I WATCHED the debate on Scotland Tonight between the excellent Kelly Given, an SNP activist, and Pamela Nash who heads up the pro-UK “Scotland in Union” campaign. Pamela, who I would politely describe as suffering from muddled thinking, kept banging on about selected opinion polls to prove her point about what the people of Scotland want and don’t want, to suit her argument. Many pro-Union politicians have likewise consistently, patronisingly been telling us what “the people” of Scotland want.

There is a wee problem with that argument. There has been a long-standing system in the UK and Scotland of officially establishing what “the people” want and it’s called democratic elections, not opinion polls. At these elections all parties present their manifestos to “the people” with the promise that if they are voted into power they will quite rightly enact their pledges.

Nobody has particularly argued against this system until the Scottish people gave a cast-iron mandate for the SNP and the Greens to pursue arranging a referendum on independence following the Scottish Parliament election in May 2021. Since then most on the pro-Union side of the argument seem to have discovered an unwritten exception in the small print of this long-established system that voters that desire an independent Scotland don’t count.

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What is galling is the total BS involved in arguing that there is no such mandate. I would respect an honest position, which is the reality in any case, that representatives on the pro-Union side acknowledge they respect democracy when the vote goes their way, but if it doesn’t then the fall-back position is a good dollop of autocracy. Let’s face it, their position isn’t really different from that of Trump and Bolsonaro supporters.

Also, what really gets my goat is when pro-Union politicians are asked by reporters what people in Scotland need to do to achieve independence they completely fail to engage with the question.

Far too often the reporters just let them waffle away with total rubbish and don’t persist with this line of questioning.

If the press and media in the UK and Scotland won’t tell it like it is – that opponents of independence are autocrats, end of story – then I will! So for any waverers out there, if you want to live in a democratic country, your only option now is independence, no ifs, no buts, as someone famously uttered!

Ivor Telfer

Dalgety Bay, Fife

I WAS surprised to see my wee sister and members of her “A Team” pictured alongside Gerry Hassan’s latest column on Tuesday, but also delighted. Small groups are actively supporting our fight for independence and many go unnoticed by the media and TV. My sister lives in Linlithgow and it is she who got me involved in joining the SNP and attending marches.

The people you meet at marches or meet-ups in between are the heart of the movement and spend hours organising house-to-house leafleting and speakers and fundraising activities.

I have fibromyalgia and that stops me going to marches as often as I would like to. Many older people and really young people come together in these marches and we are fighting for our young people’s future.

Thank you for your article, Gerry – it brings home that it is ordinary people who do their best despite difficulties to spread the message that independence is the only way forward for Scotland.

Linda Ellard

via email

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YOU might remember when industrial disputes were solved by talking, negotiating and compromising. It would seem that this is viewed as a tiresome process by the Government, and they would prefer to tackle, rather than solve, industrial disputes by legislation.

The current proposals from Grant Shapps threaten to punish the trade unions financially through fines, and it is suggested individual trade union members might even be imprisoned. This is being done at a time when the essential services of health, care, education and transport are suffering from critical staff shortages

This of course leads to stress and burnout, resulting in staff leaving the professions when they still have the potential to give years of service. Result – more stress resulting in even more staff leaving the services!

The two crucial questions that should be asked are: will the UK Government’s proposals encourage more people to choose a career in these professions? And will the proposals help with the problem of poor staff retention?

If the answer to either of these questions is “no” – and I really fail to imagine it could be otherwise – then I fear we are doomed to further, and even accelerated, decline in these essential areas. The future under this government scares me.

Alex Leggatt

Edinburgh