NICOLA’S absence from the march on Saturday, I felt, was a slap in the face for all the supporters of indy.

I am not a member of the SNP though I do support the party on the road to independence. To have the biggest and last march of the year in the capital without at least an appearance of the First Minister was a disgrace.

A brief 30-40 minute showing outside parliament while the march passed would have raised spirits to an all-time high, especially due to the weather we were all walking in.

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I talked to a number of the marchers who all thought they were let down by this, even going as far as calling it a snub.

Nicola, be careful how you treat people. It doesn’t take a lot to change a crowd’s opinion. An appearance of not fully supporting your supporters can cause ill feeling, which will build if care is not taken.

Spirit is no much good on a march unless you’ve got a hip flask hen!

John Jones
Via email