THE longer this pandemic has gone on, the more this Westminster Government has gone into a parochial “England-only” shell as it appears unable to convince the other nations in the UK, of legitimate reasons for its conduct.

How can you only have international travel arrangements which only apply to one constituent/geographic part of the UK? Can Scotland or Wales, or Northern Ireland make international deals? No, only England apparently. When Scotland becomes independent, it should strike a special medal for Boris Johnson and all his Cabinet colleagues, for striving, beyond the call of duty, to make it happen.

GR Weir, Ochiltree.

SINCE early March, Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government have been entirely focused on tackling the Covid pandemic. listening to the best medical advice available (Letters, July 3). It is only fanatical Unionists who politicised Ms Sturgeon’s remarks when she suggested, if necessary, bringing in quarantine for people entering Scotland from other parts of the UK “if that was the recommendation of our scientific advisors”.

As Professor Devi Sridhar said, “if Scotland and Northern Ireland can push for zero Covid, then England and Wales can also definitely do it too. But it needs leadership, clear strategy and strong messaging instead of accepting thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths each day.”

England has one of the worst Covid records in Europe and much worse than Scotland. Scotland is winning the battle and the recent outbreaks in Annan and Lossiemouth were traced to people travelling from England, which could have been avoided if border testing and quarantine was in place.

The Labour administration in Wales has also complained about the lack of consultation and co-operation from the UK Government. It was the anti-SNP parties that voted against giving our Scottish Parliament the necessary border controls plus financial and borrowing powers which could have allowed us to lockdown earlier and provide adequate support to Scottish businesses and workers.

Fraser Grant, Edinburgh EH9.

REBECCA McQuillan's rearguard action apologising for the First Minister ("Sturgeon isn’t guilty of stirring the pot for political reasons", The Herald, July 3) was spectacular for its wilful denial of reality, particularly when it comes to her assertion that the SNP has never stooped to "knock spots" off its rivals. Let's not forget, it was Ms Sturgeon herself who denounced the Scottish Conservatives for having "no shame" and being "disgraceful" earlier this month when Jackson Carlaw had the temerity to criticise testing policies.

There has been a consistent pattern to the Scottish Government's handling of the coronavirus crisis – Ms Sturgeon hops up onto her stage, fulminates about those hateful Tories recklessly placing profit before lives, and everyone dutifully engages in their oh-so-progressive "civic" nationalist Two Minute Hate spitting at the evil Sassenachs and Mr Carlaw's traitorous collaborators; then, a week later, Ms Sturgeon announces that she's going to do pretty much what the UK Government did, with a couple of cosmetic bits altered such as which shops you wear masks in, like a tardy student disguising that she's copied a classmate's homework.

To be fair to the First Minister, her jolly wheeze has worked splendidly well up to now, but she has finally run out of road. Her nonsensical refusal to open Scottish airports to countries which have low coronavirus rates and reduced risk of transmission is the only thing that's "shambolic" this time around. A First Minister for Scotland must do more than robotically disagree with Boris Johnson to justify her salary.

Robert Frazer, Dundee DD2.

TODAY we Scots are again criticised for protecting our borders from the spread of the current pandemic, along with Wales and Northern Ireland. Boris Johnson’s position reminds me of my mother’s old saying: “ Everybody is oot of step except oor Jimmy “.

Instead of reporting that any Scot could drive to an English airport then fly to and from Europe or further, the media should highlight the possibility of anyone from Leicester flying to Europe or driving into Scotland, Wales or Northern Island.

The Scottish Government is trying to get schools back to near normal in August. Why can the UK Government and the travel/hospitality businesses not help to ensure this? That is not party politics.

Of course some people will – as Mr Johnson stated – take liberties with regulations. His advisor first, then his father, are typical examples of what Scotland is trying to prevent.

My wife and I have cancelled our September holidays to Tenerife because we do not trust everybody in transit or at the resort even if sober, to act safely. We intend to travel around Scotland instead.

Bryce Drummond, Kilmarnock.

NICOLA Surgeon criticised the Westminster Government’s "Stay Alert" coronavirus message; now, at her daily pandemic briefings, she stands at a podium emblazoned with "Stay Safe".

Compounding this hypocrisy, in her latest clash with Boris Johnson over the Scottish Government suggestion that tourists from England into Scotland may be asked to quarantine – which Mr Johnson branded “astonishing and shameful” – she replied by saying that attempts to politicise the present public health crisis (as if she wasn’t revelling in doing so; indeed, started it) were “shameful” and “unacceptable” and that “if you find yourself trying to turn this into a political or constitutional argument, go and take a long hard look at yourself.”

To this, and expecting that her future conduct will remain equally delusional, I can only surmise that the First Minister has long since taken the wise precaution of removing all the mirrors from Bute House.

Philip Adams, Crosslee.

Read more: Letters: SNP must end the division of independence