THE SNP's 2011 election win gave it a mandate for an independence referendum. It lost by a margin of 10 per cent and almost 70 per cent of the population did not vote for separation.

Many campaign claims, on oil revenues, keeping the pound, more benefits for the poor, creeping privatisation of the NHS and positive discussions with the EU on Scottish membership were flat-out lies, fabrications or distortions, and we saw a level of civic and political nastiness unheard of since 1707.

Since then the threat of another referendum has hung over us not just like a bad economic, media-dominating, inept, tim’rous governance smell but a post-truth, anti-democratic, nationalist stench.

And now it wants another one before we are allowed to find out and digest the results of a Brexit settlement, or it loses its Holyrood majority.

This time people are more informed, and many are angry. We know about GERS, our structural deficit and the collapse of oil. The SNP has squandered devolved powers, the currency Gordian knot remains unanswered, money is blown on Baby Boxes and Gaelic signs. Our economy, NHS, education and housing are in crisis. Businesses speaking out and now their workers listen.

There is nobody to blame but the SNP – and ourselves.

Meanwhile England seems to be pulling ahead on many fronts and Brexit may well offer a positive, global future for the UK.

Non-liberal populism is on the rise in Donald Trump's USA, France, Holland, Germany, Hungary and Russia. If the first four don't sort themselves out the only beacons of long term, historic, democracy left will once again be Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK - just like in 1939. Not a time for Scotland to be on its own.

Another SNP independence manifesto will be the latest "longest suicide note in history". I pray the suicide will be the SNP’s and not Scotland’s.

Allan Sutherland,

1 Willow Row, Stonehaven.

NICOLA Sturgeon has said that it is vital for farming that powers are transferred from the European Union direct to Holyrood and that Brexit presents the biggest challenges to Scotland’s farming in a generation. I would like to remind her that the greatest challenge and damage to Scottish farming was that inflicted for years by the EU because of its unfair Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidy which favoured France and much later on Ireland as well. Our farmers were unable to compete with the highly subsidised French farmers and many left the industry. In fact at one time 90 per cent of the European budget went to CAP subsidy with France as the main beneficiary.

Is Ms Sturgeon also going to demand that we get our exclusive fishing rights back to our own waters? The EU decimated our fishing industry.

Another point for Ms Sturgeon to ponder is if she ever gets to negotiate Scotland’s entry to the EU she will probably have to cede Scotland’s right to North Sea oil as after all, like fishing, it would now be in “community waters”. Such a proposal was mooted in the drawing up of the 2003/4 constitution but was fortunately dropped. I would strongly advise Ms Sturgeon to brush up on her EU history.

Mrs Morag Black,

3 Leeburn Avenue, Houston.

WHEN we were children, my father always said that he followed the news to gauge the speed at which the world was heading to Hell in a handbasket. Using his approach, let’s as Scots have a wee keek at the speedometer.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has held hands literally and figuratively with the most sexist, racist, autocratic, loud-mouthed, ignorant and boorish world leader in living memory.

She wants to sell weapons of mass destruction to the Turkish government; has no problems with what the Saudis are doing with British weapons (including cluster bombs) in Yemen and is a friend to the government in Israel whose oppression of their Palestinian neighbours defies description.

As for a (blatantly English) PM and her henchman Michael Fallon telling Scots to “forget it” if we’d like to be free again, or to be part of the community of nations in Europe? Check the destination and speed again: too much, too fast, too soon.

Do we really want to be associated with these people? Surely not.

It’s time to assert our wants and needs. We do not want this Little Englander government; we do not want their idolatry of Mr Trump, in pursuit of the myth of a “special relationship” and we do not subscribe to the doctrine that the production and use of weapons of mass destruction is in any way justified by the mealy-mouthed argument that Scottish jobs are secured by Trident submarines.

Nicola Sturgeon must be encouraged to give us an alternative destination to the Hell we’re speeding towards should the status quo prevail. Time to listen and time to speak out, Scotland.

AJ Clarence,

40 Biggart Road, Prestwick.

D NEAL Stewart (Letters, February 10) wrongly compares Nicola Sturgeon's position of First Minister with that of Theresa May as Prime Minister. Ms Sturgeon became leader of the SNP at the party's conference in November 2014, and a few days later won the election to become First Minister in the Scottish Parliament, when she received 66 votes and the other candidate, Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Tories, received 15 votes. Following the SNP being returned to power at the 2016 Scottish Parliament Elections, Ms Sturgeon was challenged for the post of First Minister by Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and at that election Ms Sturgeon was elected by 63 votes to 5 for Mr Rennie. Mrs May, on the other hand, became leader of the Conservative Party in July last year when the other candidate dropped out, and she was subsequently appointed Prime Minister without a vote from anybody.

Ruth Marr,

99 Grampian Road, Stirling.

IN response to Peter A Russell (Letters, February 10) I have a daughter who lives in West Sussex and no one there compares themselves with East Sussex. The comparison between a Scottish vote and the intransigence of Westminster and the two counties of Sussex shows he has a complete lack of respect for the majority of Scots who voted to remain in the EU.

Dave Biggart,

Southcroft, Knockbuckle Road, Kilmacolm.