Letter: Unionist parties responsible for SNP success

The ink was hardly dry on the crucial majority 65th seat won by the SNP in the May election before TV panel member, and re-elected Labour MSP, Ken McIntosh jumped on the point that the SNP might have a majority of seats, but they don't have a majority of votes. And the anti-SNP invective has continued apace ever since.

It is apparent that Hugh Henry is acting as Labour's hatchet man; his "fear that we could be heading for an elected dictatorship" is contemptible (your report, 4 June).

The problem the Unionist parties have is that they bear full responsibility for the success of the SNP. As the nationalist "threat" was emerging in the post-war years, successive Unionist Westminster governments poured extra funding into Scotland, without proper budgetary propriety, to thwart the SNP - but now they claim that we could not pay our way.

Devolution was intended to kill nationalism stone dead, yet the setting up of the Scottish Parliament paved the way for a proper, Scottish-centric government to emerge. Regarding Hugh Henry's sudden conversion to "improving" the conduct of First Ministers' Questions, I don't recall his desire for that during the eight years of the Labour-led coalition, when Henry McLeish and Jack McConnell abused the purpose of FMQs to call the government to account, when questions were not answered, and we were treated to a diatribe about the policies, real or imagined, of the opposition parties - with the SNP as the main target.

And Labour governing at Westminster with a 176 majority, with only 22 per cent support of the electorate did not seem to be a problem for Mr Henry.

The line on the graph was pointing to just the situation that arose, with growing dissatisfaction with Labour and the SNP's advance in 2007 and the majority it achieved in 2011.

The Unionist parties were so much in shock that they became moribund in terms of a response to the SNP, except, of course, for relentless vitriolic attacks on virtually every SNP proposal, and that continues.

The Union had to be defended at all costs, but without any definition of its value, to the exclusion of principles and policies that voters could identify with.

DOUGLAS R MAYER

Thomson Crescent

Currie, Midlothian

SO WHO is to blame for Alex Salmond's stranglehold on Holyrood power?

Perhaps it's the Liberal Democrats, who utterly alienated the Scottish electorate by selling their souls to the Tory party for a thin slice of Westminster government.Or the Labour Party, whose last government knackered the UK economy to the severe detriment of most Scots? Or maybe the Tories, who suffocated traditional Scottish industry and for decades have put the prosperity of the south-east of England ahead of the basic needs of Scottish people?

All three opposition parties must shoulder responsibility for the SNP's landslide election victory, and they should now accept that Mr Salmond's party will rule the roost for the next five years, rather than whining in the undignified manner of jealous losers.

Democracy is a double-edged sword for politicians, just as a landslide can be a poisoned chalice, and Scottish voters will exact justice down the line if the SNP abuses its power in office.

Dr MARK CAMPBELL-RODDIS

Pont Crescent

Dunblane, Perthshire

A COUPLE of years ago George Foulkes caused general hilarity - and great offence - by calling Alex Salmond "Il Duce" - a reference to the roly-poly fascist leader of Italy.

Mussolini was portrayed in Charlie Chaplin's film The Great Dictator as the verbose Benzole Gasolini who bore an even closer resemblance to our First Minister. Question Time in Follyrood descended into farce with the FM doing his Fidel Castro impressions and Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick cowering in frozen silence. Donald Dewar was warned this could happen, but took no notice and Scotland is now at the mercy of the belligerent incompetence of this "elected dictatorship".

DR JOHN CAMERON

Howard Place

St Andrews, Fife