Infighting in the Yes ranks must end now, for Scotland’s sake

The coronavirus has demonstrated to us all in Scotland that we have to act in solidarity and fraternity with one another at this and future times.

READ MORE: The way is now clear for Alex Salmond to rejoin the SNP

The wider Yes movement has to move forward as one and put all our differences aside. If we are to win independence it will be next year at the Scottish elections, followed by a second referendum for Scottish independence. That is the political reality. Any continued infighting from outriders for both Sturgeon

and Salmond will only damage our cause and delight the British state, which always wants to sow division in the ranks.

READ MORE: Scotland misses out on support from EU pandemic fund

Seven hundred years ago on Monday, April 6th 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath was signed by the leaders of our great Scottish nation to be sent to the Pope at Avignon declaring Scottish independence after the wars of independence. They were in complete unity at that time and that great constitutional document should remind us all that Scotland and its people are more important than divisions that will take us nowhere.

Sean Clerkin
Glasgow

I HAVE been a member of the SNP for nearly 50 years and only recently have I come to believe that I might live to see independence happen. For whatever reason that optimism has arisen under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon.

Now I am faced with factions among the MSPs. Private convictions must be set aside. No one is greater than our one single purpose – to gain independence for our country.

Stick to what we have. Nicola Sturgeon has proved to be a winner and she must be allowed to continue.

James A Findlay
Edinburgh

PLEASE everyone take a deep breath and count to ten or whatever before going online to rip into The National because of the way its Sunday sibling published a certain letter on March 29.

While I believe was a mistake on the part of the Sunday National to print said letter in an unbalanced context, it is regrettably done – and so the paper should learn from its mistake and be better informed for future editions.

READ MORE: If ever there was a time to subscribe to The National, it's now

Meanwhile, online criticism principally serves British nationalists and all agin our independence while simply framing and reinforcing the profile of the “anonymous” letter-writers and their (in my mind highly questionable) intent.

What benefit is there to our independence campaign? I would suggest none.

Positively framed responses to the letter on the letters pages of the Sunday and weekly papers of course are helpful, but negative framing of our complaints is proven by research to reinforce in this case the message of the very letter we may be unhappy with.

Lastly, please remember that the “skeleton” staff working on these papers – and trying to cover all bases – I’m pretty sure have a difficult enough job to do in maintaining editorial integrity without online attacks – and like the rest of us they will make occasional mistakes.

I firmly believe that it’s at the very time mistakes are made that those responsible need the support of others most.

The more squabbling among ourselves, the more the “UK” political and media establishment congratulate themselves on a “job well done” – and I personally believe that there’s far more to this issue than the participation of the letter-writers.

Please remember the bigger picture when understandably feeling the need to express (y)our frustration.

James Dippie
Dalry

IT didn’t take much for the aspiration of democracy to transmogrify in a few to ugly nationalism. The cries to “shut the borders” have become more strident and widespread. In many cases it is the same people who see pictures of drowned babies and castigate the Greeks; who read about a wall and ridicule Donald Trump; who are vehemently anti-Brexit and its borders with Europe, who now call for us to close our borders. “This is a local shop for local people.”

I have to say some people should know better, including at least one SNP politician in the Borders who retweet this twaddle. There is a complete lack of understanding of the interaction which goes on along the Border. People on either side rely on the other for food, essentials, healthcare and jobs. Scottish people would suffer disproportionately from closing the border.

I appreciate the alarm engendered by people who should know better such as Cabinet ministers and royal family members who have ignored government advice. And we should obey the advice of both governments not to travel. But as Catherine Calderwood has said, “a virus does not recognise a border.” I thought we were better than this.

Ian Richmond
Gretna

I NOTED with concern the article “Davidson tweets spy chief’s location” (March 31) as it would appear that Ruth Davidson received this confidential information in relation to her duties as a Privy Councillor. This raises the question: are Privy Councillors subject to the rules of the Official Secrets Act and if so has she breached these rules? If so she should be subjected to the due processes of the law.

Perhaps she should be given a bucket, a mop, cleaning materials and appropriate clothing and ordered to clean out public toilets, “privies”, more suited to her talents!

Thomas L Inglis
Fintry

Scotland is in lockdown. Shops are closing and newspaper sales are falling fast. It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of The National is at stake. Please consider supporting us through this with a digital subscription from just £2 for 2 months by following this link: www.thenational.scot/subscribe. Thanks – and stay safe.