Letters: It takes two

Mr Gallagher points to examples of the “disgusting insults” of both Joan McAlpine and Mike Russell in their use of the term “anti-Scottish”.

In the case of the former, Ms McAlpine was merely pointing out any attempts to hijack the referendum – which it has now been conceded should be “designed and built in Scotland” – would indeed be “anti-Scottish”.

Similarly, Mike Russell (who happens to be English) opined that it would be anti-Scottish to pursue fee-paying educational policies contrary to the proud Scottish tradition. I think many people would agree with both these statements.

I fear that Mr Gallagher may also be guilty of tranferrism, when bemoaning the language used by others.

For a start, he accuses the SNP and its members of harbouring “anti-English bigotry” – a serious and unfounded accusation indeed.

He also shows a certain disdain by referring to “separation”, “distorted psychology” and feels unable to use the term Scottish Government – instead preferring the belittling title of “Scottish Executive”. Even the word independence requires quotation marks in his rambling attack.

If Mr Gallagher would care to observe true examples of ugly politics, perhaps he should look no further than his own party where his comrades in Glasgow City Council are being bullied and harassed into voting with the Labour whip; where Tom Harris MP (recent Scottish leadership “hopeful”) resigned over a Nazism “gag” or, indeed, the recent poison being dripped by new Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont who wishes to pursue isolationist and illegal economic policies by having all contracts for the Forth replacement crossing that were awarded to foreign companies cancelled.

Craig Wilson

Thorntree Avenue

Beith, Lanarkshire

Kenny Gibson’s jibe at Alex Gallagher was both objectionable and stupid, as I daresay Mr Gibson would now admit, but Mr Gallagher’s self-righteous diatribe has not enhanced either his or his party’s credibility in any way whatever.

Crass and vicious insults have flown from the Labour to the SNP camp at least as frequently and as abundantly as in the other direction – a fact of which Mr Gallagher is perfectly well aware. If the Labour Party and the Unionist cause hope to make any headway in Scotland their best course would be to rise above the level of name-calling and start presenting some facts and some serious and positive arguments in support of their case.

Would be, that is, if they could find any.

Derrick McClure

Rosehill Terrace

Aberdeen

A FAMOUSLY unpleasant man once said that, “it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along… voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.

“This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country.”

It works here too. Both sides of the independence debate are even now following those war-like principles – but they are most clearly recognisable in the separatist’s “anti-Scottish” accusations levelled against anyone who disagrees.

The protagonists simply must stop scaring the children and baying at the moon: reasoned argument must take the place of unfettered emotion.

Time to get back to reality; as the famously unpleasant man eventually did, using the words quoted above arguing for his life at Nuremberg in 1946, although it didn’t do him much good either – Hermann Wilhelm Göring.

David Fiddimore

Calton Road

Edinburgh