Over the top

Colin Hamilton describes as “bordering on hysteria” Yes voters’ reaction to to the issue of intimidation of business leaders (Letters, 11 July). This is bordering on hyperbole. He also says that a few brave souls have put their heads above the parapet. Speaking personally, what I find most worrying is the possibility that these corporals of industry have all become so meek and biddable, or has the whole issue simply been manipulated and exaggerated?

Speaking of exaggeration, the chairman of the Weir Group may fail to recognise Mr Hamilton’s definitive description of his interview with the reference to “huge extra costs and that business interests would point to relocation”.

This might come as a surprise to the chairman of Weir Group but, in any case, for my part, I remain a bit leery of holding up as an exemplar a company fined several million pounds for breaching trade sanctions during the Iraq Oil for Food programme.

Meanwhile, Joe Darby (Letters, 11 July) points out that Colin and Christine Weir have donated £5.5 million to the SNP and the Yes campaign and this is accurate. Mr Darby makes reference to letter writers to The Scotsman being ignorant of this fact.

This is interesting, because it was not so very long ago that a cohort of letter writers were complaining how unfair it was that the Yes campaign had been supported by a couple who had simply been lucky enough to select a few random numbers in a lottery. Their comments were spearheaded by Blair McDougall, who maintained that it was a distortion of democracy that 80 per cent of the support for Yes Scotland had come from one source.

Now, following the donation of £1m from JK Rowling, Mr McDougall is singing a completely different tune. However, as he says he has been “humbled” by Ms Rowling’s example, that has to be considered progress.

Douglas Turner

Derby Street

Edinburgh

According to Colin Hamilton (Letters, 11 July) Yes supporters suffer from fear of the truth. In that case I need never fear anything from the No campaign.

Apparently Scots in an independent country would be worse off by X pounds per year; with the unionists putting out a dozen different figures between £1 and £1,400. Even supposing any one figure was correct, their lies would still outstrip their truths by a ratio of greater than 10:1.

When it comes to the truth, I do not expect it from unionists who, in their mistaken beliefs, are lying to themselves.

Thomas R Burgess

St Catherine’s Square

Perth