IF possible, regardless of everything that has happened recently, I think that we should acknowledge with thanks Alex Salmond’s contribution as leader in 2014, in taking us within touching distance of winning independence.

Mistakes were also made at that time and also, due to the lies told and the fear factor employed by the Better Together brigade (deja vu here), voters decided against independence at that time to ensure we remained in the EU.

Following that bitterly heartbreaking and disappointing failure to reach our goal, Alex Salmond decided to step down. He was, deservedly, warmly feted and thanked for his leadership and tenure as First Minister.

We have learned lessons from those mistakes, but I think that the SNP/we have to learn to speak out and vociferously challenge and dispute, when the Tor-Lab-Lib Unionists lie, lie and lie again. If the SNP/we fail to challenge and dispute these lies, that is what will stick in the memories of the electorate, supporters or otherwise, in the forthcoming May elections.

We are now in 2021 and our First Minister is Nicola Sturgeon and, if lessons have been learned from that wound, that is still so deep – from our failure to reach independence, everyone who wants that independence should get behind Nicola.

It does not matter whom you would prefer. Nicola is our First Minister. When it was Alex, we all got behind him. The “enemies” are the Unionists, who will do everything possible to stop us again. Failing to unite, plays right into Unionist hands. The outcome is Unionists laughing all the way to Holyrood and Westminster. By getting in by the backdoor, they would govern Holyrood until its closure and you can be assured that would be a priority!

That is what everyone has to decide: how badly do we want independence which, this time, needs to be won or God help us!

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Being sensible gives us our longed-for sovereign independence.

Being foolish, for whatever reason, keeps us under the heel of Westminster and Tory-governed Holyrood, until its closure! It is up to us individually and collectively.

Helen Stewart

via email

IT has been a long and winding road from indyref1 towards indyref2.

Thinking back, post-indyref1, the first underpinning tipping point was perhaps the SNP membership numbers moving up to around 125,000, providing a sufficient pool of talent for future governance.

The next underpinning tipping point appeared more recently when the survey polling suggested that more than 50% of the electorate of Scotland expected Independence within this decade.

Now, the underpinning tipping point would appear to be surveyed polling, showing that 71% of the electorate of Scotland, now envisage that Scotland would fare better, being out of the UK.

The next underpinning tipping point is when the citizens of Scotland entertain whether the Holyrood 2021 Parliament has enough leadership, known talent, and readily developable talent, to make that leap to independence.

It is considered quite likely that Ms Nicola Sturgeo, leading an inclusive SNP at Holyrood, is seen by the electorate as the safest hands through to Scotland becoming a fairer society and an independent EU nation state, given her personal ratings.

On the downside is the lack of leadership, known talent and readily developable talent in Con-Dem-Slab, which is required to operate an international parliament to its fullest potential. Resolving this might well be considered to be the final underlying tipping point.

Stephen Tingle

Greater Glasgow

I WAS pretty outraged today, hearing the spiel on our obesity epidemic. Blaming the poor for being fat, offering a money incentive to take more exercise.

Stop selling off playing fields, subsidise leisure centres, subsidise fruit and veg, bring back proper home economics in schools, stop the massive advertising by big chains on buying their sugar-laden processed produce.

I taught in Glasgow for many years, initially history, then by dint of divorce and a nine-year moratorium on permanent contracts, a long and hugely enjoyable spell in ASN. Following that, I moved authority and was working with kids who had been out of the system.

They loved to learn to cook, had never eaten a homemade meal. I don’t remember which administration took it away, but the cuts in the teaching of home economic have been devastating.

My mum taught it in Glasgow for years in the 60s and 70s and said that if she had achieved anything in her life, she had taught generations of girls (it was just girls then) 101 ways with a pun o mince or veg soup. Far cheaper and more nutritious than a tin of Heinz.

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For God’s sake, stop blaming people and start helping in a positive way. We’re not looking for Gordon Ramsay, just someone who can take a few ingredients and make a nutritious meal. It’s not rocket science, if you can read, you can follow a recipe, or just instinct.

Wendy Wilson

via email