I AM sure National readers will remember Michael Gove, once the leader of the Union Unit in No 10. He found time during the Covid crisis to write a paper stating that “absent the pandemic” (his odd terminology), the greatest threat to the UK was the independence movement.

He stood down as an MP before the last election to avoid being another casualty of the Conservative meltdown.

He has been appointed editor of The Spectator magazine, which will provide him with another pulpit for both his right-wing and anti-independence views. Before then the BBC, unsurprisingly, have given him another job opportunity, presenting a radio series in which he interviews politicians.

READ MORE: Anger as BBC unveil new show with former top Tory Michael Gove

What is extremely disappointing is that one of those interviewed in his series is Humza Yousaf. The SNP simply have to stop participating in these UK ventures. It is on a par with John Swinney attending the Council of the Nations and Regions (when he should have asked Susan Aitken, a council leader, to take up his place) or travelling to London to take part in the summit chaired by Keir Starmer to attract investment to the UK.

I do not advocate the withdrawal of SNP MPs from Westminster nor a “wildcat referendum.” I do say, however, that the SNP should stop being involved with UK institutions and initiatives unless these are advancing the cause of independence.

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An SNP MSP should not be taking part in a programme hosted by someone so hostile to independence; this will not be advancing the cause of independence one bit.

The SNP should be disruptors of the status quo. They should not in any way continue with this habit of getting comfortable with its manifestations.

If they take this kind of non-cooperative action they can ignore the inevitable hostile media reaction, because this will happen whatever they do. It will, however, allow supporters of independence to see some positive signs of an intention not to follow the UK Unionist narrative.

Gavin Brown
Linlithgow

I FOUND Andrew Tickell’s piece in Sunday’s National about public inquiries most interesting, particularly the section about the undercover police or “spycops” inquiry that started a new phase of its public work just last week

This inquiry was set up by Theresa May in 2015 to unearth the activities of a little-known, sinister organisation within the Metropolitan Police called the “Special Demonstration Squad”.

READ MORE: Andrew Tickell: Why the Spycops scandal deserves more of our attention

The role of the undercover operatives of this “squad” was to infiltrate left-wing groups, involve themselves – sometimes romantically – with members of these groups and eventually become accepted and respected members within the group. They would seek to gain influence and attain senior positions in the group, even going so far as making suggestions for policy and the kinds of direct action that the group might consider pursuing. Any intelligence they obtained would of course be passed on to their “controllers” and from there, no doubt, to their political masters. Many of these “infiltrations” spanned many years.

Now, is it too far-fetched to speculate that this “Special Demonstration Squad” might not have restricted its infiltration activities to environmental and animal rights groups but also to other “left-leaning” organisations and bodies? Could certain political parties such as the SNP, which naturally represents an existential threat to the very cohesion of the British state itself, be considered worthy of infiltration?

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Since Alex Salmond regrettably stood down as leader of the SNP 10 years ago, the decision-makers at the very top of the party have made so many blunders, so many errors of judgement, so many U-turns and pursued so many distracting and unpopular policies that it almost seems as if they were actively, deliberately and systematically trying to reduce or even destroy support for independence and for the SNP as a party! They have certainly succeeded, whether deliberately or accidentally, in the latter if not the former.

It’s almost as if the hierarchy of the SNP have done their level best, intentionally or otherwise, to demonstrate that Scots are simply unable to govern themselves competently and efficiently. We are just “too stupid”.

Well, would it be unreasonable or even paranoid to suggest that the SNP, like other “left-leaning” organisations, has been “infiltrated”, possibly even at the highest level, by undercover operatives of the British state?

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But surely that’s just ridiculous! Surely kindly, benevolent, Albion wouldn’t stoop to doing anything so perfidious? But how else can you explain the utter incompetence of those at the top of the SNP? Why, three months after the almost wipe-out of July 4, has no post-mortem been done and no progress made?

Well, I suppose, in fairness, one explanation is that it’s really nothing to do with undercover machinations of the British state, maybe it’s quite simply because those at the top of the SNP are just plain, bloody, useless!

Makes you wonder sometimes though, doesn’t it?

Duncan H
Glasgow