Her behaviour is that of a megalomaniacal despot who will brook no resistance to her obsessive aims. Does she have a personal agenda? Does she have a vested interest? Does she have a conflict of interest in light of her behaviour?

It is time she dropped the bullying timetable so that the legislation addresses informed feedback and concerns aimed at the welfare of all directly and indirectly affected or to be affected. Why can't she deal with the many other pressing needs arising from the recession and past failures of her regime to competently run the country?

Scotland is not your plaything, First Minister. All the people of Scotland deserve much better.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon seems hellbent on rushing through controversial changes, says reader (Picture: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

Fraser MacGregor, Edinburgh

Unfair play

The woman who founded Scotland’s rape crisis centre has unreservedly applauded JK Rowling’s efforts in financing a new, women-only centre for victims of sexual violence.

Ros Whyte said that the new centre would “uphold” the intentions of the original. She said it will be run by women, for women. It was “disgraceful”, she added, that the original centre had been used by the Scottish administration for ideological reasons in allowing in men who identify as women.

Of course there should be a centre for those who feel they are women and have suffered sexual violence, but they should not be treated alongside biological females.

She is right. Is it really fair, or even moral, that the funding of any centre – paid for by our taxes of course – should be dependent on biological men being treated alongside women?

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Silver linings

The Court of Session has declared you needn’t be a “biological” woman to be legally a woman.

Bad news Scotland's women, but good news for the Scottish men's football team. They could all get a Gender Recognition Certificate, join the women’s squad and break through a 53-year glass ceiling by qualifying for the Women's World Cup in 2027.

At last Rhian Christie, Kiera Tierney, Joan McGinn, Lynda Dykes, captain Angie Robertson and manager Stephanie Clarke could strut their stuff on the world stage, all thanks to Nicola Sturgeon's groundbreaking legislation.

Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

Santa wish

2022, a year like no other politically! A year when Westminster gave the country three Prime Ministers, four Chancellors, five Education Secretaries, three Home Secretaries, plenty of political shenanigans, dodgy deals, crashing the economy and much more, begging the question... is Santa coming down the chimney directly on his way from Westminster bearing gifts of more austerity, rising inflation and misery for thousands of hard working families?

Or can we expect the Westminster Government, who still hold the purse strings and much more, to bring forth stability of Government in 2023 and reach out to the millions, millions literally in desperation, in this season of goodwill?

Catriona C Clark, Banknock, Falkirk

Help everyone

Is there really interest in highly speculative polls (“Poll predicts wipeout for Tories left on 69 MPs”, 14 December)?

The SNP have now tabled a new ludicrous idea for independence, possibly encouraged by four polls ostensibly showing a rise in support for independence since the Supreme Court judgement.

Meantime back in a crisis-hit Scotland our NHS creeps nearer to a complete breakdown, education is demonstrably failing and our economy is taking a battering.

Where is the SNP intervention here? Do the people on the street really want to see such an impetus for independence while all public services fail? And if independence is the answer, how come this situation is arising at all? Why have the SNP and Greens not got a handle on these various crises and shown an ability to at least improve them? New year resolutions are approaching.

Perhaps our Scottish Government could expend more energy on helping everyone and less on its pet obsession that only creates more problems.

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

We need action

Just how much time do SNP politicians devote to what really matters in the running of an administration? In recent times we, the public, have witnessed gross mismanagement in just about every area of what should surely be key Government responsibilities. Health, education, public transport – especially the Firth of Clyde and Hebridean ferry services – policing, welfare, even local government services have all suffered from an obvious lack of necessary attention from the Powers That Be at Holyrood. Such appalling inefficiency has provided the media with a neverending source of critical material for circulation.

Far too much of the so-called Scottish Government's time is dedicated to matters of a constitutional nature – for which they actually have no powers or responsibility. It took the Supreme Court judgment to remind them of that fact.

If the status quo is the best that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her colleagues can come up with, then at the next Holyrood elections in 2026, the people of Scotland should cast aside this Independence-fixated political party in favour of one which will strive to produce vast improvements across all aspects of Scotland's devolved areas of responsibility.

It is action we need, not endless debate about how to bring about the demise of what has been a successful Union for over three centuries.

Robert I G Scott, Ceres, Fife

Wrong priorities

Thousands of beds are to be sourced in Pontins Holiday camp, disused student accommodation and military accommodation for the thousands of illegal immigrants still arriving on our shores.

I wonder how many people sleeping in cardboard boxes in the snow over Christmas and New Year wish they could have the same free service from the government.

The UK is becoming more ill divided every day and the priorities are not in favour of people who should be prioritised.

Ian Balloch, Grangemouth, Falkirk

Breaking mould

Opening windows is an ineffective way to ventilate a dwelling (“Scots tolerate mould due to energy costs”, 13 December). The efficacy of this move depends on wind strength and direction, so it will not necessarily stop damp and mould occurring.In modern dwellings, without flues but with many moisture-generating appliances, mould can only be stopped by ejecting humid air at source.

This means fitting mechanical extraction to kitchens and bathrooms, the latter especially if they include showers.

In the latter case, the fan should be operated by the light switch and fitted with a timer to run the fan for ten mins or so after the light is switched off.

An extractor fan in the kitchen should be used whenever cooking. Dwellings should be as well insulated as possible to reduce cold surfaces.

So don't let valuable heat out via open windows but do use extractor fans. Keep the relative humidity below 70 per cent if possible. Keep warm and free of mould.

Steuart Campbell, Edinburgh

Many questions

If the SNP were to achieve their dream of independence and European Union membership this would make us like Ireland, an EU country with a land border with a non-EU country and we know the problems that is causing. Putting aside for a moment currency, border controls etc, what about defence?

This new independent EU country would need at least some form of coastal defence. Where would we get the crews and ships for that, the Scottish Government can’t even build two ferries? They would have to establish their own postal service and print their own stamps, they could not use the Royal Mail as the EU do not use the Royal Mail.

Also, every vehicle owned in this new independent EU country would require to be re-registered in their version of the DVLA. Imagine the huge costs with everything involved in establishing an independent EU country.

When will Nicola Sturgeon be truly open and honest with the people of Scotland instead of the usual sermon that once we are free of Westminster and the Tories, whom she detests, everything will be wonderful.

One last point, what will be the situation with regard to the Crown Properties in this new independent EU country?

Charles Sinclair, Kirkcaldy

Better than none

Today we received a Christmas card from an elderly couple (former colleagues of my wife). Inside was the written message: “Old age doesn't come on its own.”

The next card we opened was from the same couple.

Jim C Wilson, Gullane, East Lothian

In like Flynn

I can't be the only person to notice the similarity of Stephen Flynn, the new leader of the Head Office Branch of the SNP in London, to Spud Murphy in the film version of Irvine Welsh’s novel Trainspotting.

Is it a coincidence, or is he planning a new career after the next election?

Peter McGlashan, Dundee

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Readers' Letters: Why Sturgeon’s zeal to rush through gender reform?

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