Beware of anti-Scots feelings in England

I see Ed Miliband is paying another visit to Scotland and his major message seems to be: “Don’t expect to influence events at Westminster if you vote SNP.”

Since Miliband is more unpopular than Cameron in the almost Tory-free Scotland I don’t suppose the SNP is too worried about his visit.

However, his message backs up that coming from the Liberal conference in 
Aberdeen or the Tory adverts about Labour and the SNP.

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It seems to be that, yes, we love-bombed you during the referendum, saying how much we wanted you to stay, but don’t dare to elect people outside the unionist parties or you will face hostility and often sexism and racism towards Scotland and SNP politicians.

As a Scot who lived in England for 35 years and represented Essex and Herts in the European Parliament in the 1990s, I never came across hostile attitudes towards Scots.

Since returning to Scotland in 1999 I also have not encountered racist attitudes towards the English in any Scottish political parties, in particular in the SNP.

However, there is a real danger that the current election campaign will result in a real increase in anti-Scottish feeling in England, which will be bad for everyone.

So all the unionist parties in England and Scotland should think hard before they play their anti-Scottish cards. It won’t do them any good electorally in Scotland and it will divide the people of Britain.

Hugh Kerr

Wharton Square

Edinburgh

The Labour Party looks set to lose Scotland and if it lets the SNP write the UK budget and scrap the mainstay of its defence then it will lose the rest of the UK with it.

There are a lot of desperate politicians around at the 
moment, though, so you never know what might
happen.

Ken Currie

Liberton Drive

Edinburgh