IN many respects it’s amazing we’ve now had 22 polls in a row showing support for independence being more than 50%. Amazing not least because the SNP has for years done very little to boost that pro-independence figure. Aye, Nicola Sturgeon deserves eternal credit for the way she’s handled the Covid crisis, but it has been done at the expense of the fight for independence.
The level of support for independence is amazing because when the current SNP leadership has temporarily moved away from Covid, it has concentrated on issues like gender identification and on the belittling of Alex Salmond and Joanna Cherry.
Support for independence is amazing because the SNP continues to allow British nationalists and the Britnat media to lie and lie about Scotland and its future.
READ MORE: Mark McGeoghegan: Latest poll should be a wake-up call but catastrophe is not on the horizon
Britnats continue to spew out anti-Scottish propaganda with impunity. When it comes to defending and promoting Scotland in the media the SNP leadership, like an arthritic one-legged kangaroo, is permanently on the back foot. Britnat political parties are already sending out election leaflets. The SNP is lagging behind once again. Why the inaction? It’s almost as if the SNP leadership is determined to suck the life out of the independence movement. If rumours of a drastic fall in membership are true, well, I can only say that’s not amazing.
The desire for independence among the people of Scotland is amazing because there is, at the moment, no discernible leader of that independence movement. Imagine the impact on support when there emerges a leader who actually wants independence, who is actually prepared to fight for it and who is not afraid to take on the liars in the Britnat media even if it means sacrificing their own personal freedom!
It’s amazing Scotland is still being controlled by vile creatures like Boris Johnson. It’s amazing SNP MPs continue to meekly obey Britnat Westminster’s anti-Scottish rules; amazing the SNP leadership continues to await permission for a referendum from ignorant Johnson and his arrogant cronies guffawing away in that Westminster cesspit; amazing the SNP leadership is allowing the people of Scotland to be suffocated by that Britnat stench.
The people of Scotland can only wait for so long for the SNP leadership to do something positive for independence. Amazing grace no more! The SNP leadership must change, or be changed. Now!
Dougie Raine
Inverlossie
IN my days space invaders were always fearful creatures from far-flung galaxies but there’s a new variation on these today – the Covid space invaders. This time we’ve all seen them.They’re in the streets, the shops and even in our hospitals and vaccination centres.
There’s a particularly scary one often seen bumping elbows, with sleeves rolled up for greater impact! This hairy monster lurches close to his victims with a grin. There’s no need, he thinks, for distance. Take a picture – this is fun!
It’s the jolly sport of elbow bumping that’s now catching on in Conservative circles with Boris and his merry men disregarding the distance rules and unnecessary touching!
I’d like to send a message to the elbow-bumping Covid space invaders – STOP IT!
Jo Torrance
via email
“WHOMEVER controls the language, controls the discourse and the debate”. We should always be on our guard about the language used in the independence debate, and I’m concerned that The National and others who publish should be careful about the use of certain terms. Whether this is through laziness, or expediency, to describe Sarwar with his leadership shoehorn-in (whilst welcome in terms of equality) as “the first person from an ethnic minority to lead a major UK party” is factually wrong, and gives that party’s office in Scotland a status it does not have (February 28).
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar named Scottish Labour leader – but indyref2 is 'elephant in the room'
We all know that Labour in Scotland is legally and constitutionally a branch of UK Labour. This may seem trite in comparison to other issues we have to contend with in our dignified battle to reassert control of our own destiny, but it is important. This is but one simple example of framing that not only works against the cause, but illustrates how easy it is to slip into the lexicon and language of others, which damages the cause.
David Hood
Edinburgh
I WOULD like to take the opportunity to offer my sincere commiserations to Anas Sarwar. He was something of a leading light within the Scottish Labour party and he obviously was carving out a decent career for himself. Now, unfortunately for him, he has been given the poisoned chalice of becoming his Scottish party leader.
I give him about two years before he falls into the pit of political obscurity as his many predecessors have before him.
Who remembers Jim Murphy?
Harry Key
Largoward
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel