Political atmosphere

Sir, I refer to Dr Malcolm Kerr’s letter published May 13.

While it is undoubtedly true that political posters can be viewed throughout the UK, this is almost exclusively during election campaigns and indeed is banned altogether in certain locations, including my native Glasgow where the constant failure of certain parties to remove posters at the end of the statutory requirement of seven days after the election led to them being banned altogether.

What I suspect Councillor Timothy Billings was referring to was the constant SNP propaganda on display on the island for the past three years, including the horrendous huge lettering on display on the roof of a cottage in Lochranza. Is this legal? Was a planning application submitted?

One recent incident highlighted in the national press was the matter of the Union flag on display in Largs, described by local SNP MP Patricia Gibson as an ‘eyesore’. One wonders if she is aware of the large lettering on the roof in Lochranza? Of course the views of Patricia Gibson should be no surprise to me, given that I was at Stirling University in the early-1980s with her husband Kenneth who would loudly inform anyone who would listen that his lifetime ambition was to see Scotland ruled by a ‘National Socialist’ government.

Scottish tourism – including visitor numbers to Arran – suffered massively in the wake of the 2014 referendum, as was confirmed by Peebles Hydro. I personally know of two English families who cut short holidays in Scotland in 2014 because of the hatred and hostility they were experiencing. This is again highlighted by the speeches of the First Minister who uses the word ‘Tory’ at every opportunity, spitting it out in a hateful way.

Tourism has been increasing again in the past year – but the SNP obsession with another referendum would surely decimate that growth.

As regular visitors to Arran for many decades, we made the conscious decision two years ago to go elsewhere due to the aggressive political atmosphere on the island. Democracy is fine, but when it is accompanied by hatred, hostility and abuse of anyone who disagrees with your viewpoint, as has been demonstrated recently on social media, then it is surely time to speak out.

Yours, Bobby Whitacre, Glasgow.