THE Wee Ginger Dug has hit the nail on the head again (SNP have one final chance to deliver indy, May 5) – the independence parties must include the promise of indyref2 in their Holyrood manifestos and must deliver the goods. It will not be enough to go bleating to Westminster: that begging bowl mentality is not the action of an independent nation and, as the Dug acknowledges, the more support there is for independence, the less the British establishment will give way.
Yet the FM is determined that the referendum must be legal. In that case we must legitimise it, as the will of the Scottish people. Our parliament has no power to tinker with the constitution, so we must give it that power in our vote. If the vote itself is not sufficient, then passing an updated Claim of Right Act in the wake of the vote will do so. To argue otherwise is to say that the Scotland Acts have stripped us of our sovereignty, which by definition is impossible.
READ MORE: Wee Ginger Dug: SNP have only one final chance to deliver independence
My second point is that for many older people, the establishment of a new state may be a scary prospect. I believe the referendum wording should be: “Should the Scottish Parliament take all decisions for Scotland?”
As Scotland establishes its own institutions and political direction, there should be no role for Westminster, other than the kind of co-operation we are seeing during the present crisis. But instant statehood is neither necessary or desirable, unless it is a pre-condition of re-joining the EU, which it may well be. A Yes vote to my proposed question will still define our moment of independence.
Robert Fraser
Edinburgh
FOR the second time in a week I have been disappointed in the attitude of The National when it comes to golf. Last week one of your columnists mentioned walking a local golf course “happily free of golfers”. This sort of snide vacuous remark is not good journalism. Does she think the course would be there if it was not for golfers?
Today it was the turn of a columnist who I usually enjoy – Wee Ginger Dug. He presents the stereotypical view of golfers as Colonel Blimp Unionists passing the pink gin.
I must say that I do not recognise this portrayal. When I drive into my club during normal times I see cars (including my own) with Yes stickers or Saltires. Like most clubs in Scotland it is populated by ordinary people enjoying their sport and getting the benefit of exercise. The National in promoting this tired and untrue image of golfers is not doing itself nor the cause of independence any favours.
I am also disappointed in your coverage of the sport. Recent boardroom struggles and resignations in Golf Scotland were not even covered and in general the coverage of golf is less than that of cricket. I know which sport I would choose to represent Scotland of the two.
May I suggest that you change one or two of the five pages devoted to football to golf and other minority sports. It might even help circulation.
Colin Harvey
Kirkintilloch
I READ with interest accounts of the app commissioned by the UK Government and currently being trialled to warn people that they have been close to an infected person. While the UK Government is fully supportive of this, you note that the Scottish and Welsh Governments are less convinced. I believe their caution is entirely warranted.
We are currently observing “social distancing”, ie keeping at least 2m apart. (Of course it is only sensible to increase that separation if passing someone downwind.) However, the new app detects close contact by making connection with another mobile device using Bluetooth. So the obvious question is, how close do devices have to be to make contact?
The surprising answer, from Bluetooth’s website, is “The effective, reliable range between Bluetooth devices is anywhere from more than a kilometre down to less than a metre.” Just think about that for a minute. This is not the answer.
David Simpson
Falkirk
GERRY Hassan on Sunday was superb! The Brits are forever looking back but we in Scotland are not much better. As a child in the 1960s it was normal to go to Sunday School. I remember the parable of three servants being gifted monies. The first two invested and reaped rewards. The cautious number three: “I was afraid, so I went off and hid your money in the ground. Look here is what belongs to you.” Number three is the closest to our Scottish Government.
Unfortunately our First Minister is doing that by being over careful. Aye, she is much better than the clowns and clones of the Tories in London. But very weak in replicating by being ultra cautious. That parable is about not digging in but getting out and about.
READ MORE: Gerry Hassan: Britain's obsession with the past comes at a cost
We need to lead not follow. Sweden will be proved correct. Aye, opening up might cause a few more casualties but no more than those being mentally distressed by being imprisoned in their own home.
Likewise we need to break free of Brexiteers or be forever their hole in the ground, aka WC.
Bryan Clark
Maybole
CLAPPING the NHS each week is all well and good, but surely we can think of a more permanent recognition.
I feel a more fitting tribute to the heroes of the health service is to name future NHS, wards, departments, annexes and indeed hospitals after health workers who have died in our service during this crisis.
Surely there are more than enough royal infirmaries and myriad other NHS facilities named after a privileged elite.
Each and every NHS worker who has lost their life in battling Covid-19 are, by a distance, more worthy of this honour.
Eugene Cairns
Prestwick
What an excellent article by Ruth Wishart in Monday’s National on the right-wing jingoism and myths surrounding the 75th VE Day anniversary.
The EU that right-wingers despise has kept the peace in Europe so I for one will be proudly displaying my EU Saltire flag and loudly playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy in German on Friday.
Mary Thomas
Edinburgh
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