Readers' Letters: Leader candidate Yousaf starting to sound desperate

The Health Minister’s threat to break up the UK “by any means necessary” is desperation from him and deeply disturbing for the rest of us.

Health Minister Humza Yousaf has pledged to end the Union by 'any means necessary' (Picture: Craig Brough-Pool/Getty Images)

​Putting aside his embarrassingly bad record in every office he has held, this is a new depth he has plumbed in his efforts for the First Minister prize. It is almost as if he wishes to appear as fanatical and deranged as some of his followers.

Appealing to those on the outer and extreme fringes of his party is one thing, but indicating to the majority of Scots who do not vote SNP that he is a level-headed person worthy of the top job is an entirely different thing.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Bad basis

Humza Yousaf informs us he would consider a snap election if elected First Minister (Scotsman, 13 March). I wonder on what footing he might base his campaign?

All candidates in the leadership contest have questioned the wisdom of major SNP policies and Kate Forbes went as far as rating the performance of the current regime as “mediocre”. So basing a campaign on the SNP’s record in government might not be a winning strategy. And in your sister paper Scotland on Sunday this past weekend Ben MacPherson, SNP Minister for Social Security, advises the SNP to “go down a gear” in its push for independence. "Most of us just want our country to get better,” he rightly suggests, and approvingly quotes actor Brian Cox's preference not for a “breakup of the UK” but for a “united federation… where everybody comes together”.

These interventions from two current SNP ministers point to a couple of campaign slogans which might well produce a snap election for the SNP. “Mediocre for Scotland” and “Better together”!

Colin Hamilton, Edinburgh

Continuity Kate

Kate Forbes is the true continuity candidate for First Minister. Christianity was formative in Scotland’s national history, bringing Picts and Scots together under Kenneth MacAlpin in 843, inspiring the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, affirming Christian identity at the Reformation in 1560, leading the signing of the National Covenant in 1638, endorsing the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643 and supporting the Claim of Right in 1689. It took a Christian to bring interested parties together to form the Scottish Constitutional Convention in 1989.

Nicola Sturgeon was an aberration. She successfully promoted herself and led the SNP to election victories. She did not govern well, forced a minority “progressive” agenda on Scotland and consequently failed to deliver a significant majority for independence. Kate Forbes can pick up the pieces and take Scotland forward on a more rational and historically consistent pathway.

(Rev D) Robert Anderson, Dundonald, South Ayrshire

Measuring up

When Nicola Sturgeon said she was speaking for the people of Scotland over Gender Recognition Reform, it wasn't long before opinion polls and the media told a different story. Many of us in the SNP craved a dispute to unite the people of Scotland to take to the UK Supreme Court, but this was not it. It risked the SNP's political capital. (Humza Yousaf still supports it with the same prospect of success as the Grand Old Duke Of York!)

Indeed, subsequent polls found that 29 per cent supported GRR and only 21 per cent believed the next General Election should be a de facto referendum.

Humza Yousaf would like to take up the mantle of representing Scotland's progressive views but is it just possible Kate Forbes is the better fit? She has praised the STUC Report on raising more public money. Her Budgets, despite Brexit and covid, have been welcomed. The comment by Yousaf, that the next FM must share the values of Scots, was a thinly veiled attack on Forbes, given she has said her deeply held religious views would not stand in the way of her progressive agenda. And what if the people of Scotland are not quite as woke as Yousaf and Sturgeon?

From the outset, Forbes outlined her Christian belief. Yet Yousaf, allegedly, ran away from the Same Sex Marriage vote, according to Salmond and Neil. Given homosexuality is a major sin in Islam, how does he balance that with his politics?

Of more concern is his ministerial record. He has attacked Sturgeon's Sustainable Growth Commission 2018 commitment, possibly because Forbes wrote part of it, yet an Independent Scotland would need economic growth and prosperity to benefit all. As Transport Minister Yousaf was condemned for rail delays and unreliability. As Justice Minister he ran away from taking on the Old Firm over Strict Liability. As Health Minister there were significant challenges which overwhelmed him and Audit Scotland was damning.

