Kevin McKenna writes that he was heartbroken that the idea, the dream, of independence is stuffed (I paraphrase) and that the SNP had caused this self-implosion of this wonderful idea (“The dream of independence is over – killed by the SNP”, The Herald, October 9).

You know, he may be right. But, maybe not. The last few years have been really tough and the SNP has made many, many mistakes. I wish Humza Yousaf had addressed the mistakes in his speech on Tuesday. He didn’t. He also didn’t address the toxic culture that is reported to exist at the heart of the SNP. If this is true, I don’t know, it needs to be cleared out.

In saying that, he spoke of many really positive things that an independent Scotland can achieve. I am not a rampant nationalist, but I do believe that Scotland can achieve so much more if we were independent. The so much more is a county that is able to look after the most vulnerable through the wealth that we can create, without the handcuffs of the UK Government, and having a relationship with our European friends.

Lastly, Labour offers absolutely nothing. They have taken socialist Scotland for granted for years. I used to think that Labour was a Tory-light party. They are not. They are a Tory party dressed up with a wee red rosette.

Paul McPherson, Lundin Links

Tax freeze is the right decision

Your headline “Yousaf vows council tax freeze in election run-up” (The Herald, October 18) raises a couple of questions. Why has this been necessary and is it the right decision? This announcement by the First Minister to his party conference has come about as a direct result of the Conservatives at Westminster crashing the economy and the resultant cost of living crisis we are all enduring. This is absolutely the right decision by the Scottish Government, a government who this year alone have set aside £127m to mitigate Westminster’s welfare cuts. Those actions by the Scottish Government clearly demonstrate the priorities of a government in touch and taking action.

Catriona C Clark, Falkirk

We must wait for proper reform

In March, Sir Keir Starmer proposed a council tax freeze in England “to help the 99% of working people facing a rise in their council tax”. Using the windfall profits from Scotland’s North Sea and higher council taxes was a central blank of Labour’s Rutherglen by-election campaign. So, there is a lot of double standards going on and some very short memories.

The SNP’s council tax freeze between 2007 and 2011 was fully funded by Scottish Government and in September 2015 the independent SPICe concluded that the funding resulted in local authorities receiving more income than they would have by increasing rates by RPI. Also following the end of council tax freeze, bands were re-adjusted in favour of lower bands A-D.

In 2020, the Institute for Fiscal Studies concluded that the Conservative Party’s council tax freeze, beginning in 2010, resulted in those in the middle of the income distribution becoming the biggest beneficiaries in proportional terms while those at the very bottom were mostly or entirely insulated as a result of council tax relief.

Everyone agrees that council tax needs to be reformed and an up-to-date property revaluation needs to take place but politically this can only be introduced at the start of a parliamentary term.

Fraser Grant, Edinburgh

A viable financial plan? Really?

It is gratifying that Scotland is so awash with money that we can afford extra expenditure while reducing our revenues. An extra £300million is available to try to reduce NHS waiting times, even if a projected reduction of 100,000 isn’t of great significance when the latest figures show over 650,000 people on waiting lists. £500,000 is to be spent on survivors of domestic abuse and £400,000 on redeveloping Aberdeen’s Union Street. A new offshore wind supply chain will receive up to £500million.

Meantime, council tax is to be frozen next year. An intelligent guess would be that, as a result, councils will have to cut services. With no extra revenue streams proposed, this all sounds very rash from a regime that is facing a £1billion black hole.

But hark! There is a solution: the Scottish government will issue bonds to encourage investment, preferably from overseas. As a country whose finances are constantly in deficit, Scotland will have to offer an attractive rate of interest to investors, not least when investors realise that His Majesty’s Government will not act as guarantor for any Scottish bond. Does anyone who is not indynial seriously think this is a viable financial plan?

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Rediscovering a forgotten joy

I enjoyed Daniella Theis’s Monday column on the joys of reading. Apart from anything else it was a welcome distraction from the goings on of this mad bad world.

Like Ms Theis I set my self a reading goal this year but set it at 50 to get back to the reading rate of my early teenage years when apparently I regularly got through four books a week (I could have been a Booker prize judge!)

