Raise the debate

In the course of a week, we have seen Chancellor George Osborne dubbed “a bully”, the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, described as “sleekit” and First Minster Alex Salmond called “the Arthur Daley of politics”.

As Scots debate the biggest issue in our lifetimes, many hoped our political leaders would rise to the challenge. Instead, the debate is too often dragged down into the gutter of personal insults and playground name-calling.

Is it naive to think we can be better than this? Is it wrong to believe we can disagree without being disagreeable?

For a football-loving nation such as Scotland, is it foolish to think we can play the ball and not the man? If it is, then roll on 18 September and the prospect that, whatever the result, we can move onto less divisive rhetoric and more some respectful exchange.

Kevin Lang

Kingsburgh Crescent

Edinburgh

Your contributor Ginnie Cumming’s voice was indeed heard on a day when there was much bluster from the talking heads of all persuasions (18 February).

When the referendum campaign got under way, many suspected this would be a tussle of the hearts and minds – with the Yes campaign fighting for the Bravehearts territory and the Better Together campaign aiming to conclusively win the battle of the minds. Ironically, I now find myself insulted by the ridiculous counter-intellectual obstacles being put up by the No campaign and persuaded by Ginnie Cumming’s poignant “better together” message.

John Proctor

Majors Place

Falkirk