SO far, we’ve had: government by statutory instrument; ignoring the European Convention on Human Rights; bamboozled ethics advisers; neutering of the legal system; no penalty for the attempt to illegally dispense with the Westminster Parliament; evasion and lies;

perks for the henchmen and henchwomen in the gang; undermining and controlling the devolved parliaments; appealing to the lowest common denominator of prejudice in all its manifest forms.

Have all the criteria been achieved yet for the establishment of a dictatorship? The sun has not set on the British Empire and Britain can do what it wants unfettered by inconvenient laws. The Union must be preserved by any means and we must have strong governance.

In the current toxic circumstances, I do wonder if threats to prevent a second independence referendum, by fair means or probably foul, will go further. I would not be surprised if the Spanish example, of prosecuting and jailing the Catalans for holding an allegedly illegal referendum, is visited on those promoting another referendum here without permission of the tousled-haired one and his backers. Is that scenario a flight of fancy or will we see it unfold?

I realise that politicians in the past have been corrupt and acted in their own self-interest. It has always been thus. What is different about the present situation is that misdemeanours in public office have been taken to a new level of impropriety and criminality. It is time for men and women of all political persuasions to stand up, speak out against our self-serving politicians and institutions and drive these cancers out of public life.

Melvyn Gibson
via email

NOT for the first time have I read individual comments about Johnson tearing up an independence agreement. Agreement with whom?

It will be the Scottish voting population which will decide Scotland’s future as an independent country and nation.

Just because Johnson is not going to sign a Section 30 order does not mean we cannot have a referendum. Of course we can. In much the same way Johnson had his Brexit referendum.

There will be no agreement to “rip up”, as suggested in a letter published in Thursday’s National. The Scottish independence referendum is just that. Not British or even a UK referendum. It is for Scotland to decide whether we remain or leave what’s left of the 1707 Union of nations. And the way the PM is ruining that Union there will be nothing left for Scotland to bother itself about the question of remaining which, surprisingly, some are still not sure about.

Come October next year we will have all the important facts known, such as on currency, banking, trade and for many of us, pensions, and much more. The undecided will have their doubts sorted. The new teenage voters will have something worth their while to vote for, and Scotland will have its independence settled.

What is there not to lose with everything to gain!

Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife

I HAD to laugh at the comments about the BBC’s awful coverage of the FM’s major policy announcement on independence.

I was not surprised by the BBC’s actions of preferring to screen Homes Under The Hammer or their miserable attempt at missing the start of the press conference and then cutting off coverage halfway through – that is the standard for the establishment’s broadcaster who continue to mock Scotland with its laughable news coverage.

However, for someone to claim the BBC must do better to win back the trust of independence supporters is laughable – there is nothing the BBC could ever do to win back the trust of most indy supporters. That ship has sailed, during 2014 and right up until yesterday’s coverage, we’ve all seen through the BBC – it’s not an organisation that covers the news, it is there simply to distort and manipulate what is happening to suit the British establishment.

That is why so many more people in Scotland refuse to pay their TV licence fee to this corrupt organisation which treats us all like idiots and then makes us pay for it. Our main aim during the indy campaign is to ensure that those who rely on the mainstream media including the BBC and the crappy national newspapers (The National and a few others excepted) get an alternative avenue for their news coverage.

We have to encourage more people to go online and check things out for themselves, or watch the excellent Independence Live broadcasts – and for those who can’t rely on online information, local Yes groups have to be pro-active in delivering the news locally via leaflets, newsletters etc.

Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley

SCOTLAND’S business leaders threatening legal action over a Scottish independence referendum is monkey business as most bosses are Tory, Unionist voters.

Whatever the First Minister decides will be legal in some way. The Tories dragged Scotland out of the EU without consent. We the voters remember that con trick.

Glen Peters
Paisley