Independence all about democracy

Sir, – Martin Redfern (Letters, May 27) suggests that, for Nicola Sturgeon, independence “transcends everything”.

Well of course it would. She is the first minister of Scotland, and leader of the Scottish National Party, a party with a clear mandate to secure independence for Scotland.

If Scotland was an independent country we would not be governed, from Westminster, almost always by a party which the vast majority of Scots abhor, and haven’t voted for since the 1950s.

The people of Scotland would certainly not have elected this particular perversion of a political

party, led by the most unworthy prime minister in my lifetime, probably ever.

And we would not have been disastrously removed from the EU, our nearest neighbours and biggest trading partners, because many English voters have an inflated opinion of their status in the world.

It becomes increasingly clear that if Scotland was to become an independent country, it would have as good a combination of natural advantages as any country in Europe, possibly the world, particularly useful as the world moves into uncharted climate and resource risk.

Ms Sturgeon has recently been warmly and respectfully welcomed on visits to several countries around the world, in contrast to the UK prime

minister who, as we regularly see on the news, is generally as welcome as a dose of Covid.

Ms Sturgeon does the job which the people of Scotland, in their wisdom, continually vote for her to do.

And, once we are independent, the people of Scotland will be able to vote, knowing that the party for which they vote, not necessarily the SNP, will be the one that has the full powers to govern the country.

It’s not about Ms Sturgeon, it’s about democracy!

Les Mackay. Carmichael Gardens, Dundee.

Nicola Sturgeon is the longest-serving first minister.