‘THE SNP have done absolutely nothing to promote independence in the last seven years” according to Willie Bruce (Letters, April 20) yet support for independence did not drop substantially, as some predicted immediately after the referendum, but instead has grown significantly and provoked Alex Salmond to come out of “retirement”.

There are many ways to promote political parties but probably the most effective promotion for any party is to govern well when in power and build trust by taking the public along with it. This is what I would suggest Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP have achieved during a very difficult period when many Scottish Government actions have correctly been aimed at countering the potentially disastrous impacts of Westminster-imposed austerity, Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.

In fact it is obvious that many in the London-controlled mainstream media cannot reason why the SNP and the First Minister of Scotland remain so popular, especially after 14 years in government. That said, all supporters of independence are naturally keen to bring about self-determination as early as is practically feasible. The question therefore becomes “who do I trust to successfully deliver it within that ambitious time frame?”

Should I trust those who now suggest the SNP could have started campaigning while pivotal Brexit negotiations were ongoing, or while our hospitals were/are still struggling to cope with the tragic impact of Covid-19? Or should I trust a First Minister who has steered her government and the country through a period that could have been calamitous for the independence movement, and unlike many of the “radical socialists” among the SNP’s current critics has been a lifelong supporter and committed political advocate of independence over and above personal political ideology?

In Scotland today, where much seems to revolve around football, the team most likely to win the game is not the one with eager strikers who rush to put the ball in the net at the first sight of goal, but the one with players who confidently take a moment to focus on good technique and ensure that when they shoot, the ball hits the target!

Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian

WHY is it that so many dedicated nationalists cannot get it into their heads that holding a referendum when you are not fairly sure of winning is a total folly? Were we to hold a referendum today it is possible we might win by a very slim majority.

A very slim majority does not cut it when it comes to something regarded by all of us a very radical; 51% to 49% just will not do. Declaring independence on such a basis ignores the enemy within, the fifth column Unionists who would gain tacit assistance from London.

Acceptance of the result of a referendum by the population is essential – that would never have happened over the last four years and the Scottish Government knew it. Please face basic facts, people.

There are those who advocate UDI. This only works if it has the full hearted support of a very large section of our community and requires international recognition. UDI has to be the very last resort used only when the English Government has demonstrated clearly its total intransigence.

As I have written before, I am a passionate Scottish nationalist. I don’t give a damn if I am better or worse off, I couldn’t care less if we use Scottish merks or euros. I do

not care if our country is conservative or socialist, a republic or a monarchy, though as a monarchist the latter would grieve me. For me Scottish independence is a matter of national and personal honour, that is all.

R Mill Irving
Gifford, East Lothian

WHAT’S so wonderful about the Union? When the sun never set on Victoria’s empire, the vast majority of working people lived in abject poverty, working at least 12 hours per day for starvation wages, including children.

That was more than a century ago but the establishment still control the British empire of the United Kingdom – plus the Falklands and Gibraltar. The 7% who went to private schools run the country, the law, the army. Civil service mandarins in Westminster, foreign senior ambassadors and secret service have that in common, along with the vast majority of board members of the British companies.

This has led us to being the fifth greatest economy in the world, with the second worst pension rate in Europe.

The Tory right wing gave us Brexit. Michael Forsyth told Question Time last year that they calculated what we paid into the EU and divided it by 52 so they put £360 million a week on a bus that we could give to the NHS; no mention of the subsistence given to farmers etc that amount to billions.

Now that we are out, signed, sealed and delivered; I wonder if the fishermen, farmers, and Northern Irish are pleased with the results. I hope they will be asked regularly in the weeks ahead.

Bert Smith
Cumnock

I HAVE believed all along that Brexit is ridiculous and totally wrong. The biggest mistake was actually asking people in England the wrong question.

If they had been asked if they wanted English independence, rather than Brexit, I think they would have voted for it.

I actually suspect that a higher percentage of English people would vote for their independence than the percentage of Scots would.

If we Scots are demanding a choice on independence I think it’s only fair that the people of England should be given the opportunity for an independence referendum also.

Harry Key
Largoward

BORIS Johnson and his branch offices will ignore democracy in Scotland, so why should we not ignore Brexit (English democracy) and just go ahead and apply to rejoin the enormous broad shoulders of 27 countries who respect human rights and the democratic vote to leave if a country so wishes?

Bill Kerr
Cumbernauld