QUEEN of London lefties Polly Toynbee believes the "rage and fury of the right" would make a SNP/Labour coalition unworkable.

 

Toynbee was speaking during a debate at Write On! - a day of discussions with writers and politicians - at Glasgow's Mitchell Library last night.

The debate, sponsored by The Herald and Times publishers of the Sunday Herald, was part of a special day dedicated to books and politics as part of Glasgow's book festival, Aye Write! to mark the year of the General Election.

When discussing the possibility of a Labour and SNP deal, Toynbee said: "The rage and fury of the right would make the country almost ungovernable."

The Guardian columnist and author added: "In the end Scotland will become independent, one way or another."

She was joined by Sunday Herald columnist Iain Macwhirter, journalist David Torrance, and Professor Nicola McEwen, from Edinburgh University, as part of a day of discussions and panels.

Meanwhile, Torrance said the SNP winning between 30 and 40 seats was "perfectly realistic" during the debate, which was chaired by the Sunday Herald's diarist Alan Taylor.

Topics covered at events throughout the day, included the centenary of the Glasgow rent strikes, the "war on drugs" and the challenge of engaging young people in debate.

The main Aye Write! 2015 will take place April 17-25.

Writers already revealed for the festival include Irvine Welsh and Alexander McCall Smith.

This year marks the 10th birthday of Aye Write!

Bob McDevitt, Aye Write!'s new programmer, said: "There's a certain amount of pressure for the 10th anniversary festival to stand up to all the previous one.

"I've looked for engaging and thought-provoking stories in both fiction and non-fiction.

"Aye Write! is a people's festival, delivered by Glasgow Libraries and Glasgow Life.

"There's something for everyone, from real life memoirs to crime and sport.

"It's an exciting, accessible festival with big literary names as well as emerging talents."

The festival will take place in one of Europe's biggest libraries, the Mitchell in the city's North Street, and has been a favourite with book lovers since 2005.