Letters: SNP has more than a huff to overcome

I have no doubt he finds it tiresome to have to explain the SNP's latest volte face, which he suggests is no more than a bit of "realpolitik", but he will find that the people who are currently shredding their membership cards will not take kindly to being told they are simply "exercising their huff".

Like other SNP apologists he is not above rewriting history, in his attempt to divert attention from, and to gloss over, the latest slippage, in a long line of slippages, in the party's commitment to Scottish independence. Whatever political party Siol nan Gaidheal members joined, it was not Free Scotland, but is this level of schoolboy pettiness now the currency of political debate within the SNP?

Mr Boyle and his ilk may choose to see the SNP's willingness to increasingly hand control to Brussels or, in the case of monetary policy, London, as no more than "realpolitik" but carrying that strategy to its logical conclusion simply begs the question: what purpose does the current SNP serve?

The majority of Scots oppose independence, the Scottish establishment opposes independence, those members of the EU which have other stateless nations within their borders will hardly welcome the idea of a new Scottish nation state, therefore realpolitik would suggest that the Scottish people will never get independence so why bother even trying?

Who knows, perhaps if fiscal autonomy, even in a much reduced form, were to be granted, the SNP may decide the pretence is finally over and tell its membership that independence is now off the agenda.

Jim Fairlie

Heathcote Road

Crieff, Perthshire

Barry Lees (Letters, 10 September) has done us a favour in his frank letter. He describes the Unionist parties as "English", saying "let's be honest". Yes, Mr Lees. Do let us be honest.

If the Unionists are English, then you are stooping to the most insulting word in your vocabulary to describe your fellow countrymen and women, the overwhelming majority of whom vote for those parties.

The term, "English" isused with utter contempt by Scottish Nationalists, alongside "British", so we know what nationalists think of those who don't hold to their fanatic views.

However, I will grant Mr Lees his point about the referendum. I do not see what the problem of the Unionists is with a referendum. They know full well that the majority of Scots are sick to the back teeth of the one-man band of the SNP.

If they want to call a halt to the long-running joke of Mr Salmond's "neverendum", they should decide on an honest question, such as "Do you want Scotland to destroy the Union and pay her fair share of our banks' debts?" to put to Scottish voters and have done with it. What do they have to fear, but fear itself?

Andrew HN Gray

Craiglea Drive

Edinburgh