Sir, Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty uses his elected position as a vehicle for his irrational hatred of the SNP instead of just doing the job he’s paid to do. (Courier front page, May 19) He’s clearly worried about losing that job shortly but since when did smearing voters and constituents become a legitimate tool of the professional politician?
I was the author of his “duplicitous” quote and the letter, Playing politics with our children’s future (Courier, May 12). If I and my fellow citizens can’t criticise our elected representatives like him and Ms Hilton without being smeared for it, what does that say about the contempt they must have for democracy?
The hypocrite demonises Yes campaigners for being abusive and name-calling, then uses the pejorative unionist description “cybernats”. Meanwhile, the leader of his party in Holyrood treats SNP politicians in much the same way, while she insulted Yes supporters as a virus some months ago. I would suggest he and his party should put their own house in order before criticising others.
For politicians criticism comes with the job. If Mr Docherty and Ms Hilton can’t stand the heat, they should get out of the kitchen. Ms Hilton may be a working mother but not giving up her well-paid role as a councillor hasn’t endeared her to her constituents who pay both her salaries. Her colleague Alex Rowley gave it up when he became an MSP, so why didn’t she?
This is also a disingenuous attack on free speech, but he won’t shut me up with his high-handed tactics and neither will two anonymous threatening letters I received. Unionism seems to be getting more desperate by the day.
My late father who was a Labour activist in the Sixties would have been horrified with what they’ve done to his beloved Labour Party. I hope the party he worked so tirelessly for can return to its former stature. An independent Scotland will need them, not their current parody.
Brian Macfarlane. 10 Beck Crescent, Dunfermline.
Last games for Scots?
Sir, It has been strongly hinted by some members of the SNP, that an independent Scotland may not retain the Queen as head of state. So, if Scotland does gain independence and the Queen is indeed given her “jotters”, where will the SNP stand vis-a-vis the Commonwealth of Nations?
Presumably, since the Queen is head of its 53 member states, the SNP may wish to see the Queen deposed from that position, too? Would the SNP even want Scotland to be a member of a loose alliance of countries, many of which were territories of the former British Empire?
This year’s Commonwealth Games could be the last such event that our Scottish athletes attend. What would our youngsters think about perhaps finding themselves outside that vast, glorious, multicultural, unique and exciting club?
Monique S Sanders. Ingledene, Ladybank.
Have heard no great debate
Sir, A line in Bob Taylor’s letter (May 16) caught my attention: “I don’t see people anywhere furiously debating the matter.” (Independence.) I, too, have thought this for some time.
I visit shops and pubs, travel on buses, and generally mix with a large variety of people, yet never once have I heard the independence issue even mentioned by anyone, far less discussed.
Is it the case that real people are either fed up with it all already, or will things perhaps liven up nearer to the referendum?
I’ve never seen anyone in the streets pushing the issue or distributing leaflets.
In fact, I’ve seen absolutely no evidence of the forthcoming referendum in real life.
It all seems to be being pushed and discussed by the media.
Dave Forsyth. 112 Garvock Hill, Dunfermline.
Yes voters are not all SNP
Sir, It is always a pleasure to read contributions from Robert IG Scott including the one in your May 16 edition. His letters are a great example of how British nationalists like to talk Scotland down.
In his letter he even went so far as to say that we are too “wee” to survive on our own. Is he really saying that Scots are less capable than the citizens of the numerous very successful countries of a similar size?
Like most people who say they would rather be governed by Westminster than Holyrood, he appears obsessed with Alex Salmond and the SNP. Surely, even he must know by now that Yes Scotland is not the SNP. There are huge numbers of us intending to vote “yes” who are not SNP supporters. But, rather than bore with a point by point refutation, I challenge Robert to a public debate!
Andrew Collins. Skinners Steps, Cupar.
Knocking down our own house
Sir, When I was in California last week, expatriate Scots commented on the negativity of the referendum debate.
However, they did not lay the blame entirely at the feet of the unionists.
They believed it was the inevitable outcome of the SNP’s inability to provide a distinctive and coherent definition of what it meant to be Scottish beyond not being English.
From the other side of the pond it seemed that, after so many centuries of interchange and intermarriage, our language, literature, ideology and rituals were pretty much identical.
As happened in the US itself, modern British culture was hugely influenced by the Scottish Enlightenment and it looked as if we were knocking down a house we had largely built.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.