Kate Forbes was a superb Finance Minister, and would make a principled, reasonable, intelligent and articulate First Minister.

John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing, Fife

Schism ahead?

What has happened to the Scottish National Party? While it is not unusual for members of one party to describe their opponents as “panicking” whenever they alter course, even slightly, I have never before seen this occur within the same party (“Swinney endorsement shows SNP panicking”, 13 March). What on earth can Michelle Thomson be thinking?

It is often said that the SNP is a broad church, but this level of disruption can only lead to schism, if not actually pulling down the whole edifice Samson-like on top of them.

Jane Ann Liston, St Andrews, Fife

Give us a vote

Surely Kate Forbes is the only obvious successor to Nicola Sturgeon. The other named candidates, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan, either have very little appeal in terms of administrative ability or any record of any consequence in Scotland's Administration. Forbes has, however, pressing personal commitments at home in the northern highlands. This domestic situation simply cannot be ignored.

So it appears that there is no obvious replacement for Nicola Sturgeon. In any case, do the people of Scotland really want the SNP/Green coalition to continue to govern at Holyrood? Although an election for the Scottish Parliament is not due until 2026, under the present circumstances perhaps it would be fairer to all members of the electorate to hold one much sooner. The SNP are struggling to meet the required standards in so many sectors of Scotland's administration that surely the will, and rights, of the total electorate should be acknowledged. The present in-fighting within the SNP does not constitute good Government. And the influence of the unelected Greens is undemocratic.

The people of Scotland surely deserve better! Democracy should rule, not extremism.

Robert I G Scott, Northfield, Ceres, Fife

Lizard brains

Dumfries is a quiet corner of Scotland which has taken its full share of both Syrian and Ukraine refugees. It has become more difficult to find suitable accommodation but all the refugees have been sincerely welcomed. Many of the refugees have found jobs – even qualified people have taken “ordinary” jobs – and the work ethic is very strong.

The Dumfries and Galloway Multicultural Association, with premises in our high street, has become a much used and very helpful centre for assistance for all here. A focal point for refugees and all others, both local and from anywhere in the world.

To look beyond the present problems. Wars have been a feature of human life for thousands of years. We have remains of hill forts around Scotland and tales of ancient battles. Offence and defence has evolved fiercely over the years, where did this begin? There was a finding in 2006 in Montana of a tyrannosaurus rex and a triceratops locked in a death duel from millions of years ago. We have within our brains structures sometimes referred to as the reptilian brain which controls emotions and behaviour. Perhaps these structures are the origin of all those negative qualities which lead to wars. We desperately need to train the children of the world to adopt virtues, not succumb to outdated animal behaviour. Our multicultural organisation and many others do what can be done to bring out the hidden nobility of man. A worldwide programme is desperately needed to counteract negative behaviours before the human race becomes the first of God’s creatures to deliberately extinguish itself. Thankfully, Scotland can continue to strive to set an example to the world.

Ken Carew, Dumfries

EU hope

Saturday’s Scotsman reports that Sir Keir Starmer “dismissed calls to re-join the EU Single Market”. How spineless can the Labour leader become? We know that if we were in the EU, GDP would now be £120 billion higher, and tax revenues £40bn higher every year. We know that the UK is the only major European economy not to have returned to its pre-pandemic size. And polling shows us that there is a growing majority view that Brexit was a mistake which has delivered negligible benefits and has done substantial damage to Britain. Yet Sir Keir, who in 2016 voted to remain in the EU, cannot bring himself to tell the obvious truth that Britain would be much better off in the EU.

Fortunately, on the same day the Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton gave a speech to his party’s spring conference in which he committed himself wholeheartedly to a European future. His party unanimously passed a motion calling on the government to develop a roadmap towards rejoining the EU and initially rejoining the Single Market and Customs Union.

There should be no doubt about whom pro-European voters in Scotland should support.

Nigel Lindsay, Bo’ness, Falkirk

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