Independence movement is about more than the SNP

As a committed believer in Independence for Scotland, I have to admit I’m more than a bit concerned that everything I read or hear about this rightful objective, seems to revolve around the SNP. I’m a former SNP Member, and realise they have been the most powerful vehicle to help us achieve our god given right to govern our own country. However even the likes of Iain McWhirter, whose column I avidly read each week, seem to have forgotten that independence is the historical right of the people of Scotland as a Nation, and not in any way confined to a single political party such as the SNP.

My fear is that people’s dislikes for individual agenda’s such as Nicola Sturgeons, as expressed in Iain’s latest column, are diluting our needs and desires as a people, and causing these petty dislikes to cloud the big picture. My Family Members and I were greatly involved in the YES campaign in the previous referendum, and I can say that several movements were involved, of which the SNP were rightly only one group of voices in our considerations.

I urge every passionate Scot to read (again) the Declaration of Arbroath and the American Declaration of Independence, which was modelled on the former. Perhaps then we can realise that it’s together as a Nation of People, that we can seize our birthright and regain control of our beautiful and unique country.

Danny Gallacher,

Glasgow

I was a bit surprised by the tone of Iain MacWhirter’s article on Sturgeon’s play on a second referendum (Herald on Sunday, April 29). I thought that, given she had to say something to the troops, putting the onus on the Unionists to veto Scotland having a say on their own future before 2021 was a deft move, like formulating a question where your side always has "Yes" as the answer.

Given the popularity of the SNP, there has to be a time where winning election after election gives you an irrefutable mandate. Would Labour really veto Scotland having a say? Both Corbyn and McDonnell have publicly backed a united Ireland, in breach of the Union, and Corbyn has struggled with the very concept of Scotland – “a faraway country of which he knows little”.

I suspect Tories are against a referendum because private polling is putting the willies up them. Nor, after half a century of constitutional debate, do Tories seem to have a clue what they could offer to Scotland to settle this for good. They are handcuffed to the concept of a “sovereign” Westminster having total economic and political hegemony on this island.

Telling a people with a 1000-year-old, independent legal system, that the laws their elected legislature passes, are to be overruled by an “English Votes for English Laws” parliament, is not a good look in a democracy. Nor does it help that the Union across the Channel gives countries smaller than Scotland both equality of status and a say in Scotland’s future, while Scots are barred from having the same equality or even a say in “our” Union.

GR Weir,

Ochiltree

Nicola Sturgeon has often criticised Theresa May over Brexit being hijacked by those in her party for whom no deal with the EU would ever satisfy their hardline instincts. Yet perhaps Scotland’s First Minister is now finding out herself how it feels trying to keep a vociferous and dogmatic wing of her party happy (Iain Macwhirter: “Nicola Sturgeon is storing up trouble by talking about an early referendum she can’t deliver”, The Herald on Sunday, April 28).

In the past the SNP’s leader has gained many plaudits for her straight talking approach. Yet now on the timing and core prospectus of a new independence campaign, she is finding her preferred approach compromised as she tries to placate her own fundamentalists whilst at the same time trying to appeal to the middle ground of the electorate.

As the SNP again starts campaigning for independence, its leadership is forced into doublespeak and prevarication on key elements of its case such as currency, economic strategy and timing. This is all the more ironic when many commentators speculate that the First Minister is really hoping that a referendum does not happen before the 2021 Holyrood elections.

Keith Howell

West Linton

Martin Redfern cynically dismisses Nicola Sturgeon's offer to the other political parties at Holyrood to discuss Scotland's constitutional issues (Letters, April 29).

However, given that the latest opinion poll puts support for independence at 49 per cent, and support for the SNP at a phenomenal level for Westminster, Holyrood and the EU elections, the unionist parties should accept Ms Sturgeon's offer as not only an olive branch, but a lifeline, and start to give serious consideration to proposing positive options for Scotland which might save their faces, and the tattered remnants of their parties.

Ruth Marr,

Stirling

Is climate movement harming children?

I confess to having lost any admiration I may have had at first for the participants, particularly all the children, involved in the recent "climate extinction’’ protests.

There is a common glazed expression and repetitive, identical, clearly rehearsed, phrasing that is most reminiscent of what I have ever seen of brainwashed members of cults and similar organisations.

It is very disturbing and I begin to think that those who do this to children are taking away the natural curiosity and discover-it-for-yourself inquisitiveness of the young and replacing it with something that is almost sinister at times.

Alexander McKay

Edinburgh

Extinction Rebellion are demanding drastic emission reductions and Nicola Sturgeon has said she will declare a "climate emergency", proving that politicians are detached from reality.

Nicola uses her usual buzz words "Scotland will lead by example". So Scotland with 0.13% of global emissions is going to lead the world and save the planet? There is just the small matter of China, India and the US with 50% of global emissions who are increasing their emissions and growing their economies.

Does Nicola not realise that Germany's coal-fired power plants emit at least half of all the total emissions from all sources in the UK, making her zero-emissions pledge meaningless. Nicola is willing to sacrifice Scotland's economy at the cult altar of climate change while the rest of the world builds coal-fired power plants and burns fossil fuels.

Clark Cross

Linlithgow

Moth wars – the reality

I feel compelled to write to you regarding the interesting article entitled "Moth Wars" (Herald on Sunday, April 29), as I feel there were problems with the impression created largely by the accompanying illustrations. The article was about one species (Tineola bisselliella), but the main illustration showed a hole in a woollen garment with two adult "carpet" moths, the implication being that the moths were responsible for the damage.

In fact, adult moths feed only to power their flight and thus feed on sugars, and even the adults of the "pest" species known as the Clothes moth (shown below the main image) does not feed on any form of textile, as it is not thought to feed in the adult state.

The other illustration of an adult moth, accompanying the "Eight way to beat the beasties" is in fact a Slender Burnished Brass ... which have caterpillars that feed on various wild plants and do no damage whatsoever to anyone’s clothes !

There are 896 species of larger moth which occur in Britain, plus a further 1,000 or more tiny moth species (the micros) which includes the Clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) that is the subject of the article, so could you please correct the impression that ‘moths’ are a potential problem in damaging textiles? They are in fact part of the array of many wonderful creatures that are too small for most people to notice, but which are nevertheless running the ecosystem that sustains life on our planet, and as such should be conserved and admired, not vilified.

Dr Paul Tatner

County moth recorder

Kilbarchan

You forgot a 9th way to beat the beasties: steaming. Buy a steamer and steam anything infested. A cheap and very effective way of killing moths, eggs and larvae on upholstery, carpets, curtains, coats.... the list is long.

Catherine Meyer

Angus