Scotland on Sunday readers' letters: Condemnation on insults is 'too little too late'

So Nicola Sturgeon at last speaks out against independence supporters hurling insults at BBC journalist, James Cook in Perth. But is it a case of too little, too late?

Many regarded her criticism of Scottish nationalists abusing the BBC's Sarah Smith, who endured years of similar treatment to Cook, as desultory and her suggestion of an all-party solution as risible.

Cook and Smith are by no means alone – targeted abuse and attempted intimidation of journalists by a conspicuous minority of nationalists is seemingly widespread.

Isn't the shocking reality that Sturgeon needs the "enthusiasm” of these nationalists who abuse journalists in person and online to try to keep the SNP's anti-UK sentiment alive?

Protesters demonstrate outside the Conservative Party leadership hustings in Perth on August 16. Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss and former Chancellor Rishi Sunak are vying to become the new leader of the Conservative Party and the UK's next Prime Minister. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Martin Redfern, Melrose Roxburghshire

Riches to rags

Sturgeon's leaflet fluttered thro' my door today listing all things wrong; cost of petrol, interest rates, value of the pound, food banks, worker's wages, state pensions. But not one solution except, of course, that healer of all ills… independence.

They say there's only one person you cannot fool. Do you think Sturgeon ever looks in the mirror and grimaces?

And all the while she keeps wasting our money on headline grabbing projects which turn out to be white elephants, a billion pounds and counting. Her latest wheeze is free period products. Soon there'll be a realisation there's no need to work for a living, it'll all come via “the social” from Sturgeon's money tree at the foot of the Royal Mile.

With all that money wasted Scotland must be unique, instead of a “Rags to Riches” story we have “Riches to Rags” all courtesy of the SNP's incompetent government.

Stan Hogarth, Strathaven

What future?

In Scotland, there is much finger-pointing and worse at unionists who see Scotland's future in the UK as brighter, more prosperous and safer than an independent country with a hard land border with what is, far and away our largest market. There is an elephant in the room, though, which goes way beyond mere economic arguments.

In the last couple of days, a rabble of Scottish nationalists has been screaming imprecations at journalists and members of the Scottish public exercising their democratic right to attend a Conservative Party conference. These people have been spat at and had eggs thrown at them. A well-respected BBC journalist from Scotland has been called "scum, a liar and a traitor" and his Scottishness questioned by these people.

I hope that people who support the SNP, as well as the rest of the Scottish public, will watch the videos of this event. That way, they will see what sort of a nation it would be if we ever voted for independence.

Peter Hopkins, Edinburgh

Inconvenient truths

Drax burns wood pellets to produce electricity but it is not green electricity.

The pellets come from 27 million trees from forests in the US and Canada which are then shipped 4,500 miles to Immingham, creating 1.5 million tons of CO2 every year.

It will take 50 years for new trees to suck up the CO2 created. Drax is only 38 per cent efficient so for every ten trees burnt only four produce electricity.

Taxpayers subsidise Drax by £839 million a year. Since Drax supplies 6 per cent of UK electricity these "inconvenient truths" will be ignored.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow

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