Lack of leadership

IT IS time for First Minister Alex Salmond to speak out over the issue of fellow Nationalist calls on the issue of the English working in the arts in Scotland.

Mr Salmond shared a stage at the launch of the referendum campaign with Kevin Williamson, who called for a “social audit”. Mr Salmond often quotes Alasdair Gray, who spoke of “colonists”. Mr Salmond must respond to James Kelman’s claims of “imperialist” English.

And, finally, he must dismiss the calls of Alan Bissett, with whom he also shared the stage at the referendum launch, who says we must nurture the sense of “grievance”. A real leader would be like US president Barack Obama, who spoke out when his pastor made anti-American calls during the 2008 election. Mr Salmond is not normally shy of giving his own opinion – his silence on this matter speaks volumes.

M Smythe

Dalry Road
Edinburgh