I HAVE no reason to doubt SNP Policy Convener Chris Hanlon’s explanation of the draft manifesto stooshie (Setting the record straight on ‘leaked’ SNP manifesto, March 16). If, as he says, the contents of the manifesto are still under discussion and “now is the time” for SNP supporters to “reach out and offer to contribute”, then here goes.

The near-certainty of just a few months ago that the SNP will win a thumping majority in May cannot now be taken for granted, so this manifesto needs to grasp the thistle and emphasise the following:

1. No SNP supporter is under the impression, surely, that once independence is won, the National Party would expect to be the party of government ad infinitum. That is not how a healthy democracy works. (I would expect the Scottish Labour party, for example, to get their act together sufficiently to make a decent fist of it at the Holyrood election after this, and so on ...)

2. As neither the Tories or Labour will win enough votes to form a government in May, “punishing” the SNP government by withholding support for your Nationalist candidate due to being annoyed/upset by the recent messy goings-on in parliament and the courts MAKES NO SENSE if you want Scotland to control its own destiny. It will only lead to triumphalism and bombast from the Unionist parties and very little legislation of use to the nation, or struggling individuals, being passed in the next, crucial, four years, which will suit the Tories just fine. In their hearts they want devolution discredited.

3. Boris Johnson, although still a mendacious buffoon, is “bedding in” as Prime Minister, detests devolution and is mounting a powerful bid to neutralise Scotland and bind it more tightly into the Union; the English people, when polled, appear to agree with him and are likely to elect Tory governments – eventually under the sleekit Michael Gove – for the foreseeable future. Taking the huff against the SNP government at this election only encourages a long delay, and a bumpier road, to achieving independence, only after which will Scots be able to enjoy “normal” party political elections without the elephant in the room.

4. Voting SNP in May therefore is voting to have a say, in the near future, on whether we a) have a referendum – all other parties (the Greens excepted) being against you having that say – when you can choose independence or dependence (the latter undoubtedly being tarted up as Devo Max), federalism – it will never happen – and other false promises. Never forget Johnson is a shameless liar.

I trust that the SNP have cleverer people than me capable of knocking these views into a persuasive and compelling manifesto. The future of our nation depends on it.

David Roche

Coupar Angus, Perthshire

DAVID Pratt’s article “PM creating illusion through pursuit of a ‘Global Britain’” (March 18) would tend to suggest that PM Boris Johnson has at last come to the realisation that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is finished.

Northern Ireland is, in European eyes, no longer part of the UK, whereas England, Scotland and Wales, in alphabetical order, are now Great Britain. In the recent European Indoor Athletics meeting held in Poland our athletes competed as the Great Britain team with no mention whatsoever of Northern Ireland. I believe that Glasgow should now be referred to as Glasgow, Great Britain whereas is it now Belfast – Island of Ireland?

Perhaps it is time for PM Boris Johnson to clarify the position, not something he is renowned for, in order to let the British people get on with their lives!

Thomas I Inglis

Fintry

A HAE read yon article bi John Hodgarten (Naitonal, March 15) oan the Sots leid. In it he says “mibbie wi need tae learn fae oor Auld Alliance kizzens ... the French”. A hae tae say, the British, the French an the Spanish hae aw been “centralising” states – wi France being the waurst amangst them aw. These states says that aibodie in their contraises had that speak the ain leid. Wi France, the third, fowrth and fifth republics . An so the bairns couldnae be learnt in the ain tongue. This caused a muckle decline in the Breton leid, the Occitan leid and monie distinctive dialects in France. Breton mabie held oot fir the langest. Bit the first waurld war, kilt moonie young laddies whae haud the Breton. It the stairt o the 20th centurie, aboot haulf the fowk of Britany kent onlie Breton. Aboot the 1950s – there wis aboot 100,000 fawk whey kend only Breton. Wi continued centralisation, the numbairs fell. In the cenus o 1997, there wis 300,000 fowk whae kent Breton, 190,000 aulder than 60 year auld, and no moonie bairns 17-19 kent Breton (hae youse seen the an storie afore?). It wis only in 1993 parent were allowed tae gie their bairns Breton names!!

Occitan (the leid o the minstrals in the middle ages) wis the leid o aboot haulf the fowk of the sooth o France. Noo a days, onlie aboot 100,000 fowk ken the leid. So France isnae saw braw/barrie/gallus aboot its “minority languages”!

Crìsdean Mac Fhearghais

Dùn Eideann