IN his article “This could be the real impact of election success for the Alba Party” (March 29), George Kerevan indicates that, rather than a super majority, if Alba “falls into the 7-10% band, the outcome is more likely that Alba will divert seats from the SNP.”

It is extremely important not to be complacent about the pro-independence vote and the number of pro-independence MSPs that will be elected.

While current polling shows the intentions to vote SNP higher than voted for them at the 2016 election, these poll results are actually lower than the polls indicated at this stage of the 2016 election campaign.

READ MORE: George Kerevan: This could be the real impact of election success for the Alba Party

Several other factors will reduce the number of SNP constituency MSPs: SNP supporters are unable to campaign in their normal ways due to coronavirus; Alex Salmond’s party gives the Unionists and the media the opportunity to keep raising this divisive issue throughout the campaign; the Greens are contesting more constituency seats, splitting the pro-independence vote so Unionist MSPs may win, as Ruth Davidson did in 2016; many well-known SNP constituency MSPs who have voters loyal specifically to them are retiring.

So it is very unlikely that there will be as many SNP constituency MSPs.

It is therefore more important that SNP list MSPs are elected, and more likely when there are fewer SNP constituency MSPs, but only if the list vote for the SNP is high. For example, with fewer constituency MSPs in 2011 compared to 2016 but 2.3% higher list vote in 2011, the SNP had 12 more list MSPs elected in 2011 than in 2016.

READ MORE: SNP Common Weal Group's George Kerevan and Craig Berry quit to join Alba Party

In reality, given all the recent adverse publicity, how likely is it that Alex Salmond’s party will gain much support outwith his immediate bubble of supporters who would otherwise have been likely to vote SNP? Rather than the Alba Party or other pro-independence parties having sufficient votes to gaining many seats, the resultant reduction in the SNP percentage vote will let in Unionist list MSPs.

To help you understand this effect you can view an event held by Pensioners for Independence, which is not aligned with any particular political party, explaining how the voting system works at www.pensionersforindependence.scot.

A major factor in the UK Government agreeing to the 2014 independence referendum was that the SNP had a majority of MSPs, forming a single-party majority government after the 2011 election. Anything less will be used as an excuse by the UK Government to refuse a referendum. Reducing the SNP percentage list vote endangers the chance of a majority SNP government and of a second independence referendum.

After independence is when these other parties could participate effectively and expect to be able to progress their policies in a meaningful way. Standing in this election only endangers that possibility.

Given the complexity of the voting system and the unreliability of polls and how they may change, I urge you to give both votes to the SNP.

Jim Stamper
Bearsden

I DO think that Alex Salmond is finally, at long last, taking the right approach, but it took him a long time to get there, and I still have two big reservations. He is right with Alba to concentrate on the regional list vote, because this is where independence-supporting candidates can make the most progress and do most harm to the Unionists. However I have to say that personal issues are not helpful in political development and that to get real advantage from a pro-indy party standing in the regional list section there needs to be understanding and some co-operation between them and the SNP government if the super-majority is to be fruitful.

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One other thing that I must say is that if you want to use a beautiful Gaelic name like Alba (Scotland) for your party name, you really should take time to learn how to pronounce it properly. Many people, in the BBC particularly, pronounce this word in an English form with two syllables as “al-ba”, however the Gaelic pronunciation is in three syllables as “al-a-pa” with the emphasis on the first syllable and the “b” having a “p” sound.

It can be heard every day by listening to Gaelic speakers on BBC Alba. So there is no need to irritate Scotland’s Gaelic-speaking minority by not giving their language the attention and the respect it deserves.

Andy Anderson
Saltcoats

AS a lifelong supporter of independence I have always been deeply suspicious of the recurrent rifts within the movement. Granted a fractious collection of intense people is liable to rifts anyway – but the worst ones always seem to happen at critical moments and to escalate beyond expectation.

For hundreds of years the cardinal policy of the English Crown and its successor the British establishment has been “divide and rule”. (Remember the horrors of Ireland and India.) In the old days this was accomplished with grants of land and bags of gold. More recently grants of peerages were a favourite method. No doubt more subtle methods are now available.

READ MORE: Alba Party candidate Jim Walker apologises after calling Nicola Sturgeon 'a cow'

I have been convinced that probably since the 1960s and certainly the 1970s the independence movement has been infiltrated by plants from British intelligence. They only need to get the ear of a handful of unhappy key figures and drop the right poison ideas to amplify disagreement into open warfare. Strong personalities with obsessive ideas are easy targets and don’t even imagine they are playing the role of hapless tools.

In the current political landscape the Greens have valid and coherent reason for existing. The other parties that have splintered from the SNP are just that – splinters. “Divide and rule” thrives on splinters. Don’t play the Unionist game for them!

Jim Hunter
via email