Far-reaching repercussions

Sir, – That Alex Salmond has raised such significant sums to fund his legal action against the Scottish Government – attracting the support of some SNP politicians in so doing – is unsurprising.

Alex Salmond transformed the SNP from a small group of fringe activists to a mainstream political party of government.

He took support for independence from the mid-207% level to 45% – not enough but a phenomenal achievement and one for which many now seem grateful.

In contrast, Nicola Sturgeon appears to be supervising the decline of the independence movement she leads.

She is fully committed to separatism yet cannot deliver.

Weak in many other respects, Theresa May is relentlessly strong on “now is not the time” – which contributed to the damage inflicted on the SNP in the 2017 general election.

Mr Salmond provided an optimistic economic future for an independent Scotland in the 2013 White Paper.

It was questionably accurate, but undeniably positive.

In contrast, Ms Sturgeon offers only pessimism via the Growth Commission’s report predicting a decade or more of austerity as the price to pay for independence.

Undeniably accurate and unquestionably downbeat.

Most now realise the 2021 Holyrood election will determine whether Indyref2 will even be held in five years’ time, and undoubtedly not before.

And now we witness the former and current first ministers at odds with one another over the Scottish Government’s investigation of alleged claims of sexual assault by Mr Salmond, and with senior party members apparently taking sides.

Yet time will tell, with Indyref2 on the back burner what, if any, are the longer term repercussions for the SNP and nationalism. Martin Redfern. Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh.

The mass stampede to support Mr Salmond is mindless and unconditional for a significant bulk of the SNP faithful