructive dismissal?

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Where are the sirens of yoon to raise the cry of “no blame” as flood defences yet again prove to be completely unfit for purpose and and one of the train companies has to be taken under public control?

Where are the caps lock specialist commandos to justify the suggestion that the UK does not need farms?

Where are the vigil keepers at the gates of the Downing Street bunker complex, crying to see their messiah, the petulant but missing PM?

Have they given up the struggle? Have they chucked in the towel?

As much as I would like to think that they have, I suspect that they are just hoping for the storm to blow through so that they can continue with their pitiful attempt to deny Scotland its democratic wish.

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Something else that I suspect is that the storm, far from blowing through, is only now gathering to its full potential.

Ever since the fiasco of the EU negotiations highlighted just how inept and arrogant the elite of the imperial council are, it has been only a matter of time until that arrogance starts to bring their house of cards crashing down.

The occupants of the bunker complex are being exposed as clueless bullies on multiple levels and just as the Home Secretary will learn a lesson in humility, so will her boss. He will soon realise that we do not care for his constant and undemocratic refusal of a Section 30, but his petulance will need it to go to court so that his ego can blame it on others.

We are watching the death throes of an auld toothless leopard, and the sooner it expires, the sooner all peoples on in this archipelago can get a government that works for them and for Scotland, one that is socially just and free from the imperial edict of Westminster.

Cliff Purvis
Veterans for Scottish Independence 2.0

IN reply to Ms Pannell’s comments (February 26) about my letter to The National (February 22), I have no problem with opinions or criticism provided they are positive or contain alternatives.

In my letter I used the word snipe in its antagonistic and conflicting sense, and that was what I was opposed to in George Kerevan’s column. In Castlemilk, where I live, a snipe would be interpreted as being hostile or insulting, but that’s my community, where in 2014 they voted three to one for independence (I reckon it would be higher now).

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To suggest that if we don’t criticise we become cult-like in our movement is ridiculous –, or are we obliged to do criticism in order to avoid Unionist slander?

Incidentally, the first person I heard use the word cult against the SNP, its voters and members was Ed Miliband. After the 2015 election, when addressing a Labour gathering, he claimed “we were beaten by a cult.”

Both Miliband and presently the Unionist opposition use the word to smear the SNP and the indy movement. We in the movement merely laugh at the claim because of our diversity. The Unionist purpose is to sow confusion and mistrust among those citizens considering self-determination. I personally think we should not give our opposition any help.

As to conferences, I need no lessons. Over 50 years I have represented neighbours and rank-and-file work colleagues at many as a lay delegate.

Allow me to put two questions to Ms Pannell: 1) How does she know “the rank and file are already uneasy about the direction of the party”? 2) How does she know that “most Scots are left-wing”? Evidence would be welcome. Her second statement would seem a contradiction in this respect. Why would those who were left-wing vote for the SNP in last December’s General Election and help give them an overwhelming victory if, as Ms Pannell claims, they are “adopting right-wing policies”?

Ms Pannell makes wide-ranging comments about many things. Other readers can deal with them better than I.

Finally, can I say that Ruth Wishart’s columns are excellent and very enjoyable. I remember Ruth when she was a journalist with the Daily Record and I worked in the machine room. Her articles were good then too.

Bobby Brennan
Glasgow

THE candidacy for the Edinburgh Central seat appears to be becoming a proxy for an internal SNP war. SNP members might like to pause and reflect on who is stoking this phoney war and which adjacent country has a history of similar tactics of divide and rule.

My concern is the seepage of SNP internal division to the independence movement. As the largest party we accept and expect the SNP to take the lead role. At the same time, as the party of government we expect the SNP to continue to take decisions in the best interests of Scotland. While there is an interdependency, the two are not the same.

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It is time to establish a lead independence body which can mobilise, organise and publicise the cause of independence. The SNP and the First Minister may take the lead in forming this body but it would leave them to concentrate on “the day job” while getting others to do the “heavy lifting”.

Can I remind people who are calling for a referendum now that our positions on crucial issues such pensions, currency and borders are six years out of date and pre-Brexit, and that while our support is growing it still lacks organisation?

Ian Richmond
Dumfries and Galloway