THERE’S going to be a lot of finger-pointing, anger and blaming each other in the days to come. However, I think we need to consider a few things. 1) Did Ruth Davidson and The Daily Express’s call for tactical voting against the SNP have any part to play in the result? 2) Was low turnout and the problems with postal votes a factor? 3) Was the pro-indy vote split and how do we overcome that in future?
I don’t think John Swinney has been given enough time to settle into his role as First Minister. I saw him speak when he was standing for the job and I was impressed by his passion, anger and fire. He deserves the chance to turn things around for the 2026 Holyrood election.
Finally, the focus will now be on Labour and their promise of change. Gordon Brown’s report for the party on how to reform devolution was “watered down” by Starmer and Sarwar agreed to this. I think it will be a short honeymoon if change doesn’t come quickly.
Andrew Haddow
Glasgow
WHEN your bus breaks down and the driver refuses to work with the breakdown service but tells you everything is going to be OK, you must leave the bus and take alternative transport to reach your destination. There’s nothing to gain by sitting in a broken-down bus.
Time will tell if a new driver can be found, one that will work with others to get the bus fixed.
John Levack
Edinburgh
AFTER the disastrous events of Thursday night, John Swinney apparently promised to learn from his mistakes and heed the concerns of the voters. However, it’s highly doubtful that he will follow through on his commitment. Swinney was closely aligned with the Sturgeon faction, which prioritised identity politics over independence.
Their preference for loyalty to Sturgeon over open discussion and dissent led to the absence of any clear successors. The Sturgeon faction’s collaboration with the Greens resulted in the abandonment of crucial infrastructure projects in favour of self-righteous posturing.
The long-overdue completion of the A9 upgrade was sacrificed to cater to the Greens’ whims. Lorna Slater bizarrely argued against the project, claiming it would only benefit wealthy individuals.
Politicians such as Swinney tend to stubbornly defend their flawed policies instead of acknowledging their shortcomings. They believe their policies are sound and only require stricter enforcement.
While Swinney should step down from his position, it’s unlikely that he will do so. Many politicians seem incapable of recognising their own inadequacies. The SNP experienced a significant loss of support, with one-third of their voters defecting to Labour or choosing to abstain. This was due to the absence of a credible plan for independence.
With two years remaining until the next Holyrood election, the SNP need to develop a viable strategy for achieving Scottish independence. However, as the Sturgeon faction remains entrenched, the prospects for such a plan appear dim.
Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee
AS a lifelong supporter of Scottish independence I was, of course, sorry to see the SNP hammered on Thursday. However, I have cheered up at the realisation that the Tories have been destroyed for the foreseeable future. The analogy which springs to mind is of the streets of Paris being hosed down overnight, to be fresh and welcoming in the morning. The image of the likes of Truss,
Rees-Mogg etc being swept along in the gutter is one to cherish.
The SNP have time to buckle down before the Scottish Parliament election, by which time Labour’s honeymoon will be over and Scots – roughly 50% of whom still retain a desire for independence – will surely see the importance of retaining an ‘independent’ Parliament.
David Roche
Blairgowrie
I WOULD like to congratulate all the new MPs on winning their seats. I have two pieces of advice for them if they want to have a successful career. Number one, if they make a mistake they should never admit to that mistake. Instead they should double down and make another mistake. Number two, if the public ever finds out that they’ve made a mistake all an MP has to do is say “Lessons have been learned”.
Geoff Moore
Alness, Highland
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