ONCE again Nigel Farage dominates the headlines following the news that his "party" will not field candidates in the coming election in opposition to sitting Conservatives ("Farage U-turn boosts Tory chances of election victory", the Herald, November 12). For an individual who has contested and lost several Parliamentary election campaigns Mr Farage's prominence in British politics is difficult to understand. It certainly cannot be explained by his leadership of two political parties, first Ukip and now the Brexit "party". Both these organisations are less like political parties and more like single-issue campaign pressure groups.

To my knowledge Mr Farage has rarely, if ever, been questioned on the wide range of issues on which political parties put forward policies. Where does he stand on education, health, housing, the environment and other matters so vital to the lives of ordinary people? We must hope that during this election campaign these and other questions will be asked in a searching and thorough way so that we all gain a better understanding of his political views and ideology.

Brian Harvey, Hamilton.

NIGEL Farage is some poker player. If Boris Johnson loses the election he will get his peerage in the resignation honours list. If Mr Johnson wins he’ll become Lord Farage (of Bruges perhaps), presumably along with a Cabinet post. With all the double dealing in only the first week of this bizarre shambles of a pretence of democracy called an election, I am reminded of Morecambe and Wise. “What do you think of the show so far?” "Rubbish."

John Dunlop, Ayr.

THERE is much excitement about the Greens’ decision not to contest three marginal seats in Scotland in the general election, namely North East Fife, Perth and North Perthshire and Angus. It is worth noting that the Greens stood in none of these constituencies in 2017, so they do not have votes to lend to the SNP. We know very well that the Green Party at Holyrood is above all a separatist party. Its support for the SNP, a party whose project has been predicated on wealth from fossil fuels, a party which has taken over Prestwick airport (rather than closing it) and which supports a third runway at Heathrow, keeps the SNP in power.

The questions are: for which party did Green supporters vote in 2017? How many rank and file Green members and supporters are separatists? How many Green supporters will simply not vote? In truth, the Greens attracted 13,000 votes across the whole of Scotland in the last Scottish election. Their six list seats at Holyrood are out of all proportion to the size of their support. Their position in this General Election is scarcely a big deal.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh EH14.

NICOLA Sturgeon was in Stonehaven on Monday (November 11) trying to claw back the four north-east seats she lost to the Conservatives in 2017, and retain the fifth, Kirsty Blackman's. I'm not sure her message, that the SNP can stop Brexit and win independence, will resonate with enough voters, because for many across Scotland staying in the UK is more important than remaining in the EU. Only the LibDems offer both.

Amid growing anger at SNP incompetence and division, only her core supporters are likely to vote SNP, as evidenced by the recent Bridge of Don council by-election which the SNP lost with less than 33 per cent of the vote. The fast-growing tactical voting campaign might hammer this point home.

Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven.

IT would appear that your columnist Neil Mackay has just discovered what most of the electorate already knew , that politicians are economical with the truth and that their motivation is to gain an advantage ("General Election of lies has turned into a war against truth", The Herald, November 12).

His column goes on at length giving examples, as he sees it, of whoppers told by our devious elected representatives, although strangely enough all of those he proffers emanate from the Conservative Party, so presumably we must assume that Mr Mackay believes that the other parties don't get up to dirty tricks and are as clean as the driven snow.

It is an unfortunate fact, however, that many of those elected public servants who wish to gain power have never let the truth get in the way when making their pitch and I suspect this will not change any time soon. Of course this applies equally to all parties but probably more so to those not in power, as they can promise the earth knowing they will never need to deliver.

James Martin, Bearsden.

YOU report the allegation that the First Minister has been reported to Scotland's records watchdog for allegedly improperly disposing of her handwritten notes (“Sturgeon hits back at claim destruction of memos is ‘paranoia’”, the Herald, November 12).

If she is so keen to avoid public scrutiny, she might find the following useful.

My wife's American uncle, who worked for the IRS, told us that it was believed that the Mafia kept their "confidential" accounts on rice paper documents, so that they could be disposed of by swallowing if necessary.

You're welcome, Nicola.

Peter A Russell, Glasgow G13.

Read more: Farage u-turn should galvanise Remainers into action