NEIL Mackay, as always, writes a very interesting article and his advice on good governance should be well heeded ("The key to winning over No voters is for SNP to govern well", The Herald, February 6).
He must shake his head in bewilderment and disbelief when he read your front-page lead article (“Sturgeon 'shafted us' over contract price for ferries”, The Herald, February 5) and Derek Mackay’s shameful resignation.
Good government may be an aspiration, but any government would be a good start.
Ian McNair, Glasgow G12.
I RECALL that during the recent General Election campaign, Nicola Sturgeon was keen to lecture us on who was and who was not fit to hold office.
As the disgraced now ex-Finance Secretary Derek Mackay rose to his former prominence entirely under the auspices of Ms Sturgeon (without apparent qualifications, experience or aptitude), it is clear that her judgment and recommendations are not to be taken seriously.
Peter A Russell, Glasgow G13.
I FOR one am not the least bit sorry to see Finance Secretary Derek Mackay's fall from grace.
For too long this incompetent has been promoted well above his capabilities, all because of Nicola Sturgeon's obsession with surrounding herself with a tick list of ethnic minorities and special interest representatives for her own vanity, rather than on pure merit.
Having been little short of disastrous as Renfrewshire Council leader, it was beyond belief anyone thought him fit and proper to be Finance Secretary for all Scotland when his mind never appeared fully on the job.
Little wonder – now he's been outed as a creepy predator of 16-year-old boys.
A decent hard-working councillor, Andy Doig, was driven out of the party by Mackay on ludicrous "homophobia" charges, and has kept his seat against all challengers since, a mark of how locals feel he was sacrificed on Nicola Sturgeon's altar of political correctness. I hope now those in Renfrewshire SNP who turned their backs on Mr Doig and supported Mr Mackay hang their heads in shame.
Mark Boyle, Johnstone.
IF this morning's reports are true, Derek Mackay chose to contact a 16-year-old child online and sent the child 270 messages over a sustained six-month period. At what point does behaving foolishly become grooming?
Laurence Wade, Ayr.
THE publicity involving the SNP in relation to former leader Alex Salmond and former Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, reminds me of the story about Harold Macmillan, when Prime Minister, being asked the question: what was most likely to knock governments off course?
Reportedly, he replied: "Events, dear boy, events'".
Ian W Thomson, Lenzie.
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