HENRY McLeish, former First Minister of Scotland, in the course of a thought-provoking talk at the Edinburgh Book Festival, gave credit to the Scottish Government in showing "charismatic leadership" and "competence" during its 10 years of stewardship of Scotland (“McLeish says Brexit vote would not have happened if Labour had fought harder”, The Herald, August 15) . Given the traditional tribalism that so often has characterised relationships between Scottish Labour and the SNP, this was a quite remarkable tribute. That the SNP has had to govern Scotland against the backdrop of several years of harsh budget cuts imposed by the Westminster Government's ill-conceived programme of austerity, then perhaps Mr McLeish has given a more reasoned and honest assessment of the performance of the Holyrood Parliament.

There are regular complaints from the Scottish Unionist parties criticising the SNP Government for "not getting on with the day job". Ruth Davidson ran her recent General Election campaign based on the "obsession" of the SNP with a second independence referendum and its perceived failure to concentrate on the governance of Scotland. Yet scarcely a week goes by without there being yet another example in the media of the failings of public services in England caused almost entirely by the deliberate policies of the Tory government.

The acute housing shortages and the consequent rise in homelessness; the underfunding of the NHS and the chronic staff shortages about to be worsened by the Brexit “car crash”; the underfunding of education; the consequences of the privatisation of certain public services; the state of our infrastructure, the pressures on the prison and ambulance services; the crises facing the provisions for children in care and care in the community; the pressures on an underfunded police force and the rise in crime – there is scarcely an area of public life in England which is not now worse off than it was when the Tories came to power. Perhaps then comments about “getting on with the day job” should be directed elsewhere by Ms Davidson?

Eric Melvin,

6 Cluny Place,

Edinburgh.

CHRIS Deerin (“The coarsening politics of identity is dragging us down”, The Herald, August 15) rightly condemns recent events in Charlottesville. However, he goes on to draw parallels with Scottish independence and Brexit, both of which he opposes (as is his right). I sympathise with him regarding the abuse he claims to have received for his opinions during the Scottish independence referendum in 2014. Describing another as an “Uncle Tom in a kilt” would not induce anyone to sympathy, far less support, for the independence cause. Even more importantly, it does nothing to take forward the debate on independence. However, following reports at the weekend of online abuse of the First Minister, one might have hoped that Mr Deerin might have been explicit that such comments on social media were not one-sided.

If we take Brexit as our example, this was the context, I would hope we could all agree, for one of the most vile acts in British political history – the murder of Jo Cox. According to Mr Deerin’s analysis, its cause was the Brexit debate, based on identity, allowing racism to rear its ugly head. But is he really arguing here that the issue of the UK’s membership of the EU should not be discussed or even voted on because of an extremist? Does this so diminish its legitimacy that we dare not speak its name?

Mr Deerin in fact is clearly contemptuous of the politics of identity. Yet, is identity not a fundamental dimension of politics? Is it not more than a little ironic that Mr Deerin begins and ends his article with reference to a “pleasant-looking, white-haired old woman in Poland” who is protesting about a law banning abortion in Poland, a debate which owes much to its own identities of sex and religion?

The problem I would suggest is not identity, for we can hardly escape it, but rather when its expression becomes intolerable, as with Jo Cox, or as unacceptable as “Uncle Tom in a kilt”. In short, the problem is not identity, but to avoid expressing our disagreement in a way that disrespects or dehumanises the other side.

Most egregious of all though are Mr Deerin’s attempts to draw a parallel between supporters of Scottish independence and white supremacists in the US. Perhaps he, or anyone else who has advanced this nonsense in recent days, would care to produce a single instance of independence supporters driving a car into a group of Unionists? Or anything that is even remotely like that? Indeed, the Scottish Police Federation issued a statement shortly after the 2014 referendum, stating that "the referendum debate has been robust but overwhelmingly good-natured…. the closer we came to September 18 passions would increase but that does not justify the exaggerated rhetoric that is being deployed with increased frequency. Any neutral observer could be led to believe Scotland is on the verge of societal disintegration, yet nothing could be further from the truth." In this article, Mr Deerin is misleadingly and unhelpfully intent on continuing that “exaggerated rhetoric”.

Alasdair Galloway,

14 Silverton Avenue,

Dumbarton.

SO Nicola Sturgeon finds Alex Salmond's sense of humour to be like Benny Hill's (“Sturgeon says Salmond Fringe joke belonged in era of Benny Hill”, The Herald, August 16)?

Perhaps she'd like to try her luck on the Edinburgh Fringe next year with her own brand of alternative comedy – every time she opens her mouth nowadays I find myself asking: "You're joking, right?"

Mark Boyle,

15 Linn Park Gardens,

Johnstone.

WHATEVER possessed Alex Salmond to think it was remotely appropriate to try to get a laugh using a sexist joke that mentioned of a number of leading female politicians including his successor as First Minister? He is not the first to have a joke fall flat of course, but it highlights the potential problem of a politician used to being in the limelight being given a stage and time to fill. Making outlandish predictions about independence is of course his forte, but it is clear that stand-up comedy is not.

Keith Howell,

White Moss,

West Linton,

Peeblesshire.