THANK you very much, Alex Salmond. By your move to sue the Scottish Government, you have almost certainly deprived me of any chance of seeing independence to improve life for my children and grandchildren in the few years I may be fortunate to have before I pop my clogs. And for what? To massage your ego still further?

You have already been acquitted in a court of law, had the entire affair and the Scottish Government's part in it investigated and received your legal costs, yet you find this the right time to try to damage further the only party large enough to carry any weight in future dealings with Westminster anent independence.

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Had you focussed your case only on the civil servant in charge of proceedings at the time, I imagine few would have objected. By this action, you have revealed that massaging your ego and exacting vengeance matter more to you than your commitment to the achievement of our goal and the restoration of our nation’s freedom from colonial-style control.

Like many others, I used to admire you, and recognise and appreciate your immense contribution to our cause, but no longer – you have now destroyed that legacy at a stroke. Very recently you were advocating working with the SNP on a common plan, now made impossible by this one action. With a small party supported by around 2% of the population, no wins in any elections and several SNP has-beens in your ranks – such as Ash Regan, who was so utterly dedicated to independence and the SNP that she left to join your party after she lost the leadership election – you are ensuring that Alba will become just another Yes group, and a small one at that.

Just how do you think this legal action will advance the case for independence? And which matters more for the future of this country and its citizens, independence or your vengeance?

L McGregor
Falkirk

IT’S disappointing when someone you looked up to falls.

When Alex Salmond resigned as First Minister and leader of the SNP it was evident that he believed his own words that the Scottish independence referendum was a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”. That thinking apparently changed because support for independence failed to decline while he successfully defended charges made against him (which it seems his successor had no ethical option but to pursue, although the process adopted by the UK’s senior civil servant in Scotland was apparently flawed).

It was suspected by many that the founding of Alba was more about bolstering Alex Salmond’s personal ego than an absolute dedication to winning Scotland’s independence, and Alba calls for “collaboration and collective action” to unite the “Yes movement” now seem about as thin as Sir Keir Starmer’s socialist principles.

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Despite what many will therefore claim, however, all is not lost for the SNP or those who are not members of that party but committed to self-determination. Alba supporters can now demonstrate their individual commitments by focusing their efforts on promoting the considerable benefits of independence and on exposing the catastrophic failures of Tory/Labour UK governance (instead of attacking the SNP Scottish Government, which Alex Salmond appears preoccupied with attempting to bring down regardless of the damage likely to be sustained to the common aspirations of all supporters of Scottish independence).

The pivotal question will then be further emphasised – can the SNP now finally step up and lead Scotland to freedom?

Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian

I WAS glad to see RW Millar’s call for a wider explanation of the EU/EEA/Efta options open to an independent Scotland, and am glad to report I produced precisely that paper a few months ago. It can be found at scotlandineurope.eu/eu-not-efta-to-secure-scotlands-independent-future and I would urge anyone to read it, use it, and share it far and wide.

There are other options open to an independent Scotland, and we’ve considered them all carefully. The best one by a country mile (or even kilometre) is EU membership, and that is why it is SNP policy.

Alyn Smith MP
SNP Europe and EU Accession Spokesperson

SANDY Coghill’s letter in Saturday’s paper has a lot to commend it. Especially the quote “it could well be that politicians pushing for independence don’t want to succeed “.

I’ve felt that to be the case for a few years now, and more so during the last Scottish election for Holyrood. They seem to be content to try and alleviate the worst of Westminster’s doings and no more.

Any suggestions for change, especially radical change, are ignored, regardless of the source. Any internal moves to a more radical SNP are quickly put down and it’s back to more of the same. Offering more of the same at the next election means giving victory to the Unionist parties by default, not by vote switching. Independence supporters will, as at the recent by-election, simply stay at home.

Time is running out for me to see independence in my lifetime the way things are going, largely because of the way things have been done in recent years by the main party in power.

The “safe hands” approach taken offers no hope for the future. What’s the point of independence if things are just the same but with a tartan ribbon on them?

Independence means changes. Without them, it means nothing to bother voting for. More of the same doesn’t enthuse independence supporters.

Drew Reid
Falkirk