Salmond shuffle

“Is the gambler hedging his bets?” That was the first question that sprang to mind after reading your coverage of the Scottish Cabinet reshuffle (6 September)

If the unthinkable happens and the referendum fails then it will be the fault of Nicola Sturgeon and not of Alex Salmond. The maestro will live to fight 
another day.

He has already laden his deputy with most of the blame for the breakdown in relationships with the Catholic Church. It is a dodgy position for a politician whose constituency has a large number of Catholic voters.

And now Alex Neil is to be left with the developing culture war over same-sex relationships. It is well known in Nationalist circles that there has not been an enormous amount of love lost between Alex and Alex since Neil described the Labour politician George Robertson as Lord Haw-Haw many years ago.

Watching our First Minister in action is itself a lesson in politics.

Alan Clayton

Letters Way

Strachur, Argyll

In times of tight budgets and austerity cuts, it was worth noting that the newly appointed Cabinet secretaries and ministers at Holyrood would be receiving salaries based on 2008 levels. A good example of practising what one preaches and, incidentally, the number in the Scottish Cabinet stands at eight, fewer than under any other First Minister.

Catriona C Clark

Hawthorn Drive

Banknock, Falkirk