Strong leader in trying times

Sir, – Regular readers of Jenny Hjul’s opinion column are aware that it can normally be summed up in one abbreviation, one adjective and several exclamation marks, namely SNP bad!!!

Not only are these articles biased, they frequently descend into prolonged personal attacks. Her latest column, entitled “SNP has us in poor health” (January 17), went even further than usual as a prolonged, personalised rant against Nicola Sturgeon.

The A&E service in Scotland is facing pressures as a result of the largest flu epidemic in seven years, but a glance at the national press shows that NHS Scotland is outperforming the NHS in England and Wales.

The widespread problems south of the border cannot be laid at the door of Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP.

It is worth pointing out that Nicola and her health minister, Shona Robison, are introducing a new contract with GPs which has the support of 71.5% of Scotland’s GPs as well as the British Medical Association.

Dr Alan McDevitt, the chairman of BMA’s Scottish General Practitioners Committee, states that the contract will reduce both doctors’ workloads and the financial risks of owning their practice premises while improving recruitment and retention.

Ms Hjul also takes exception to the fact that Nicola is trying to find means of minimising the potentially disastrous effects on Scotland of the Brexit debacle. At a time when Britain’s European team of David Davis, Boris Johnson and Liam Fox repeatedly demonstrate their ineptitude, and Theresa May’s embarrassing reshuffle kept all of them in office, a party leader should show some leadership.

Nicola has already chaired a meeting with all opposition parties bar one to put pressure on the Government not to go down the path of hard Brexit or, worse still, no deal, which would cause massive job losses in all parts of the current United Kingdom.

Surprisingly, and disgracefully, the absentee at that meeting was the Labour Party, whose leader dismissed it as a ‘gimmick’ in spite of the fact that traditional Labour voters stand to lose most by the likely outcome.

The fact the UK would apparently not embrace the current European human rights legislation does not seem to have registered with Labour leaders on either side of the border who appear to be more interested in settling personal, internal party scores.

It is no secret that the SNP stands for Scottish independence, although judging from the nearhysteria of her column, Ms Hjul seems to think the discovery is hers.

I have been a member of the SNP for over 40 years and will aways work towards gaining Scotland its rightful place in the international community, but I accept the main issue at present is not to allow this feckless government to drag Scotland out of the European Union through the actions of an increasingly cynical and insular Westminster

system. By her actions Nicola Sturgeon has shown she knows what is at stake for Scotland and what needs to be done.

By her display of bias and attempted character assassination, Ms Hjul has shown that she does not. Ken Guild. 76 Brown Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee.