I GOT the distinct impression from the tone of James Duncan’s letter in Friday’s National that he’s a bit exasperated with the SNP’s “non-campaign” for independence. Well, James, you’re not alone. There are thousands of us who are feeling just as frustrated. So annoyed, in fact, that many will not be voting SNP in the forthcoming election.

I would suggest that it has come to this because, since 2014, the Scottish Government has demonstrably failed the people of Scotland.

According to the World Economic Forum, “the primary duty of a government, any government, is to “protect, provide for and invest in its citizens, particularly in the vulnerable conditions of youth, old age, poverty, sickness, disability and unemployment.”

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I would argue that, by neglecting to pursue a prolonged, vigorous, sustained, and aggressive campaign for independence and by constantly yielding to Westminster and the English-dominated Supreme Court, the SNP have failed in this duty.

A Scotland that was independent would not be suffering such a grim cost-of-living crisis, would not see its natural resources drained south, would not allow its citizens to be shivering in underheated homes or permit its NHS to be under-resourced and deprived of skilled staff. And it would not be dependent on begrudged “pocket money” from a supercilious, contemptuous Westminster. It is beyond intolerable and unforgivable that we are in this position.

In the face of repeated Westminster policies which are causing untold long-term harm to the citizens of Scotland, the SNP government seems content to meekly accept these abhorrent policies and mitigate them as best it can while destructively quarrelling with itself and promoting flawed policies which are of no interest or relevance to the vast majority. It is no wonder that support for the SNP has fallen off a cliff.

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To any Westminster policy which is detrimental to the wellbeing of the people of Scotland, the response of the Scottish Government should be: “Get stuffed, we’re just not accepting it. Our people deserve better”. Maybe that approach would even get a few frustrated independence supporters back.

As for a campaign, don’t our SNP politicians get it? To persuade people to buy a product or support an idea, such as independence, you’ve got to advertise its benefits! Folk have to see the advantages of adopting it, and it must be presented to them in a way that they can’t avoid noticing. Billboards, posters on the back of buses, leaflets, anything that grabs the attention. Something along the lines of “Get double the state pension in an independent Scotland, paid for by ditching Trident”, or “Pay half for your electricity and gas in an independent Scotland, paid for by selling our excess electricity instead of having it stolen from us”. White papers that nobody will read just won’t cut it. It’s not rocket science!

It’s long past time for Humza and the rest of our SNP politicians to get a collective grip, grow a backbone and remember why we elected them! Their constant inaction and subservience have done us no favours.

D Henderson
Bearsden

I WRITE to publicly thank John Randall for the excellent short article in Monday’s National which sets out clearly the risk which the SNP leadership are taking with their dithering over the currency issue again. As an economist and a former senior civil servant, John is obviously used to giving advice to politicians on complex matters of an economic or financial nature, and clearly he is able to do that very effectively. I only hope that there are those in the SNP leadership who are listening and are able to understand his important advice.

Andy Anderson
Ardrossan