Like Ms Theis I received early encouragement firstly from my mother then from the senior librarian (Betty) at our local library. Betty took me under her wing and allowed me to browse the adult library (under supervision of course) once I had done with Biggles and the like. Also, like Ms Theis I drifted away from books as the pressures of work and family took priority and reading felt like “swinging the lead” when there were “more important” things to be done.

Now in semi-retirement and with the nest empty I have returned to reading again with a vengeance. I now have the time to binge read and recently did the entire collection of Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels in chronological order culminating in A Heart Full of Headstones which is a mini masterpiece.

I have also ventured back to the classics which I had last been forced to read at school and conquered Anna Karenina by breaking it down to 10 pages a day until I got the hang of the language and rhythm of the writing after which it became “unputdownable”.

Keith Swinley, Ayr

Respect for the professional media

I have long been an admirer of the writing skills of your columnist Neil Mackay, so when I came across a book entitled Breaking Trauma in the Newsroom, to which he is a contributor, I immediately bought a copy.

I was surprised that his essay Staring Down the Muzzle of a Gun had escaped my attention in the Sunday Herald, where it had first been published, and then I was extremely shocked at what Mr Mackay would go through to get a story for his readers. To read of his struggles with PTSD was an awakening.

Each of the 16 pieces in the collection is written by a journalist who has had first-hand experience of reporting from the frontline of war. Each of the 16 pieces is raw, unflinching and incredibly moving. I am totally unashamed to say that No Peace for Me on These Streets by former Belfast Telegraph and Irish News reporter Leona O'Neill, reduced me to tears.

Leona O'Neill was right there when fellow journalist Lyra McKee was shot and killed in the line of duty on the streets of Derry in 2019. The essay details the subsequent hate-filled, abhorrent treatment of O'Neill, treatment that came from a seed which took root in the fertile yet putrid soil of conspiracy theorist bloggers.

Reading this collection has enhanced my admiration for what many call the "mainstream" media but which I think should be called the "professional" media. The book not only conveys the physical, mental and emotional torture and trauma reporters go through, but also shows the professional process of going after a story, interviewing those involved regardless of their position or persuasion, verifying and double verifying the facts, and placing their stories in an accurate context.

This seems to me the polar opposite of those who sit at their computer or on their phone sending out vile opinions masquerading as fact, whipping up fear and hatred with no attempt at balance and, above all, no attempt at truth.

I urge people to do two things. First, if you haven't read Breaking Trauma in the Newsroom do so. Second, if you are considering launching a personal attack on those who work hard to bring us the truth, whether that be through covering wars, exposing corruption, holding those in power accountable, or casting a spotlight on important social issues, don't.

Gordon Fisher, Stewarton

Nothing has changed on litter

It was shocking, if not surprising, to read on the front page of The Herald that litter is dropped on the streets of Glasgow every three seconds (The Herald, October 19)

What a coincidence then to see on page 16 a photograph from The Herald picture store of Rangers fans queuing outside Ibrox with the street and pavement awash with litter. It may not be possible to tell from the picture but it would appear that the fans are quite unconcerned by the filth under and around their feet. The caption says that this was 1987. It would seem that nothing has really changed in 36 years as far too many people are completely indifferent about the condition of the environment that they inhabit.

David Clark, Tarbolton

Levelling Up in action

Because of the way that our current UK government has presented “Levelling Up” over the last few years you would be forgiven for thinking that they had invented the concept. As I wandered along the Forth and Clyde Canal in Glasgow at the weekend I noted the number of times that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was mentioned on the various display boards. The work of the ERDF was Levelling Up in action. Not surprising that Scotland voted to stay in the EU.

John Palfreyman, Coupar Angus

Quite a tempting idea

Brian J Logan is to be commended for seeking an antidote to the letters on wars and politics. Rather than engage in Mr Logan's penchant for playing with prime numbers, somewhat beyond my ancient brain, I prefer to contemplate American humorist Sam Levenson's advice: " Lead us not into temptation. Just tell us where it is, we'll find it". Or should I just go back to sleep and finish my dream?

David Miller, Milngavie