STAY home, save lives, protect the NHS. This has been the message from Boris Johnson and his Tory government.

However the 21st-century Boss Tweed Boris Johnson has ignored that. He has decided that a PR trip to Scotland to “save” the rotten corrupt, immoral and illegal Union should take precedence over people’s health. This is not a surprise, as all throughout the pandemic the Tories have thought the driver to make profit should trump people’s health.

Johnson the oafish imbecile has done the usual of UK Prime Ministers – the stage-managed visit to a facility well away from the public. He came to Scotland from a Covid-19 hotspot. He didn’t respect social distancing and wore a non-surgical mask.

READ MORE: Covid-19 death toll shows current Westminster system is not fit for purpose

This is a man whose utter incomprehensible laziness and criminally negligent incompetence has lead to more than 100,000 Covid-19 deaths. He issued a half-hearted non-apology for this while trying to wash his hands of culpability.

The new variant of Covid-19 is also estimated to be 70% more transmissible than the previous incarnation. Boris Johnson had this information for 17 days before he imposed a new national lockdown. So he is solely responsible for that decision. Scientists were telling him to impose a lockdown and he delayed.

Johnson’s trip was defended by the impotent, anonymous irrelevant Tony Blair clone “Sir” Keir Starmer. Starmer’s party functions as coalition partners of Johnson, in a Unionist alliance. They try to cover-up the antagonisms caused in Scotland by being in the Union.

Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee

HAVING long been of the opinion that Boris Johnson didn’t know a certain part of his anatomy from his elbow I was impressed by the way he gave people he met on his Scottish visit an elbow greeting. Clearly, he does know the difference!

Alan Woodcock
Dundee

I ADMIT to being concerned that – should independence supporting parties romp home in the next Holyrood election and then fix a referendum, whether with S30 consent or not – Scots will not vote Yes for they are still in the dark about personal financial security.

​READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon outlines 'Plan B' to European newspaper readers

We need to see the steady and continuous output, prior to any referendum, of information sheets and adverts confirming;

•That pensions will be paid and by whom

•What the currency will be

•That Scotland will have a Central Bank

•That an independent Scotland does not owe the rUK one cent of

its national debt

•That the public will be consulted about re-joining the EEC

•Information regarding taxation going forward

•What is to happen regarding NATO and security

•If nukes are to be banned and removed from Scotland

•If the public will be consulted as to whether we retain a monarch or become a republic

The questions are too numerous to list but there is no point in getting to the finish line and falling before the tape. Twenty polls showing support are one thing but faced with uncertainty about financial matters both personal and state. And we have the Union-supporting media pumping out constant anti-indyref propaganda and Salmond incredulously creating waves to salve his ego!

Let’s face it ... if indyref2 fails then that is indeed it for 40 years or longer. Many, including myself, will be sad and crushed that they did not live to see Scotland makes its mark on our world and create a better life for all Scots as an independent nation once more, no matter their colour, origin or creed. We need the output of sound and indisputable info, starting now.

Peter Macari
Aberdeen

SURELY the obvious question to ask any politician of the Unionist persuasion at the outset of any interview/debate is “do you

believe in the principles of democracy and its process and do you agree that you have been elected on that basis?”

If they answer in the affirmative, then they presumably agree to Scotland’s right to a vote on its future. If they do not agree to a vote, then any opinions or thoughts they have on Scotland and its governance are irrelevant and the interview should be terminated.

Why don’t the media ask these important questions? I think we know the answer to that!

Keith Taylor
via email

THE British nationalists are fond of using the words separatist and separation to describe us. We counter this with the words Independence and Freedom. I would like to suggest yet another word we could employ: “Secession”.

We wish to secede from a Union, the membership of which no longer benefits our country. If, as the Britnats insist, we are members of a “Precious Union”, that means we have the RIGHT to secede from that Union. Now let them argue that we DON’T have that right. If they do, then they’re admitting we’re not in a Union, but in fact are a POSSESSION of “Brengland”.

Barry Stewart
Blantyre

AN interesting article in the Sunday National about Ewan MacColl (The Real MacColl, January 24). It filled a lot of gaps as to what I knew about him.

When I first heard Dirty Old Town, the image it conjured up in my mind was not Glasgow, but one of a northern English town. I later learned it was Manchester.

READ MORE: The Real MacColl: The Dirty Old Town writer and his support for independence

Hearing Shoals of Herring sung by the Clancy Brothers, I thought it was an Irish song. Then I found out it was written for a documentary on English fishing.

Then I heard The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, beautifully sung by the American Roberta Flack, and one I’d sung many times at social gatherings. I read (whether true or not) that Ewan MacColl thought it a terrible version.

I hadn’t known about Ben Harker’s book, so thanks to Dave Bowman for providing me with greater knowledge about Ewan MacColl, that for a long time I’ve wanted to learn.

Bobby Brennan
Glasgow