Did No mean Yes?

The SNP must be laughing their heads off.

They lost the referendum convincingly, despite having disenfranchised 800,000 Scots from voting on the future of their own country – simply because they are not living here now – still managed to achieve less than 45 per cent of the vote and yet the 
establishment think that they need to be given the keys to the bank.

Those of us who voted No – that is the great majority, by the way – did not vote for handing our wallets over to them. We voted for the status quo, but all it takes are a few whines from the never-satisfied separatists and they are handed back the toys they have thrown out of the pram.

If the SNP are not happy with the powers Lord Smith is saying should be handed to them, that is fine with me. Don’t hand them over. Oddly enough, you will find that the majority of Scots, namely the ones who won the referendum, will be quite happy with that.

Andrew HN Gray

Craiglea Drive

Edinburgh

Have principles completely deserted politics?

Having just signed up to the Smith Commission recommendations, with pictures of a smiling John Swinney patting Lord Smith on the back, the SNP immediately began to rubbish them. If they were so bad, why not put forward a minority report?

One can only assume that, as far as some politicians are concerned, political posturing is more important than principles.

Henry L Philip

Grange Loan

Edinburgh

The Smith Commission report – to which, I understand, the SNP subscribed – was denounced by Nicola Sturgeon for “failing to meet the aspirations of most people in Scotland”.

It was, of course, a drearily predictable response and, having just lost a referendum, it was a measure of her inordinate chutzpah that she presumes to speak for “most people in Scotland”.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews