I AM not surprised regarding Mike Russell’s warning in Saturday’s National about the current Tory-Unionist media frenzy to bring down our esteemed First Minister (Media’s frenzied attacks on the FM have strayed from policy to personal, Feb 11). This warning is long overdue by the way!
The continuous assault against the Scottish Government, the SNP and the indy movement itself has actually been going on for a very long time, with observers like myself previously commenting that we are the equivalent of a political punch bag. The great miracle regarding this conspiracy among extreme right-wing political opponents and the current Tory-Brexit government and their many colluding media backers/friends (including the BBC) is the fact that Scotindy and the quest for self-determination are still “alive and kicking” plus the First Minister is still politically intact.
READ MORE: BBC presenter James Naughtie claims Nicola Sturgeon is 'looking tired'
Poisonous attacks/insinuations from the press against Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government have been rife for months and months– they never stop and will continue to undermine Scotland and the Scottish Government in any underhand way that they can do it! They failed to bring down our First Minister way back in 2020-21 during the period of the Alex Salmond scandal – it was absolutely clear at that time that they and their media/press cohorts were going all out to bring down both Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon during one of the darkest periods of Unionist attacks that I can ever recall. THEY FAILED!
However, that Unionist/British government conspiracy has never disappeared and they have always regarded the FM/Scottish Government as a primary target, an enemy of Great Britain, and look for any opportunity to eliminate said enemy from the politics in this country. All with Brexit unopposed while still being bogusly touted by some of these charlatans as great for the UK!
READ MORE: Majority of SNP voters want Nicola Sturgeon to remain FM
Just study the recent deliberate dismissal of formal requests to appear before Scottish Government committees by various disrespectful Cabinet ministers – an absolute disgrace, but this lack of respect has been going on for years. Indeed, there are many within this extreme group of horrible people who would permanently shut down the Scottish Parliament at the drop of a hat – as undemocratic as it gets when one considers Scotland is an equal partner in this Union of equals! Utter nonsense and sheer political impudence as usual!
One can only hope that more and more people in Scotland gradually start to see the light regarding this conspiracy against our elected government/FM and a fractured Union with all the political faults/defects attached to it – the prospect of Scottish independence looking more and more like the attractive option that it really should be.
Bernie Japs
Edinburgh
MIKE Russell is right to abhor media feeding frenzies. The Tory press will always try to destroy politicians who threaten the established order, from the likes of Nye Bevan and Tony Benn to Jeremy Corbyn and, of course, Nicola Sturgeon.
The religious philosopher Kierkegaard said, “the lowest thing before God is a journalist”. In respect of our right-wing gutter press, never a truer word.
Alastair McLeish
Edinburgh
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon 'determined' to lead Scotland amid 'challenging' trans debate
I TOTALLY agree with Michael Russell’s comments regarding the media frenzy targeted at the First Minister: vindictive, petty and nothing more than a desperate attempt to demonise her and weaken and derail the independence movement.
But while it comes as no surprise to see Unionist journalists behaving in this way, it is very disappointing, to put it mildly, that a few so-called independence supporting journalists have also jumped on the “bring Nicola down” bandwagon. Their motive seem incomprehensible to me, but smacks of anything that will provide them with a headline and further their career; all at the expense of Scotland’s future and the independence movement they are supposed to support.
Ruth Marr
Stirling
THE British right-wing press and media are almost frenzied in their disingenuous fulminations against Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP.
The Independent stated recently that a YouGov survey revealed that the British media is the “most right-wing” in Europe.
In particular, the right-wing gutter press is relentless in its criticism of the indefatigable quest for Scottish independence. The Daily Express is near libellous in the implacable ire that it directs at Nicola Sturgeon.
READ MORE: SNP minister Ivan McKee calls for pro-independence parties to unite
The right-wing press and the Unionist press in general has sought to foment and engender some element of credence to their baseless assertion that Nicola Sturgeon is considering stepping down as First Minister. They have also weaponised the debate over whether trans people should have the right to choose their sex. This is being done for the sole purpose of trying to destabilise the SNP.
What is the reason for the bilious attacks on Nicola Sturgeon by the right-wing and Unionist press? It is because THEY FEAR HER. They fear her towering competence and unalloyed probity, in stark contrast to the corruption and cronyism at Westminster.
Sandy Gordon
Edinburgh
I READ in Friday’s National that Green MSP Gillian Mackay is hopeful that her legislation to introduce buffer zones around medical facilities which provide abortion services will soon be in place. I am genuinely confused. Is this the same Gillian Mackay MSP who voted to allow males who self-identify as female easier access into female hospital wards, toilets etc via the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill?
Dr Iain Evans
Edinburgh
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