Readers' letters: Could SNP's drive for a tory free Scotland be described as a hate crime?

Humza Yousaf wants to make Scotland "Tory free". He will claim this is simply in regards to Tory MP's but the underlying message implies that Tories are bad and the SNP is good. This therefore does not stop at the party but translates right down to individual voters.

First Minister Humza Yousaf speaks at the SNP Campaign Counci in Perth, Scotland.

Mr Yousaf should know that the simple message he is giving out has far wider reaching consequences. Given the somewhat floral language used by the SNP in the recent past to describe Tories such as "toxic" and "detestable" then surely this approach, specifically upon a sizeable section of Scottish society, could fairly be described as a hate crime? Would he give the same speech next month?

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

Disturbing course

There seems to be a rather disturbing new course being taken by the SNP in Scotland. Clearly rattled by worsening poll figures and the prospect of at least half of their seats disappearing later this year, their orchestrated attempts to vilify the Tories – again, not the party, not the policies, just the blanket term ''Tories'' – has a chilling ring of past nationalisms in Europe. The FM spoke at the weekend of from the northern areas of our country to the borders being rid of Tories, with all the implications in that, in much the way the term ''from the river to the sea'' is used in the Palestine conflict. The SNP leader in the Commons spoke in a similar fashion.

The Tories, in the eyes of the SNP, are no longer a group of fellow Scots and human beings, some good, some bad, with different ideas on how wealth should be created and distributed. They have morphed into something else entirely in the minds of Scottish nationalists and it is a very ugly and unpleasant thing to witness and its parallels with historic events in Europe are quite startling. The decent people of Scotland ignore this growing menace at their peril.

I have no personal axe to grind. I intend to vote Labour. But hating and ''detesting'' hundreds of thousands of my fellow Scots is a horrible way to conduct politics.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Political doldrums

The political scene at Holyrood can only be described as being in the doldrums. A period of listlessness and despondency has descended on this northerly region of the UK.

Surely the only answer to the current political malaise in Scotland is for an election to be called at Holyrood earlier than the one scheduled for 2026?

This year it is forecast that the SNP will, without doubt, lose a large number of seats which they currently hold at Westminster. Therefore it is farcical for them to carry on with their SNP/GREEN charade at Holyrood.

Scotland, and its people, is surely much more important than the ambitions and careers of a few politicians whatever their political persuasions. Perhaps at this juncture - THE TRUTH WILL OUT!

Robert I G Scott, Ceres, Fife.

Camera trickery

Stephen Jardine’s rant about editing of photographs totally misses the salient point. William Henry Fox Talbot invented the calotype photographic process as an ART form, not as a record keeping device. It is not true to say that “back in the day the technology to alter photos did not exist..” because, as well as your prints, the photo lab also returned your negative strips in their own little envelope, and you could then tinker with those in your own darkroom to your hearts content … and an entire industry grew up around the art! Digital camera technology just made the fun a lot EASIER and cheaper.

While many people never bothered to alter their ‘snaps’, NO photograph should ever be considered to be unaltered unless the photographer specifically and individually certifies it as so.

Ian McNicholas, Ebbw Vale, Wales

Unfair comparison

William Loneskie (letters 15 March) attempts to re-write history by comparing the invasions of Ukraine and Palestine. Russia’s invasion is an evil attempt to remove Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. Israel is attempting to rescue its citizens and eliminate a terrorist organisation supported by the citizens of Gaza. Mr Loneski lives in a border town. Perhaps he should take a moment to consider how he would react to terrorists invading his town, killing 1139 citizens , and kidnapping 250 including 30 children.

Lewis Finnie, Edinburgh

Taking the Michael

The feature (March 11) about the transfer of the Stone of Destiny, used historically in the coronation of monarchs to Perth and the picture of the First Minister attending the related Beating Retreat made me pause for thought. As someone purportedly not in favour of the monarchy, was the photo opportunity too good for him to miss or was the attendance at the Beating Retreat a rehearsal for forthcoming elections ?

More importantly, Scotland's political destiny and credibility is currently at stake with the potential conduct and outcome of the Michael Matheson enquiry. It is almost an irrelevance whether his iPad was used to watch simulated or non simulated football or whatever else. That is bad enough, but the fabrication of wildly varying explanations and partisan support of him by the First Minister, where initial misuse of public funds generated by the taxpayer occurred, calls into question the integrity and fitness for office of individuals.

For Scotland's parliament to have any credibility, the Report of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and Standards Committee reviews and reports must be made public in full. Most important of all, there must be a free parliamentary vote, independent of party whips and party self interest, solely based on the appropriateness of the actions and behaviour and whether standards of political integrity have been observed. If this doesn't happen then Scotland's destiny will be fatally flawed.

Fraser MacGregor, Edinburgh

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