Well, she would

Lesley Riddoch’s article (Scotsman, 26 September) suggesting that Scottish Labour should become pro-independence shouldn’t really be surprising to anyone who has looked at her contributions to The Scotsman for the past few years.

I am (just!) old enough to remember the scandal which exploded in the early 1960s, The Profumo Affair, which almost brought down the Government. Ms Riddoch’s advice to Scottish Labour reminded of the famous reply of the late Mandy Rice-davies, when told that Lord Astor had denied having an affair with her: “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?”

I have never known Ms Riddoch to be other than a vigorous proponent of severing Scotland’s ties with the rest of the United Kingdom. Would she give advice to Labour to join in with the Nationalists? Well, she would, wouldn’t she? ROSEMARY MACRAE

St Andrews Why do we have the same tiresome offering from Lesley Riddoch to tolerate week after week? Your letters page (27 September) reveals that I am not alone in the assessment of the tosh she serves up. She tries to find the “winning nationalist argument” in a string of political events – totally without success, in my view.

Nicola Sturgeon now falls back on the default position that the Nationalists’ dream of freedom trumps all. This should confirm to all of us, including Lesley Riddoch, that their game is up.

There is no measure in education, health, policing or local government whereby the Nationalists can say that the outcomes for Scotland under their nine years of control exceed those in the UK. We have plenty of evidence to judge them by – a much better guide than their promises.

Let Lesley Riddoch abandon the rusty nail and start dealing with the reality of working for a prosperous future for Scotland. ALISON FULLARTON Lumsdaine, Eyemouth