Sir, – So we wait three weeks for Nicola Sturgeon to tell us, albeit a cosmetic tweak, that it’s second referendum business as usual.
Ms Sturgeon is as always trying to balance the demands of her dyed-in-the-wool supporters with the concerns of the majority opposed to her UK break-up intention.
In practice, the SNP leader is merely delaying her demands for a second referendum to be held – probably – in late 2019 or 2020, rather than autumn 2018 or spring 2019.
She seemingly believes this minor rescheduling gives her time to rebuild her personal popularity and that of her party, plus enabling her to push independence support over 50%.
And that’s despite the general election result and most opinion polls going against her.
But isn’t all this academic?
Westminster, not Holyrood, determines whether a referendum takes place and Scottish Secretary David Mundell has made clear there won’t be another until after the next Holyrood election.
And, as Ms Sturgeon is more than aware, then only if a separatist majority is returned to power.
Martin Redfern.
Merchiston Gardens,
Edinburgh.
Peace process put in jeopardy
Sir, – It was 15 years ago that Theresa May told conference delegates that the Tories must cease to be the “nasty party” but that was then and this is now and her survival is paramount.
Mrs May has traded her party’s long-term claims to virtue in favour of short-term power by forming an alliance with Ulster’s repellent DUP.
Her snap election was called to gain an increased majority allowing her to claim a mandate for her brutal version of Brexit but she lost her majority and now has no such mandate.
So she has no moral right to put the peace process and our relationship with Eire at risk and certainly no political right to pursue an illiberal and damaging divorce from the EU.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.
Political bribe by Theresa May
Sir,- If the next few polls in Scotland don’t show an increased desire for independence, then I fear they never will.
If the people of Scotland can’t see what a disgrace of a Prime Minister Theresa May is, then I fear for my fellow Scots.
Her desperate attempts to remain in power by bribing the DUP with £1 billion of taxpayers’ money beggars belief.
What really angers me is that they can get away with this underhand politics in the full glare of the British people.
It has been said that £1bn could replace all the cladding on England’s tower blocks twice over, but wait and see how quickly that money is come by.
Bob Donald.
Denhead Farm,
Ceres.
Send DUP to Brussels talks
Sir, – Perhaps the lesson to be learned from the Tories stitch-up with the DUP, a deal that would discredit Tony Soprano, is that instead of sending the David Davis delegation to Brussels, we should dispatch the DUP.
If they can so painlessly extort £1 billion from a cash-strapped UK Treasury in a couple of weeks, think how much they might blarney off our outstanding UK bill of £100bn over a couple of years.
Joseph G Miller.
44 Gardeners Street,
Dunfermline.
Independence still priority
Sir, – Now we know what kind of a country Scotland has become: one where one woman takes all the decisions about our constitutional arrangements.
Nicola Sturgeon, and no one else, has decided not to have a referendum in the very near future.
Ms Sturgeon will decide whether we have a referendum in the slightly less near future.
Ms Sturgeon will decide on the date, question and electorate for any future referendum. Did the progenitors of devolution really intend a First Minister to have effectively dictatorial power?
It is true that Theresa May decided on the date of the general election.
Elections, however, occur at regular intervals. They are reversible. Referendums are, or used to be, once in a generation or once in a lifetime events. Their results bind us in life-changing ways.
It is not so long ago that Ms Sturgeon said: “I’m not proposing a second referendum tomorrow. What I’m talking about is the Scottish Parliament having the right to propose a second referendum if it becomes clear that a majority of people in Scotland want independence. It would have to be a majority of people that wanted independence.”
There is no evidence a majority of people want another referendum. On the contrary, the evidence has pointed in the opposite direction.
That will not deter Ms Sturgeon from the only goal that matters to her.
Jill Stephenson.
Glenlockhart Valley,
Edinburgh.
SNP let down Scots claimants
Sir, – I listened with disgust at two things that Nicola Sturgeon said in her keynote speech.
Firstly she claimed she was proud of the SNP achievements over the last 10 years. How low has she set the bar to make that assertion?
With education, police, NHS and farm payouts in complete chaos under their leadership, I hate to think what state these areas would have to be in for her to be disappointed.
The second statement which angered me was she wanted to create a Scottish welfare system with fairness at its heart.
Would that be the same one that she refused to take powers over from Westminster until 2020, leaving vulnerable Scottish claimants at the hands of ATOS and grossly unfair assessment procedures?
Gordon Kennedy.
117 Simpson Square,
Perth.