DURING 2014, those of us trying to involve the Labour Party in debates about independence began to discover that, here in the West of Scotland, quite often you would get agreement for their attendance at an event and then a cancellation at the last minute leaving audiences with the impression that you had excluded the Labour Party or not tried very hard to include them!

As an old campaigner who can remember the early days of anti-apartheid activity, I can say that it was not very popular and you were often characterised as a left extremist – although that shifted as the movement grew and the influence of the churches and civic organisations participating, brought the idea of a very broad sphere of influence.

The Scottish Sovereignty Research Group held a very successful weekend conference as outlined by Geoff Bush in The National.

I put up a message of thanks and congratulation to SSRG on Twitter and received many likes and retweets but also some hostile comments about the Alba “domination” of the conference or its description as an “Alba front”.

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If we are to restore our independence we will need to build a united campaign and we will need to work with people we may not like.

In my long years of campaigning this has always proved to be true.One of the most memorable days of my life was the day Nelson Mandela (right) walked free and of course many people remember this.

It looked impossible but we did it with support across the world.

We can restore the independence of our ancient nation with campaigning and international support but we will only achieve it with a united front.

I have never been in the SNP but I always gave them complete support when it became apparent that the Labour Party had lost touch with its grassroots.

I also know that unity always wins and takes the prize.

Let’s get our Yes movement going again and listen to all the new ideas out there!

Maggie Chetty Glasgow OUR fellow anti-Tory voters south of the Border ... who can they vote for if they are traditional Labour voters? I realise for some it’s become Greens or LibDems (there’s nobody else) but may I make a suggestion. Mick Lynch, the man of the hour, who talks sense and tackles the Tory rhetoric head on. He should form a new party. It would be an absolute winner.

I know I would vote for him if I lived there!

Robin MacLean

Fort Augustus

I AM so angry at the condescending, arrogant, rude and utter tripe spouted by Liz Truss about our FM which was quickly endorsed by Tory MSP Murdo Fraser.

The BBC and the Tories seem to take a macabre pleasure when Scotland faces criticism – almost applauding when ferries don’t work or when NHS waiting time targets are not achieved and when our FM is insulted!

Have the Tories no awareness of the reality in Scotland? For a start, we don’t vote Tory, we have voted SNP into Government for the last 15 years and 50%+ of the Scottish electorate vote for pro-independence political parties. What Liz Truss suggests is to ignore our FM and by default that means ignoring Scotland and her folks!

Outrageous – being treated as if we are something on the soles of the Tory shoes!

We need to stand together, work together and achieve our independence.

I can’t wait to live in my country where our shared values will reflect a more equal, positive, caring, inclusive society – where we all matter.

Don’t think Liz could cope or understand that concept.

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Jan Ferrie via email RECEIVING information on our forthcoming holiday on mainland Europe, I could not help noticing an item of information in relation to the health card we should have. If our European Health Insurance Card has expired, we should apply for its replacement, the Global Health Insurance Card. The travel advice makes clear, however, and I quote verbatim: “Despite being called a Global Health Card, it actually only works in the 27 EU countries.”

There is no end to the UK’s post-Brexit sense of delusion.

Gavin Brown Linlithgow THANK you Liz, thank you! You have just replaced Maggie Thatcher, instead of Boris.

She may well become the Prime Minister of the Disunited Kingdom, but her comments have just pushed the indy vote another couple of points towards independence.

Alistair Ballantyne Angus FIRST, the BBC kills The Mash Report, now it’s Mock The Week. What’s the betting on Have I Got News For You being next to face the censorship firing squad?

Jack Foley

Hamilton