WHILE Fiona Bruce verbally tied herself in knots on last Thursday’s BBC Question Time in attempting to defend Nadhim Zahawi MP (then chairman of the Tory party), and Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday engaged in rhetorical contortions in attempting to divert from the lack of integrity in PM Rishi Sunak’s choices of Cabinet ministers and the overall sleaze evident within the Tory UK Government, Martin Geissler on the BBC’s Sunday Show injected no such “balance” when his guest, Craig Hoy MSP (chairman of the Tory party in Scotland), exploited every opportunity to denigrate the SNP and the Scottish Government.

Nor was anyone from the SNP apparently given the opportunity to respond to the highly subjective and misleading information that was presented.

READ MORE: BBC's Fiona Bruce accused of defending Nadhim Zahawi on Question Time

For the Tory party in Scotland to disingenuously and very cynically attempt to make out that BBC bias in Scotland favours independence not only takes exceptional brass necks but also demonstrates that most Tory politicians are not only arrogant, remote and out of touch with the public in general, but no matter how outrageous the claims, they think they can contemptuously pull the wool over enough eyes to advance their ideological ambitions.

Zahawi should not be allowed to continue to serve as an MP. Neither should a former Prime Minister who deliberately flaunts his position as an MP to embark on self-promotional international jaunts for his own enrichment.

READ MORE: Seven BBC fails Tories definitely DIDN'T bring up in 'pro-nat dossier'

Proportional representation for Westminster is long overdue and it’s about time – regardless of the wishes of its chairman and major Tory party donor Richard Sharp – that the public broadcaster commits to “professionalism” and “accountability” in representing the taxpayers that fund it (including high-earning executives and programme hosts) by getting its act together in support of the “deep cleaning” of UK politics instead of continuing to be a significant part of the problem!

Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian

AS the cost-of-living crisis deepens, Alex Salmond commented in Aberdeen: “One-third of households are being plunged into fuel poverty in the oil energy capital of Europe. This is a national scandal.”

Although energy bills may be dictated by world pricing, the reality is that because Scotland is not an independent country its resources are controlled and mismanaged by Westminster, while in an energy-rich independent Scotland we would produce all our own electricity needs from renewable sources and still be self-sufficient in oil and gas.

READ MORE: Campaigners warn post-Brexit bill will sow seeds of another bank crash

The Office of National Statistics in London has stated recently: “Scotland is one of the most productive areas in the UK, second only to London and the south-east”.

With all this in mind, it is little wonder that Westminster is desperate to hang on to Scotland. To reach its full potential as a successful European nation, Scotland must have control of all the economic powers of an independent country and leave this broken Union and shameful Brexit Britain.

Grant Frazer
Newtonmore

AFTER reading Stuart Cosgrove’s article in the Sunday National I am moved again to propose the removal of the SNP MPs from Westminster (Flynn has set the tone for how to turn up heat on Conservatives, Jan 29). There’s no evidence at all that their presence there can achieve anything, a fact that becomes increasingly evident with every day, month and year that passes.

Stephen Flynn, the present SNP leader at Westminster, says he “wants no stunts” by his MPs but doesn’t so far offer any sign he might want to rock the boat. He called his Westminster adversaries “a parcel of rogues”, but given some of the hate-filled despots there his quotation verges on a compliment. This passivity is unacceptable and I find parallels in the seamless transition of Frances O’Grady from her high trade union position (and “workers’ warrior”) to her newly ennobled position in the House of Lords. Is this a reward for overseeing a decline in workers’ conditions?

To those whose frustration is stretched to the limits by what they see as the snail’s pace of steps to independence, I would suggest they read history and see that other countries who sought independence, such as India and Ireland, took decades to achieve it. To finish on a brighter note, I would also draw attention to the fact that both India and Ireland achieved success at a time when Britain was in a very weak state following involvement in two world wars. While there’s not been a world war in recent times, Britain is presently in weaker state now than it has been for decades. That is a position that should be exploited to the full. Onwards to independence!!

Robert Clark
Gorebridge

READING Saturday’s National was a depressing business.

Ms Sturgeon has finally woken up to the idea the Tories want Holyrood to be dead and buried.

Mr Hunt’s lightbulb moment to solve the UK’s workforce problem is to raise the pension age, again.

Mr Sawar makes claims about the collapse of Dumfries & Galloway Council while the reality is the local Labour councillors have given him the finger and come up with a deal that keeps the Tories out.

Tim “Wetherspoons” Martin finds supping wi the boggles o’ Brexit has its consequences.

To cap it all, Keir Starmer – while denying he is a pale imitation of the Tories – goes out and proves he is a pale imitation of the Tories by parroting their “NHS Scotland is rubbish/get on with the day job” line.

The only saving grace was the wee mental dug fae Kelty (Fife dog goes viral after chewing its way through front door, thenational.scot, Jan 28).

Peter Thomson
Kirkcudbright