IN 2014 the risk-averse voted No to remain with the safe status quo.

Committed Yes supporters also have “risks” to come to terms with. For the first year or two after the indyref I was against holding a second until the polls showed that we were very likely to win. I didn’t want to risk a second defeat which might really put the issue to bed for a generation.

I’ve since changed my mind.

In 2012 independence support polled at 20 per cent. The Yes activists comprised a minority of the 26,000 SNP membership. The electorate was politically apathetic.

However, as interest grew and people started to research the matter, opinion swung steadily towards Yes. The constitution is now the issue at the forefront of Scottish politics and independence is part of mainstream opinion. The 45 per cent Yes support achieved in 2014 has remained steady despite years of Unionist propaganda.

An indyref2 Yes campaign will start from a much higher base than before and with a much increased level of activism and interest. And the prospect of Brexit means there is no longer any “safe status quo” on offer.

Back in 1979 there was a weak Yes vote for devolution on a low turnout. In 1997 there was a strong Yes vote for devolution on a high turnout. The Scottish electorate seem to need two goes at it to get their courage up.

We’ll never get “permission” from the UK to hold a second indyref. They only allowed it last time because they imagined the No side would win hands-down and that would kill the cause. They won’t make that mistake again.

Back in the 16th century the polymath George Buchanan (whose writings on all subjects will become better-known once the Scottish people find out about their own history) wrote of the “perfervidum ingenium Scotorum”. Let’s put it to the test.

So yes – let’s hold indyref2 before the next Holyrood election, while there’s a guaranteed pro-indy majority. The Scottish Government is already three-times mandated and doesn’t need to seek a fourth mandate.

Let’s regenerate all the Yes groups that formed during 2013-2014 and (starting from the 45 per cent base) achieve a high Yes on a high turnout.

Regardless of what prohibitions the UK Government try to put on us.

Mary McCabe
Glasgow

I TOTALLY agree with the letter from Billy Kerr, Galston, regarding the royals (Letters, February 16). How dare they turn up at a charity for the homeless when a fraction of their wealth would go a long way to sorting this problem? Their arrogance is beyond belief.

We will never be a modern, intelligent, country until we get rid of the royals.

I was ashamed to see people waving flags and welcoming parasites who live off the taxes of hard-working people. The hardest work they do is giving “royal waves”.

It’s time for Scotland to leave the fairy princes and princesses to Disneyland where they belong.

Rosemary Smith
East Kilbride

WINIFRED McCartney writes: “nowadays there have never been more ways to avoid becoming pregnant and yet the abortion figures do not go down. Is abortion just lazy contraception?” (Letters, February 17).

It took me less than a minute online to find the latest official report on termination rates in Scotland.

In 2012 there were 12,570, which then went down to 11,946 in 2013 and then went down again to 11,778 in 2014.

There was a rise to 12,134 in 2016, but the figures again went down to 12,063 in 2016 (the latest year for which I could find figures).

We are all very much aware of the perils of “fake news” these days, and I would urge all your readers not to take anyone’s word for facts which can be easily checked.

I wouldn’t ask anyone to simply believe me without checking – all the above figures are readily available from bit.ly/ISDScotland.

Termination is an emotive, important subject, but there is nothing gained from introducing spurious arguments, which only weaken one’s case.

If you have a strong position then the facts should speak for themselves.

David Stevenson
Alloway