Fly the flag

JOYCE McMillan's view (Opinion, 2 January) that the SNP needs to raise the stakes in the political debate to come – and have the intellectual credentials to do it – is welcome.

I wonder, though, if she would be so scathing about "kitch flag-wagging" if it were not the saltire being wagged but she was a guest in the United States, France or Norway, to name but a few nations who love their flag and fly it at every opportunity. In the case of the latter, I have never heard the proud and prosperous citizens of that – dare one say it – happy country mocked for excessive "flag-wagging" on their wonderful national day in May.

What is true is that Scotland is still saddled with poor infrastructure and housing, alarming bad health and very high levels of child poverty. After 300 years of Union, Joyce McMillan must be right to urge upon the SNP fresh thinking and courage as the way to galvanise the voters and break out of this dreary cycle of being ruled by whichever party the English vote in. But fly more flags (and choose a decent anthem).

DAVID ROCHE

Forest Way

Blairgowrie, Perthshire