GESTURES are often remembered long after words have been spoken and newspaper columns have been read.

After all, who remembers what that lone Chinese man said to the tank crew as he held up a tank force heading out of Tiananman Square in 89? Who amongst us knows the words spoken between the DDR border guards and the West German Police when the Berlin wall started to come down?

Who remembers the commentary from the news channels reporting on the Lockerbie bombing? Most, however, will remember the front end of Pan Am flight 103 lying on its side in a field.

READ MORE: SNP MP Drew Hendry on the Internal Market Bill and his Commons suspension

All three very powerful images and ones used and reused to emphasise the narrator’s point in hand, as I have done here.

So yes, we have had many fine speeches in the House of Commons delivered from the benches as occupied by the Scottish National Party. We even had the walk-out, but this – this is something else. To my mind this is true symbolism of a nation completely exasperated by a system so totally biased towards one country to the complete exclusion of the other three.

I am not in favour of recalling the SNP MPs, because they are there to represent their constituents, all of them. Also, by removing the SNP MPs we remove the one true voice for Scotland in that chamber.

So well done Drew Hendry SNP MP, well done. If it was preplanned, great thinking, and if it was spontaneous then you are truly inspired.

Cliff Purvis
Veterans for Scottish Independence 2.0

NORMAL business resumed in the House of Commons! SNP calls to protect Scotland ignored!

At the end of the debate on the Internal Market Bill, SNP MP Drew Hendry become rather heated and was heard making the case that Scotland’s devolved powers should not end up eroded by a huge claw-back of powers by Westminster as a result of Brexit.

In making Scotland’s case, Mr Hendry was suspended from the House of Commons. Outrageous, and a clear attempt by Westminster to silence Scotland. They will never succeed in their attempts.

Catriona C Clark
Falkirk

WITH reference to Kevin McKenna’s article in Wednesday’s National, I don’t think any SNP member would ever argue the party is perfect (far from it) but I do think Kevin is inclined to go over the top with his criticisms (The fight against neo-liberalism starts as soon as we leave the UK, December 16).

Without the SNP there is no hope of extricating ourselves from the grasp of this abhorrent Tory government so that we have the opportunity to build a better country for our children and grandchildren to grow up in.

READ MORE: Kevin McKenna: SNP neo-liberalism must be fought, but we cannot while in the UK

If Kevin helps derail the SNP (and, consequently, the wider independence movement) with his near constant sniping then he will have done the Tory establishment’s job for them!

Perhaps a little more pragmatism and a little less self righteous, holier-than-thou condescension is in order, Kevin? Otherwise we may pull off that party trick Scots are so familiar with of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

Alan Woodcock
Dundee

FEW have mentioned the massive tourist “tax” that all from mainland EU/EEA will have to pay from October 2021 to visit Scotland.

As it stands, up until then those from Schengen countries can arrive in any EU/EEA country with a national ID card only. I have had friends from a few who, through that, have not renewed their passports for many years. Their enthusiasm, indeed love of Scotland will mean they will get new passports, at a cost of around €120 each.

So consider a family in, say, Germany planning a holiday for 2022, next November. Years ago as students the parents backpacked throughout the Highlands and Islands. Now with two teenage children, age 15 and 17 – old enough to appreciate nature – the parents a keen to show them Scotland.

The figures are well within their budget, and the parents begin planning. The older child sits playing with his mobile phone. The parents say, “Are you not interested?” He replies, “Mamma and Papa, I am, but I was just checking the passport cost – it will be over €500 for the four of us.”

Stunned, both parents say: “Brexit tax”. Since the children were born they only holidayed within the EU, hence no need for a passport.

Later they decide to go to the north-west of Ireland and visit Northern Ireland too, with a “saving” of more than €500 by AVOIDING SCOTLAND.

I wish this were fiction. There will be hundreds of thousands of families, couples and individuals throughout the EU re-routing to avoid what is effectively a tourist tax. It could cost the tourism industry at least 1000 jobs. The Brits will blame after-effects of the virus.

Meanwhile the Mediterranean resorts will have the same number of Brits as pre-Covid. No extra costs – passports were always required.

Bryan Clark
Maybole