LET’S have serious look at what is developing. But first of all let us disabuse ourselves of the notion that whoever is Prime Minister – any Prime Minister – is actually in charge. That’s long out of date.

So what’s unfolding is interesting. Keir Starmer in my opinion is becoming a potential threat.

Boris Johnson is now redundant. He may be allowed to bumble on until Brexit is done, but he (and the dysfunctional Tory leadership) will be steadily undermined from now on and then he will be given the boot. When he goes, he carries all the bad stuff away with him. There may well be a General Election as part of this.

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To that end Keir Starmer will be steadily promoted across the media. This has already started, because current political position is showing – with some certainty – that under the Tories the UK will lose Scotland. The UK establishment is very well aware of this. This cannot be allowed.

Relentless promotion of the Tories in Scotland is having no effect, and this is now recognised.

If the UK is to hold on to Scotland the SNP has to be prevented from achieving a majority of the vote at the Scottish election in May. If this could be achieved, this could allow the move to independence to be stalled and provide some sort of legitimate reason to refuse a Section 30. But such looks unlikely at the moment (unless division can be effectively created in the independence vote – take note).

Under present conditions the only way I can see to prevent the SNP gaining a majority of the vote would be to drag some support away from the SNP back to Labour.

That provides very good reason for the safe Keir Starmer to lead Labour now to a General Election victory. To the powers-that-be this is a possible solution. The dangerous socialist and supporter of Palestine has been safely taken out, but the media can safely give lots of cover to establishment Starmer.

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The supposedly left-wing element in the main media plays in this complicated game. As it, purporting to be Labour-supporting, called for the removal of dangerous socialist Jeremy Corbyn, its equivalent in Scotland at the same time gave lots of cover and features for the SNP and very little to Labour. Now that Corbyn’s away it’s now back in full pro-Labour, anti-SNP mode.

So we should keep a close eye on developments and try to make sure we don’t see a drift back to Labour in Scotland. Thankfully Labour certainly suffers from the same problem as the Tories here – no convincing leader and no obvious alternative. Can’t see any obvious replacement at the moment for Richard Leonard. But he will be gone as soon as it can be safely achieved. Some fresh face will probably pop up to generous promotion. Watch this space.

David McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll

ISN’T Ros Curwood in error when stating in her website comment (August 18) that we need to act before any trade deals are signed by the Westminster government which would bind us to them, and become an obligation on us?

Just as we were told that Scottish independence would exclude us from the treaties of membership of the EU agreed through the British government, any trade deals it negotiates now would not only not be binding upon us after independence, but just like EU membership we would need to negotiate our own deals.

I am impatient for independence, but my priority is to see the process started through getting the referendum under way, however that is achieved.

It is to be welcomed that the SNP now appear to recognise the imperative and that it looks like it will follow from next year’s Scottish elections. However, once the independence issue is settled and won, it is clear that the Scottish Government should take us forward in a measured way, constructing each element of the new Scotland carefully; getting it right and not rushing the complex process.

And if the Covid leadership example is anything to go by, does anyone doubt that Nicola Sturgeon has the qualities to take us forward in the best way possible?

After all these years my old Boy’s Brigade motto still holds true: sure and steadfast.

Jim Taylor
Edinburgh

CAMPAIGNING during a pandemic is extremely difficult. The Yes movement has been forced to suspend many of our activities and we need to reflect on the impact that has had on our approach.

Letters in The National point to the dangers of mirroring the authoritarian approach adopted by the UK Government to political debate. We do not win people over by abuse (too often directed at our own side) or by ignoring others’ points of view.

As support for independence rises it is imperative that we show some of the spirit of 2014: inclusiveness and openness to ideas, even towards those with whom we disagree.

We must win independence by a process which all agree is fair and convincing, and by taking as many people with us as we can. Building consensus may be less exciting than storming the barricades, but the prize will be a united, positive society which respects different points of view.

That will be a stark contrast to the divisive, anti-democratic Tory Britain south of the Border.

Cathie Lloyd
Edinburgh

I READ on Wednesday that the Scottish Independence Movement and the Yes2 group, both of which I support, are planning marches and rallies in the future (Band will not align with any one march group, August 19). Please can they just take All Under One Banner literally and join in accordingly to make the biggest turnout possible to show the extent of independence support, and not split off to what I expect will be smaller turnouts for each?

Maureen Grieve
Kirkintilloch