Changed priority

Running through these speeches and responses was a consistent declaration of her desire to govern as First Minister for all the Scottish people irrespective of their political party or how their vote was cast in the recent referendum.

I, and I’m sure many others, was encouraged by her approach, hoping that we might at last see some small degree of acknowledgement that 55 per cent of Scots did not vote for independence. Alas it was not to be.

Less than a day after her first cabinet was announced, I have just watched the First Minister address a pro-independence rally in the Clyde Auditorium, announcing boldly her real intentions of using her position as First Minister to unashamedly promote the cause of independence and trotting out her usual vitriolic hate for the Tory Party. It used to be said “a week is a long time in politics”; for Ms Sturgeon it is 24 hours or even less.

I look to the political opposition at Holyrood to hold her to account on this issue. We are paying Ms Sturgeon to govern and formulate policy for Scotland – not for the cause of independence.

As she has just announced her new cabinet, I would have thought that her time would be better spent deciding what she is going to do about her “absolute priorities” as she has stated – the NHS, tackling poverty, social justice etc. However, it seems these take second place to her real absolute priority of continuing to divide this country rather than govern for all Scots people.

Douglas Johnston

Drumbrae Place

Edinburgh

I was not a Yes voter but was quite prepared to see how this big gathering was conducted and I was embarrassed and horrified at the circus displayed in Glasgow. Is this how Nicola Sturgeon is going to present herself to her followers?

I thought Alex Salmond was a bit of a showman but this was appalling. Poor Scotland!

Helene Scott

Lanark Road West

Edinburgh