Max the Yes works with small independence parties under one umbrella

Your opening line is a little disingenuous, as the Alliance for Independence #MaxTheYes are only in the process of setting up their stall and hope to launch within a couple of weeks.

Let us reiterate, the Alliance for Independence #MaxTheYes welcomes ALL Yes participants and wants everyone to be involved.

But, of course until the smaller parties see any proposal it would be unreasonable for us to expect them to say anything else.

We would expect them to continue with their own strategies to stand for election in next year’s Scottish Parliamentary election.

It will always be then up to the smaller parties to decide for themselves if they want to be part of the whole.

It only makes sense from a #MaxTheYes perspective for all of the independence representation to stand under a single umbrella.

READ MORE: ‘Yes family’ is shunning the Alliance for Indy umbrella

That after all is why the Alliance for Independence #MaxTheYes is being set up, as an alliance and not just another conventional independence list party.

There is nothing unexpected in their reply to questions posed by The National.
Pat Lee
Founding member, Alliance for Independence#MaxTheYes

IT’S disturbing that “half of independence supporting voters would either definitely or probably vote for a party led by Alex Salmond”. (The National, July 6). Mr Salmond hasn’t said he’ll stand at the next election, let alone lead a new party in it. He talked of “the dream that never dies”. I’d be surprised and disappointed if he’d do anything to risk splitting the cause of independence.

As for the Alliance for Independence, they seem to naively think that if they support independence they’ll get votes no matter what their thoughts are on other matters. I believe the voters are cannier than that. We want independence but not at any price. We want a socially responsible, caring society across the whole country.

I’m not going to give my second vote to the Green Party who deny the infrastructure needed in the north let alone to unknown candidates who’s ambitions for society are far apart from mine.

Two votes for SNP have brought us this far. The voters know that they’re voting for a party capable of government.

If Professor John Curtice can say why destroy the unity of the nationalist movement when it’s never been closer to achieving its objectives, surely common sense says listen to him.

Don’t let impatience throw all this away.
Catriona Grigg
Embo

WHAT a front page on Wednesday! The poor repressed people in England wanting independence.

Well, don’t worry, you have more friends than you think. The Scottish people will support you, in fact, our politicians in Westminster will actively support your cause (even though you didn’t support ours). We think that you have a good case ... you feel that nobody loves you. You feel unappreciated, especially from your sponging neighbours! Don’t worry England, Scotland will support you. In fact we will do absolutely everything possible to help you succeed.

READ MORE: English independence: 49% of people in England back ending Union

OK, Scottish MPs, let’s get to it. Keep bringing this to Westminster’s attention as often as you can, and don’t let this go. Let’s help our English neighbours and keep this debate going for as long as possible ... it’s the least we can do!
Ken Macrae
Renfrewshire

MUCH is being made of the results of the poll asking English voters to respond to the statement “England should be an independent country and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should be allowed to stand on their own two feet”. I would hesitate to read too much into the results returned on the basis of such an unsatisfactory statement as it is worded.

Glossing over the patronising “allowed” (surely this statement was not signed off by an independence supporter?), much of its significance and validity is forfeited by the underlying concept of pushing out of the nest, or indeed punishment, which lurks under “stand on their own two feet”.

The statement might well have more honestly read “be allowed to stand on their own two feet, which, as feckless subsidy junkies, they will of course not be able to do without the broad shoulders of Brengland to carry them”.

The mirror image of this statement would doubtless have prompted as many reservations “be allowed to stand on their own two feet which they can, of course do quite successfully, as much research has indicated, while their loss to now plain England will impose serious further damage to the post-Brexit English economy and to England’s standing now in the wider world, not to mention the possible loss of its UN Security Council seat”. As it stands, the statement suggests and encourages the seemingly dramatic “cut them loose and get shot of them” response from half of the English respondents. Such sloppy polling does nothing but muddy the waters. The response to “The four nations of the UK should all become independent countries” would have been of much more validity, interest and use.
Ian Duff
Inverness

SO half the English population surveyed want independence. Perhaps they should get a Section 30 Order to give them their democratic right – and save us the bother.
Rae Mackenzie
Stornoway