I HAVE enjoyed reading the Yessay series recently as they are informative and inspiring. However, among the letters from readers I have noticed a great frustration at the lack of progress towards independence since the May election landslide.

Some are critical of the SNP leadership.

Two recently reported events have convinced me that the FM has got the correct approach. The first was her active participation at the recent Arctic Circle conference in Iceland, meeting other national and regional and state leaders including those from Alaska, who face similar challenges as Scotland over the transition from oil and gas. Also, the more that we can be with our Scandinavian and Baltic friends, the more we will be treated and seen as though we are fully independent already.

READ MORE: Yessay: Here's what an independent Scotland has to look forward to

The second event is the reported discussions with the EU about Erasmus.

Nicola Sturgeon has grown in the job so that she now speaks with real confidence about the certainty of independence soon!

We sometimes forget that we have had a Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh since 1999. This was the work of many left-wing people working hard together to make Scotland a better place. Never forget, when the Tories stand up and pontificate within Holyrood, that they opposed the whole idea of anyone being able to do that.

Everyone needs to remember when our parliament was restored. I remember with affection Robin Cooke, Donald Dewar and a young enthusiastic Gordon Brown. Can we not ask Brown to look again at those heady days, take stock of where we are today and join us now! Today I can still see the glowing face of Donald Dewar as he looked up and reading out the opening words from the White Paper “There shall be a Scottish Parliament ... I like that!”

READ MORE: Yessay: We have denied ourselves freedom – and here are the consequences

And so Nicola has behind her the solid work of good people over the last 20 years making us ready! No wonder she is confident!!!

We are already independent following the most recent landslide in May. I like to look at the May election as though it was Westminster-style and constituencies only. Consider these numbers: SNP 64, others 11. A LANDSIDE.

These good people are not going away! They know what they want! We are already 90% free. A wee bit of tidying up by the lawyers and a confirmatory referendum.

What’s left is simply the matter of convincing some “silly wee schoolboys” that they should wake up and see that they are already lost and should now behave properly.

READ MORE: Yessay: Let’s imagine the independent Scotland that could be – optimism is revolutionary

As I said earlier, the more they can see that Nicola has joined the grown-ups of independent nations, the more certain our independence is obvious – and is here now.

I ask anyone who is not convinced by my letter to consider very carefully the real and continuing suffering of many thousands of people as a result of a deep spiritual ignorance which led to Windrush, Grenfell and Brexit.

Finally, I say to good Brian Cox that I am 85 and truly believe that we are not far away!

Vedavanam
Dundee

WRITERS of anti-SNP letters by Alba supporters should note that during the 2014 independence campaign Alex Salmond was First Minister of Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon was his deputy. She was one of the main reasons for the increase in the vote, specially among women. In the the next Westminster and Scottish Government elections Alex Salmond was not elected. He joined Russian Television because no British TV company would give him a programme. Now with Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister, the majority of independence supporters are women.

William Purves
via email