Clergy have let down church

Sir, - It is sad to think that I had believed for all 75 years of my life that clergy were my spiritual leaders.

I have to acknowledge now that they may be worldly leaders but they are far from spiritual leaders.

Had they read their Bible, Matthew 5: 17-18, they would realise they have just done what Christ said he was not here for. They have set themselves up with a claim that they are greater than Jesus.

The Bible is not against LGBT people. It is their sexual activity that is wrong and the Scottish Episcopal Church agreeing to sanctify their union shows it is in denial of this fact. If they were men of honour, they, the bishops and clergy, would resign en masse for leading their flocks astray. but 10 SNP seats have a sub-1,000 majority.

An autumn election would most likely eradicate their Westminster Scottish majority.

With pro-UK parties taking 62.4% of the vote and over 50% in every Scottish constituency last week, it is evident Ms Sturgeon has badly miscalculated on two counts.

Her obsession with a second referendum on her timetable, not ours, has backfired. A sizeable minority apparently endorse her separatist dreams but that’s not enough.

Secondly, Ms Sturgeon must stop pretending she’s a world leader and focus on her domestic remit.

Education, the NHS and other public services may not be glamorous but they are crucial to everyday lives.

It is inevitable Ms Sturgeon will pay lip service over coming weeks to such errors of judgment, positioning herself as concerned to be a part of the UK Brexit process. But we know she has a vested interest in UK failure at the negotiating table.

So will any shift in direction be a smokescreen?

Let us never forget the SNP’s raison d’etre is, first and foremost, independence.

Ms Sturgeon will be keen to give the impression she’s easing her foot off the second referendum accelerator.

Only the naive will believe her.