STAN Grodynski urged us in The National on Monday to vote SNP at the General Election if we want independence. In the Sunday National we had two excellent letters, one from Robert Anderson and one from Iain Bruce, both setting out the position by which the Scottish people can take their independence based on the principle that sovereignty in Scotland rests with the people. Again in Monday’s National we had a letter from Alan Crocket explaining how the SNP’s election strategy is “entirely misconceived”, and Alan is right.

So where does that leave me as a staunch independence supporter approaching the General Election? Should I vote SNP in order to present a show of unity in the independence movement, even if I agree with Robert, Iain, and Alan?

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Well now, we do not know when the General Election will be, but if the Tories do badly, as expected, at the two by-elections shortly to be held in England, we can be pretty sure that we will have a few months before the election.

If that should prove to be the case, then the SNP leadership should do as Robert Bruce did just before the battle of Bannockburn. When he saw the dispositions of the huge English army on the evening of the 13th on the night before the main battle, he abandoned his well-prepared battle plan and designed a new one.

Now, the SNP leadership have a bit more time than Bruce had, but the same principle applies. Should they march ahead with a strategy which the enemy, and the enemy’s media, are well aware of, and which we all now know has no chance of being successful, or should they change their strategy and take the enemy by surprise, as Bruce did?

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The issue is clear: we all know that the UK Government will not cooperate with us to help Scotland take its independence; they simply can’t afford to do this. So any strategy based on that will fail again. However, the SNP has a strategy to set up a Constitutional Convention. Such a body could express Scottish sovereign power and could be effective, particularly if the Scottish Government were to announce that it was going to abolish the council tax and replace it with a land tax.

That would take the enemy by surprise and the SNP would be hitting the Unionists at their weakest point. A land tax would hit the wealthiest sections of the community and would get the wealthy Unionist supporters busy working for their own personal interests rather than supporting their Unionist friends.

The SNP, on the other hand, would attract a lot of new support in the STUC and the Labour movement, and would put heart back into the traditional SNP support. It would also ensure that for most indy supporters, the vote for the SNP would not be in question.

Harold Wilson once said that 10 days is a long time in politics. The SNP are likely to have months to prepare for a stunning victory if they have the foresight and courage.

Andy Anderson
Ardrossan

DO you think Reporting Scotland will be door-stepping Anas Sarwar over either of the current mis-steps by Labour?

There is Keir Starmer’s initial support of the Rochdale candidate whom he has now abandoned, and Labour NEC member rubbishing the comments of Josh Simons about sending people-smugglers on a barge to Scotland, Labour in Scotland (the branch office) says Josh Simons’s views do not represent the Labour Party. Why then is Martin McCluskey, who was a member of the “fringe group”, standing in Inverclyde for Labour in Scotland? And why is Josh Simons at the side of Rachel Reeves and others being platformed?

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Labour conference this weekend will provide plenty of opportunities for BBC Scotland to question Sarwar, or will it be like last time – a cup of tea and a jokey session clipped for consumption on Reporting Scotland?

Winifred McCartney
Paisley

SO, Josh Simons says ship the migrant smugglers to Scotland, then attempts to apologise by saying he is half Scottish (the claimed half not being the half with the brain). Just when you think the Labour and U-turn Party has hit the gutter, lo and behold they find a drain that goes to the sewer.

M Ross
Aviemore

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LAST Thursday I had a letter printed in The National in which I pointed out that every Wednesday on Good Morning Scotland, BBC Scotland features a selected and researched negative story about the Scottish Government so that it can be used by the opposition the next day at First Minister’s Questions. They do the opposition parties’ homework for them, and set the tone, using our licence fee funding for their political help.

I predict that this week’s FMQs will feature local government’s comments about their relationship with the government.

Alasdair Forbes
Farr, Inverness-shire

I AM pleased that the capable Kaukab Stewart MSP has been appointed Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development; the first woman of colour to hold a ministerial position in the Scottish Government.

From historical experience alone, people should understand that multiculturalism works for the benefit of all.

READ MORE: Kaukab Stewart becomes first woman of colour to gain role as minister

The fact is that with so many job vacancies, Scotland urgently requires a realistic approach to migration to grow our economy and secure a healthy and modern multicultural society.

However, in view of the insular nature of UK Brexiteer governments, this will only happen in a fully independent Scotland that is part of the brotherhood of nations in Europe and the world.

Grant Frazer
Newtonmore

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