Priority doubts

Nicola Sturgeon has always been apt to conflate her role of First Minister and head of the Scottish Government, a role where she must act in the best interests of all the people of Scotland, and leader of the SNP, where she speaks for the minority and, given the disastrous GERS figures, is clearly unconcerned about how Scotland can prosper.

Had she spent a large part of her time and energy doing else other than her day job since September 2014, say training for the heptathlon in an attempt to be selected for the Rio Olympics, I’m sure most people would be questioning her suitability to lead a regional government.

I would suggest that she steps down and takes her party out of government to allow the politicians who are interested in making devolution work the chance to do so. She and her MSPS would then have plenty time to conduct the “national conversation” themselves during which they will be unpleasantly surprised by what they hear.

(DR) SJ CLARK Easter Road, Edinburgh