ANENT the article in Saturday’s National (Sturgeon hits out at ‘democratic deficit’ of Brexit over protocol) concerning the meeting between First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and First Minister designate Michelle O’Neill at Bute House, I would like to comment on the statement made by the Conservative spokesman for constitution, external affairs and culture, Donald Cameron.

In his rant about the meeting, he states that Nicola Sturgeon “will work with anyone so long as they support the break-up of the UK.” Does he not know that Nicola and her government tried time and time again over recent years to have productive discussions with the UK Government about a whole raft of issues but were rebutted or ignored every time?

READ MORE: Scottish Conservatives hit out at Nicola Sturgeon after National essay on independence

Does he also not know that last week she met top officials of the US government, as well as having numerous other meetings with officials of other countries in recent times. He is therefore implying that all these countries share her desire for independence, and in this he is probably right due to the behaviour of the UK Government he blindly supports.

My wife and I have just returned from a holiday in Argyll. Every hotel, restaurant and café we visited said they are suffering from lack of staff “due to Brexit”. I think Mr Cameron would be better engaged in asking himself why his party has allowed this to happen, instead if harping on about two progressive leaders having a chat about the real world we live in.

Dennis White
Blackwood

THE Scottish Tories’ constitution spokesperson, Donald Cameron, is upset at First Minister Sturgeon meeting her likely counterpart at Stormont (when the DUP start respecting the election results), Sinn Fein Vice-President Michelle O’Neill. Donald must have been really disappointed when his boss Boris Johnson met Ms O’Neill’s boss, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald, near Belfast last week. If not, what exactly is the Tory critic’s problem?

John Hedges
South Lanarkshire

HOTELIERS, nightclub owners and publicans moaned their way through the pandemic, even though there were grants and furlough assistance available. In fact, listening to them you felt they were also public health experts.

Now they are doing their best to lay blame on the Scottish Government for damage to their sector because of revised train timetables.

Do they not realise that we are going into a recession, and the cost of living is hitting 9%? People on benefits and people earning average salaries won’t have the cash to spend on such luxuries as beer and spirits. Their hard-earned cash will be spent on mortgages, rent, heating and food, in some cases hard decisions will have to be made: heat or eat.

READ MORE: ScotRail asks customers to 'make own arrangements' as train services slashed

The Scottish Government mitigates as much as it can against cruel Tory austerity policies, such as the Bedroom Tax, but in reality, there job is to govern not mitigate.

If the night time economy is so badly affected, please raise your issues and concerns with the people that have orchestrated this crisis, that is the Westminster Tories, in particular Rishi Sunak, who will not impose a windfall tax on energy companies and insists it’s not right to help at present. He had no qualms or guilt when he raised National Insurance contributions. But it’s good to see he has managed to achieve rich-list status, while the vast majority suffers.

Robert McCaw
Renfrew

REMEMBER when Partygate became the talk of the press? The leaked practice press conference clearly showed disdain for the truth and how it might be spun.

Something had to be done to kick it into the long grass. Sue Gray was tasked with writing a report on what happened and would report back “soon”, meanwhile everyone must wait quietly for the outcome. As her report was completed the Met police cranked up; they ensured that the breathlessly awaited report would not be published as it was then sub judice. Did they decide to investigate this themselves, having totally ignored it before, or were they prompted?

READ MORE: Nadhim Zahawi 'can't say' who called secret talks between Boris Johnson and Sue Gray

Months went by and snippets were announced; Boris apologised and was fined but still the Met plodded on. During these months the public have been conditioned – by various Tory spokesmen, the Tory press and the government’s mouthpiece, the BBC – to accept the authorised version, a minor matter for which the PM apologised, move on.

The Met have now announced that their Partygate investigations are over. Again we await Sue Gray’s report, which may or may not be published next week. What will it contain, how many hands has it been through, and has it been suitably polished for publication? I expect we shall see an anodyne story that faithfully follows the narrative – a minor matter, move on.

That only leaves a committee of MPs to finally polish the turd and put the whole story to bed. Maybe then, to the delight of almost everyone mentioned above, Sir Keir Starmer may be fined for his working supper and have to resign. How much better can it get for Boris and his pals?

Dougie Blackwood
Helensburgh

NO more fines for Boris (after a rule change about home or workplace). My sleazometer just blew up.

M Ross
Aviemore

READ MORE: Adam Tomkins says Yes would win indyref2 if held tomorrow

PROFESSOR Adam Tomkins’ suggestion that the forthcoming independence referendum will be “brutal and ugly and horrible” is not only ridiculous nonsense in itself, it is breathtaking effrontery from a member of a party which has earned those precise adjectives by its every action in government.

Derrick McClure
Aberdeen