THE so-called Salmond inquiry witnessed the greatest mobilisation of the Unionist press to “Northern Britain” since the independence referendum of 2014. Right-wing commentators like Andrew Neil were visibly salivating at the prospect of damaging the Scottish Government – and by implication, the independence movement – to enable him and his establishment associates to place Scotland firmly under the heel of Westminster.

Mr Neil and other right-wing commentators continue, predictably but frustratingly, to turn a Nelsonian eye to the corruption and flagrant anti-democratic practices of the Westminster government whilst attacking the government in Edinburgh with impunity. The hypocrisy is truly staggering.

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Just when we thought Andrew Neil’s sanctimonious and risible “banana republic” remark couldn’t be bettered for sheer charlatanry, along comes the toxic Sarah Smith on the state broadcaster announcing that Mr Salmond had stated that the First Minister must now resign. Of course he had done no such thing.

Sarah Smith and her masters at the BBC should apologise to the viewers she has deliberately misled on BBC news as soon as is possible. Failure to do so should give rise to her resignation and her immediate disappearance from our screens. I’m sure Andrew Neil is looking for like-minded hacks to front his tawdry GB News channel in the near future.

Owen Kelly
Stirling

LIAM Fox “asks” the Deputy Speaker: “This would be a damning indictment in a tinpot dictatorship ... what mechanisms do we have to ensure that the conduct of the Scottish Government does not bring politics in the whole of the United Kingdom into international disrepute?”

Is he referring to excess UK death rate which is higher than in World War Two, or was it the policy of “haw Jimmy, you’re ma pal, dae ye want a juicy contract”? Perhaps it was the policy for Brexit being “taking back control”, not the fact that the uber-wealthy did not like the EU plan to tax dodgy bank accounts in Happy Bank Island. Was it that fishermen and farmers have had their livelihoods shattered? No, wait a minute, it was the Scottish Government having better Covid figures.

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He also says the Scottish Government derives its authority from the UK Parliament. Nonsense, it derives from the people of the nation of Scotland, whose sovereign status has been agreed in the UK Parliament. The fact that the Deputy Speaker did not tell him to “something” off is to her eternal shame.

M Ross
Aviemore

WONDERFUL to be reminded of what a statesman looks like. Alex Salmond at the inquiry, calm, lucid, answering every question fully and mostly without notes even though some of the questioners undoubtedly were looking for headlines and their moment to capture a headline.

Compare this to the majority of other witnesses – the stumbling half answers, not able to remember, “will get back to you”, having to be recalled several times to iron out “anomalies”.

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Total respect for Salmond and absolute disgust at Alex Cole-Hamilton asking a question that had nothing to do with the inquiry about Alex’s behaviour, especially from the man who had to apologise (one-and-a-half times) for his swearing at another MSP. The chair had to pull him up several times about his line of questioning.

Then we have Sarah Smith up to her old tricks – worthwhile when all you have to do is give a Twitter apology.

The SNP will only be saved because who in their right mind can vote for DRoss or Labour?

Winifred McCartney
Paisley

AS a student of history I have seen this kind of thing time and again. Everything is looking bright and going the right way – what do the Scots do on such occasions? They start attacking each other. The English government and its fellow travellers in Scotland sit back laughing like drains, and give an occasional stir to the pot. Our enemy is the English government, not some other patriot who may favour an approach different to our own.

Before I hear howls of racism, let me be clear I have no animus towards the English people; like many Scots I have English relatives. The English government is another matter entirely. Since the Norman invasion English governments have been mad, bad and dangerous.

I am distressed to see the independence of my country put at risk by squabbling nationalists. I am one SNP member who finds several of our party’s policies very distasteful, yet I will follow the leadership through hell and high water until independence is regained.

R Mill Irving
Gifford, East Lothian

ALEX Salmond’s appearance at the Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government’s failed harassment policy simply highlighted the gulf we have between Mr Salmond’s abilities and the pathetic SNP MSPs we now have representing us. Particular attention should be paid to Alasdair Allan and Stuart McMillan, who were disgracefully trying to tarnish Mr Salmond’s reputation rather than doing the work of the committee and analyse what went wrong with the harassment policy.

I think anyone watching this session would have realised how much the SNP and the independence movement is missing the talents of Mr Salmond. We need him back if we want to get independence because there is no way on earth people like Mr Allan and McMillan could ever deliver it.

Barry Hughes
Paisley

WHATEVER your views, there are two clear facts. Boris Johnson had been one of our greatest assets, helping to increase the vote for independence. Alex Salmond is helping to decrease that vote as elections loom.

Nick Boyle
Farr