ON winning the SNP leadership contest on Monday, Humza Yousaf declared that there would no longer be Team Humza, Team Ash or Team Kate and that there would be one united team going forward. Considering the fact that both of these exceptional women had the courage to put themselves through the rigorous hustings schedule over the past few weeks and exhibited considerable debating skills, I would have thought that both would have been offered senior positions within the new Cabinet.
READ MORE: Who is in Humza Yousaf's Cabinet? Here's the new SNP FM's full team
In my opinion, Kate Forbes was the outstanding candidate in the debates and although she narrowly failed to win, she should have been offered the positions of Finance Secretary and Deputy First Minister. At the time of writing I do not know if Ash Regan is being considered for a position but she is the perfect candidate for the proposed position of Secretary for Independence. I wish Humza well in his new appointment but if he wants to “unite the party” in our goal of independence, we need the best talent at the top table.
Drew Mackin
Irvine
XANDER Elliards’ article “Forbes leaves Cabinet after rural affairs offer” (thenational.scot, Mar 28) makes it clear that there is till a substantial role for Kate Forbes in the Scottish Government.
After the publicity surrounding her “acceptance of mediocrity” comment on the TV hustings, Kate Forbes could not have expected to be offered the Finance Secretary post in Humza Yousaf’s government.
It was not her intention, but her comment was interpreted as demoting the government in which she had served. She must have realised from the media, opposition and public reaction the following day that she had substantially reduced the prospect of becoming the next leader and that there was no way that Humza Yousaf or Ash Regan, members of that same government, could reinstate her in her former position if either of them became leader of the SNP.
READ MORE: Richard Murphy: Independence feels further away, but case does not rest on SNP
If the reports are correct, it is a great pity that she has turned down the opportunity to make her own significant and lasting contribution towards ensuring the future prosperity of Scotland’s unique blend of rural and island economy.
As the representative of a rural and island constituency, her undoubted knowledge and ability make her ideally suited for the role of cabinet secretary in charge of rural and island land reform, communications and long-term sustainability and it would also improve her prospects in a future leadership election.
Unity decrees that the back benches are not the place for any of the three candidates, or their teams, who took part in the leadership election.
John Jamieson
South Queensferry
DAY one and my worst fears anent the new First Minister come to pass. The best Finance Secretary we have ever had – even including Mr Swinney, who was very good – gets sidelined. Was this intentional? Probably, to force her from the front bench – nice one Yousaf, on your first day too. This woman is by all accounts the most popular with the electorate at large and the rank-and-file membership. I hope the membership shows its teeth.
I have been a member of the SNP for 50 years. Recently my tolerance has come under strain, and today it is under very severe strain. The party needs to attend to real business, not the supposedly progressive cant we have heard so much of of late. Attend to environment, health, global warming, education and most of all independence, not the rubbish we have seen so much of recently.
Robert Mill Irving
Gifford, East Lothian
THE craft of leadership requires great skill, determination and forbearance. Great leaders in history can provide inspiration in this respect.
Churchill said:
“In War: Resolution.
In Defeat: Defiance.
In Victory: Magnaminity.
In Peace: Good Will”.
Humza has already failed on line three.
On Resolution and Defiance, I sincerely hope he shows greater mettle against the Westminster government and establishment whilst retaining Good Will.
Watson Crawford
Melrose
IF Mr Yousaf had wanted to unite the party, he might have offered Kate Forbes the post of Deputy First Minister, given that she came such a close second. It is unfortunate that so many MSPs and MPs were so vocal in their support of Mr Yousaf over the other candidates, creating the appearance that there was something going on at party level.
It is up to the individual supporters of independence now – whether SNP or not – to get involved. No individual is going to do this, we have to collectively claim independence. And let us not hand ourselves over to the divide-and-rule tactics of Whitehall. A quick look at India and Israel and a host of other former colonies/protectorates will show us where that leads.
C Walker
Alford
KEVIN McKenna has a point when he writes of the independence gravy train (If independence is on the back burner, it is up to us to keep the flame burning, Mar 29) But what of the socialist gravy train?
By that I mean those Labour MPs who, in the name of socialism, used to hoover up working-class votes in order to live the high life at Westminster. Lord Foulkes is a good example.
Now that Starmer is completing the task, begun by Tony Blair, of purging the Labour Party of socialist principle, prospective Scottish Labour MPs will no longer be able to simulate leftist politics. A pity for them, since the shameless pretence of caring about distributive justice was always something of a vote-winner.
Alastair McLeish
Edinburgh
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