I AM writing to everyone who believes that the people of Scotland should have the power to govern our own country, make our own rules and use our own many resources, but who – perhaps disillusioned by the lack of progress towards this by the SNP during their time in the Scottish Parliament – is considering voting Labour.

I ask you – please don’t vote Labour. Polling tells us that Scottish votes will not be needed to defeat the Tories at Westminster, but if the number of SNP MPs is reduced, that would enable the Unionist media to claim that Scotland is no longer interested in independence, and bury the question for at least five years, despite polls remaining consistently around the 50-50 mark.

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Can I explain why I ask you this?

I was a faithful grassroots activist in the Labour Party for 43 years. I hung in there when many others were leaving due to Iraq, PFI etc.

In 1979 I leafleted half of my branch area for a Scottish Parliament; and again in 1997.

I was delighted when we eventually got the parliament, and was proud of Labour to have achieved that. When the 2014 referendum came around it seemed like a natural progression, so I sought out, then campaigned for, Labour for Indy (yes, it really existed!). I believed it was a personal philosophical decision, and that at least half of the Labour Party and its voters would be in favour of independence. The 2015 General Election result proved that, with the huge increase in the number of SNP MPs, wouldn’t you say?

I felt a wee bit sad that the Labour Party in Westminster would lose the possibility of 59 Scottish MPs, but surely Labour in England and Wales would be capable of winning there by themselves?

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When David Cameron wanted a Scottish frontman for the Unionist campaign, because he didn’t dare campaign in Scotland himself, he chose mild-mannered Alistair Darling – who later said he had been reluctant. However, I became more and more angry seeing him cosy up with the Auld Enemy. I still ask myself at what point I became so implacably angry. A couple of days later, I wrote to Alistair Darling expressing how angry I felt and resigning from the Labour Party.

At that point Scottish Labour had committed suicide.

Later I met so many ex-Labour people among the various groups of the independence movement. I work harder than ever, for Pensioners for Indy. I am still a socialist of course, but cannot imagine how I could ever trust Labour again. Scottish Labour have dug an even bigger hole for their grave, by hanging on to the Tories’ coat-tails with the flagrantly undemocratic “NO INDYREF2” mantra.

When independence comes, as it must one day, and all political groups re-form, Scottish Labour will find they have worked hard to rule themselves out as the left-wing party of choice. And won’t it be lovely to be a NORMAL country and be governed by the governments we vote for? Remember, Scotland hasn’t voted Tory since 1955.

J Anderson Hall
via email

STAN Grodynski (Letters, Jul 1) is right to criticise Kirsty Wark’s recent TV appearance as “moderator” of an election debate. Her treatment of Kate Forbes was at times brusque to the point of rudeness, seemingly aspiring to be a homegrown Fiona Bruce in her dislike of Scottish independence.

Once widely admired by many Scots, including me, for her determination to retain her attractive accent and home in Scotland (although, sadly, her diction has become rather rushed and scattergun over the years), it may be time for her to accept the DBE and retire.

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There is another, more serious problem with BBC Scotland. For a long time now their “vox pops”/street interviews etc have featured a much higher percentage of English folk – or “soothmoothers” at any rate – than can possibly be a true reflection of our population. Two out of three is not uncommon, and surely a policy directive? I am old enough to remember a time when it was the norm to ease English incomers into the best/”top” jobs “up here” and, God help us, there was even a daft assumption that we, the colonised, should be grateful. We listened to the BBC and knew our place. Long ago this became a cultural, housing and demographic problem, so that now in north-east Scotland and the Borders, two out three is normal.

It is a fact that the English – big-hearted but often big-headed with it – are compelled to “take over” when given the chance.

In many Scottish seats, on July 4, that will certainly cost the SNP dear, and the demise of the independence movement will (wrongly) be trumpeted.

Just makes the struggle tougher, but freedom (to run our own country for the benefit of all citizens) will certainly come.

David Roche
Blairgowrie

ALL the SNP activists and candidates who are claiming, on social media, that they “getting a great response on the doors” should connect with a well-known online bookmakers where odds of 7/2 are available on the SNP getting the most seats. So, for example, bet £20 get £70 and your £20 stake back or throw caution to the wind and put down £200 to get winnings of £700.

Given the most recent polling results, which show Labour with a five-point lead, the chances of winning these bets are looking fairly unlikely.

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Sadly it looks like the SNP will be heading back to levels of support and numbers of MPs from around 1974. The past 50 years of effort from many hundreds of activists have been squandered by the party’s current and recent leadership. It has been all downhill from around 2015.

The Scottish Parliament elections of 2026 are now less than two years away. You have to ask the hard question – is John Swinney the man to lead us to anything resembling a victory in 2026?

Iain Wilson
Stirling