Herald letter: the Great SNP Vote Theft.

BEFORE the European elections, the SNP said that a vote for it would be a vote against Brexit, and not a vote for independence. And it now of course comes as no surprise that Nicola Sturgeon is immediately after the election using those votes to demand a new independence referendum.

The Great Vote Theft goes still further, as the Nationalists claim that Scotland voted to stay in the EU in 2016. This is not the case: in that referendum, Scotland voted for the UK to stay in the EU. This is in line with the decision of Scottish voters in 2014 to stay in the UK, seeing the benefits of sharing and pooling resources, risks and sovereignty for mutual benefit.

My voting paper in 2016 referred only to the UK’s membership of the EU, and had no disclaimer that “your vote may not apply in Scotland and may be assumed to be in favour of independence”. It seems that the SNP and its supporters had a different ballot.

Peter A Russell

Herald letter: Question Time People’s Revolt ‘aux armes, citoyen(ne)s!’

IT has long been a feature of the Scottish media that – with honourable exceptions including some in The Herald – the hostility of the SNP and its supporters to any kind of criticism has closed down scrutiny of the Scottish Government in many public arenas.

Luckily, the format of UK audience participation shows such as Question Time take the debate beyond the parochial Scottish media bubble (“Call for BBC to refer itself to watchdog over audiences”, The Herald, May 20). It is always a joy to see how Scotland’s SNP establishment squirms when taken to task by members of the public who cannot be cowed in the same way that some toadying professional journalists allow. Whatever their political affiliation, we should all salute the courage of these individuals who dare to speak out. It is a sign of both the weakness and the authoritarian instincts of nationalists that they wish to silence such voices.

Next time Question Time is in Glasgow I will apply to be in the audience and urge every lover of free speech and public scrutiny of our political classes to do likewise when it comes to your town.

Let the Question Time People’s Revolt continue and grow. We, the majority, will not be silenced.

Peter A Russell,