OH to have been a spy in the office as Richard Leonard pondered his future as branch manager of the imperial Labourites! He has always struck me as an oddity, someone way out of his depth and certainly not a person with any clear understanding of the Scottish politic. Did he honestly believe all he had to do was swan in and speak in disjointed statements and the voters of Scotland would flock back to the banner?

Did he not realise the toxicity of his party? Did he not understand that his party, along with the other parties that owe allegiance to the foreign capital, have not only burnt their bridges leading to the voters of Scotland, but heavily cratered all approaches leading to the remains of those bridges?

The common thread that exists, that runs through all of those foreign political entities, is that they all seek to lay down the law and in doing so dictate to the voters in Scotland the edicts of the colonial power.

Of course they have all missed the point. Every single party that has but a branch office here still thinks with the mind of a 1920s plantation owner.

It will undoubtedly be their downfall, their end, their demise, but I think that true to form they will not let go of cash cow Scotland with anything resembling good grace. Instead, good people, they will huff, puff, rant and rave, adding smears and lies, desperate in their ways.

Let us not get distracted by their childish hysteria, their game of empire. Instead let us stay focused on that what we seek.

Our future is bright, independence is right.

Cliff Purvis

Veterans For Scottish Independence 2.0

AS one of the many current SNP supporters who lost trust in Scottish Labour around the turn of the century, I listened with interest to the opinions of Baron Jack McConnell on the latest revolving-door procession of Unionist leaders to resign “in the best interests of the party”.

The best Jack could do was hope that the next leader will be able to move on from the constitutional question and create a vision of a better future for Scotland. I take that as meaning that he wants Labour to find an even better way of repeating “not another divisive independence referendum” and to create a mirage which would would portray Scotland’s perpetual subjugation by UK Tory governance as “a better future”. That’s a big ask for the next sacrificial lamb!

Derek Ball

Bearsden

ANENT the Tories trying to get Ian Blackford et al to refer to the AstraZeneca vaccine as the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Fair enough. By the same token, in the spirit of “credit where credit’s due”, let all of us indy campaigners be sure to leave no stone unturned in highlighting the provenance of the many delights imposed on Scotland by Unionist governments/parties of various shades at Westminster over the years: the Westminster bedroom tax/under-occupation penalty, the Westminster rape clause, the Westminster benefit cap, the Westminster work capability assessment, Westminster benefit sanctions, etc – you get the drift.

More generally, when the Unionist/British nationalist parties bang on about the “strength” of the Union, we should point out that it’s the power(s) of the UK Government which enables them to do the things they’re doing, and planning to do, in Scotland, including of course the above heinous measures. We need to highlight the fact that the power to giveth, eg fund the furloughing of workers, is the same power that will enable them to taketh away, eg decide how we in Scotland and the rest of the UK repay such “largesse”.

And we have a very recent example of how they make people pay for a crisis, and whom they’re prepared to make pay. The same power will also enable them to carry out a post-Brexit power grab, as part of their assault on devolution, while splashing cash in areas of their choosing in Scotland. Not “strength”, but power and control – that’s how the Tories roll, and they can only roll over Scotland by virtue of us being part of the Pernicious Union. Let’s stop them.

Mo Maclean

Glasgow

I’VE decided to mount an operation to spring at least two individuals held captive in the Tower of London. This will be a dangerous undertaking as it would necessitate bypassing the fearsome custodians of the tower, the Yeomen Warders.

Scotland is within a whisker of independence but its freedom could soon be hastened by my bold plan. Legend has it that the conspiracy of ravens in the tower must number at least six otherwise the Crown will fall and Britain with it. The Queen raven is missing, feared dead, leaving seven birds.

My plan is simple. While the Ravenmaster (I’m not making this up) is distracted I will remove the birds from the tower. In the chaos of the aftermath, England will be in disarray, Scotland and Wales will be free and Ireland reunited.

Mike Herd

Highland

THE first report of the Scottish Citizens’ Assembly would appear to be a crib from Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto (Plaudits after Assembly launches its first report, January 14). You know what happened to him!

It also reminds me of that Matt McGinn song:

I’m looking for a job with sky high pay

A three-day week and a two-hour day

Maybe its because I’m inclined that way

I never did like being idle.

Mike Underwood

Linlithgow

WHAT about Ian Blackford addressing Boris Johnson as the leader of the Cons-the-natives Party? I think that might get the Speaker’s attention.

James Arthur

Paisley

The FM asks that we do not try to push the boundaries of what we can do, instead should we not, on wakening healthy each day, ask what we can do to make sure the same thing happens next day.

M Ross

Aviemore