NOW the game is up, their job done for the time being, Johnson and Dorries are shamelessly publicly rewarded by the Daily Mail, thumbed noses to y’all, whatcha gonna do about it?

This is not a simple, annoying continuation of the Johnson filth. This rapid and bold offer of a sinecure future for two of the most awful people in Britain within my lifetime underlines why and how the UK is where it is – and there is no escape. Absolutely no escape.

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The UK has been successfully captured by a hard-right-wing cabal. Every single producer of media for national consumption is owned by and used to benefit those who are of extreme wealth, right-wing and anti-democratic. The capture of the country’s media, the country’s public communication, the country’s public mood is near complete across the UK.

This capture includes the BBC. In Scotland we are aware of the political dishonesty and bias that is – has been for years now – the modus operandi north of the Border, but throughout the UK the same BBC corruption is taking place too. Scots are well used to the now solid pish from supposed flagship output like Question Time, The Sunday Show, Politics Live, Newsnight etc, and we rage at the obvious nonsense. We should be more aware of how programmes like this affect folk in England, where they are terribly bombarded by the red-tops too, giving them no chance to breathe purity at all.

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One great thing from all the anguish and heartache around ScotIndy is that we have been forced to question everything that comes out from all media and Westminster. People in England don’t have that “national” cause nagging at them to pause and think. Quite the opposite, the media feed folk in England with a tidal wave of lies and biased stories directing them to a golden future with “you’re safe in our hands”, “we’re free and on our way”, “God save the King”, “Harry’s a prat”. Folk accept the whole of it as life is just too busy for a bit of thoughtful attention and there’s no choice anyway.

Perhaps Channel 4 has escaped to a degree, but it remains in danger (just look at what we thought of as the ludicrous Nadine Dorris – but she was deadly serious in attempting to get hold of Channel 4). There is also LBC, which prides itself on being journalism with probity.

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Though the BBC’s public information is wall-to-wall pish with boots on for the whole of the UK, Scotland is not alone in anger, it’s just that Scotland’s Pacific Quay canteen porridge sewage sludge comes with extra gravy.

Meanwhile, Johnson and Dorries given nonsense jobs by the red-tops? You bet! Job well done – agents are looked after. A bit of R&R till the next foray into the field of fascist battle.

If you’re a bit incensed today with everything, everywhere, all at once, I recommend a bit of sincere purity and truth sent out by LBC’s James O’Brien, who is a journalist who tries to have integrity.

Search on YouTube for “James O’Brien’s evisceration of Boris Johnson”.

Nick Durant
Skelmorlie

YOUR headline reporting Scottish Labour winning the by-election in Bellshill must surely be a case of fact obscuring reality (Scottish Labour gain after SNP councillor quit, thenational.scot, Jun 16).

While it may have disingenuously stated “Scottish Labour” on the ballot paper, don’t we really know that this branch party of Unionist Labour bears little resemblance to anything the majority of Scots would recognise as the Labour Party we grew up with?

What is certain is that Anne McCrory and her ilk will do nothing to dismantle the excesses of the UK Tory government, and will happily collude with them at Scottish council level in their bid to out-Tory the Tories and offer themselves as the status-quo alternative to UK voters.

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Ms McCrory’s hands will be tied behind her back to toe a party line that serves her red-Tory masters in England, and she will play her part dutifully to seek to persuade us they care anything for the democratic rights of we Scots – which clearly they don’t.

Perhaps the result may be explained by the alleged behaviour of the previous SNP incumbent, who knows? But shouldn’t we recognise that the effective ad hoc blue and red Tory “coalition” represents a threat to the progress of the independence movement, because any “gains” they may make at elections will be viewed by democracy-denying Unionists as the death knell of independence?

Shouldn’t we heed this warning and set in place now the essential inter-party agreement to ensure that only one indy-supporting candidate stands in each constituency for the forthcoming (imminent) UK General Election in order to ensure the issue is centre stage and there can be no doubt that we consider it to be the de facto independence election and demand that a majority victory for indy will mean Scottish independence following forthwith?

We must not allow the pretendy Labour party to suck the life blood of the drive for indy through its mirage of Labour “values” that have not existed for decades, if they ever really existed in the reality of previous Labour administrations.

Bellshill serves as a warning. Let us heed it.

Jim Taylor
Edinburgh

AS usual, Mike Russell talked so much sense in his commentary piece in Saturday’s paper (I’ve experienced Tory attempts to silence Scottish ministers ... they will only backfire, Jun 17). However, I would add one extra line to the conclusion to his main argument – that Tory attempts to silence ministers will only backfire. “Alister Jack’s continuing presence in any part of Scottish governance isn’t a joke – or an insult.” My addition? No, it is a scandal and an outrage.

David Patrick
Edinburgh