SOUNDBITES from the hustings yesterday: Truss said “the Union will never end” and Sunak stated that another referendum was “barmy”.

I had to check my calendar. Yes, it is 2022.

These candidates asking for support and votes are talking as though it’s 1940, with Truss repeating Mr Hitler’s comments on the Third Reich and Sunak adopting language of the Dad’s Army-watching generation.

Are Truss’s comments an insight into her actual belief set? As a former LibDem, she must have heavily screened these strident views from her supporters, or did they not scrutinise her on Thatcherite and extreme viewpoints?

READ MORE: Rishi Sunak says he 'can't imagine circumstances' where he would allow another referendum

Sunak’s “barmy” comment is obviously an English slang disparaging adjective, meaning idiotic, stupid. Is this the correct language to be using in public discourse?

They were speaking to their “tribe”, so some advocate we should give them a little leeway, however we ask our politicians to be upfront and honest and express their views clearly, so we can make good choices, and when their core beliefs emerge it can be more that disconcerting.

Another soundbite comes to mind: “being sold a pig in a poke”.

Alistair Ballantyne
Birkhill, Angus

TORY Mr M Fraser and Tory Mr A Bowie were asked in interview what would be their response to the people of Scotland should the citizens of Scotland vote to leave the UK.

That the citizens of Scotland might seek a focused path of resilience – where their universal public services were made capable of delivering mandated services in periods of adversity – and where they determined that the only pathway to delivering this was via an independent Scotland (EU), appeared to be beyond their comprehension.

READ MORE: SNP slam Tory MP Andrew Bowie's claims that Rishi Sunak will 'circumvent Holyrood'

That the citizens of Scotland might initially seek a focused path of austerity reversal, to enable a focused path of resilience to be undertaken, also appeared to be beyond their comprehension.

That the citizens of Scotland pay them to represent their expressed wishes, well, that would also appear to be beyond their comprehension as well.

What wasn’t in either Tory reply, however, was “there is no demand”, or “it’s hypothetical”, so they clearly now inherently accept the reality of the demand, and the subsequent reality of indyref2.

Stephen Tingle
Greater Glasgow

READ MORE: Scotland deserves better than ‘populist soundbites’ at Tory hustings says SNP MP

I BELIEVE the demonstration outside Perth Concert Hall on Tuesday was not an SNP-organised affair (although no doubt supported in spirit) and I bow to no-one in my detestation of “Bringlish” rule of my country, but a giant banner referring to “Tory Scum” is not the way to persuade waverers on independence. There are many more intelligent and effective ways to exploit such valuable TV coverage. How about “The Scots will Decide”, “Neither of the Above”, “You Do Not Speak for Scotland” and so on.

David Roche
Blairgowrie

DURING the debate on Tuesday night Liz Truss said that the SNP had agreed that the 2014 referendum was a once-in-a-generation event. She then said that Nicola Sturgeon should therefore keep her promise to the Scottish people. Is this true? We are so used to Tory lies, especially since Boris Johnson, that we automatically think its a lie. But is it true? We have heard it so many times. Where is it written down? Is Liz Truss telling the truth or is she just as much a liar as Johnson? Of course even if it was “true”, we should never forget last May and the result of 62:5,4,2.

Vedavanam
Dundee

LIZ Truss said at Perth regarding the Union: ”I will never ever let our family be split up”. Isn’t that what a controlling husband says to a wife seeking divorce or, for that matter, what Putin says about Ukraine?

John Warburton
Edinburgh

SOON to reach my 80th birthday, I have received a notice that my basic state pension will rise by 25p per week. Upon this news I thought back to my mother’s 80th birthday in 1996 and remembered that she too had the same offer. Going onto the web, I checked the value – correction, devalue – of 25p and found that it is now only worth 12p, a loss of 52%. The cost-of-living crisis brings 12p down to almost 10p. So what extra item can I buy with 10p? Tell me please, PM candidates.

Yet another example of disrespect for pensioners. For me it is particularly disappointing as I started work in 1957 as a 15-year-old boy. Eventually, I chose to be self-employed in 1986 and retired in 2021, and during those years on each invoice I was collecting VAT on behalf of the Exchequer. I didn’t receive any reward for doing that. In fact it was costing me time to complete a VAT return four times a year. After 64 years of working, my extra reward is 10p per week, £5.20 per annum. How demeaning!

FM
East Renfrewshire