The chameleon

Stan Grodynski (Letters, 19 January) is right to refer to Ruth Davidson as a “chameleon” in her approach to the EU. It is strange, however, that he fails to see the vacillation evinced on an almost daily basis by the leader of the SNP. Nicola Sturgeon’s pronouncements on the likelihood of a second independence referendum require a measuring mechanism such as the “swingometer” that was used at election time back in the day.

Moreover, Mr Grodynski’s own comments betray the same lack of clarity shown by the SNP in relation to the EU. Now all that is required, it seems, for an independent Scotland is “a commitment to the internal market either directly through the EU or through EFTA”. This is a far cry from six months ago when nothing less than membership of the EU was the position.

If, therefore, there is to be a second independence referendum we will be asked to vote for an independent Scotland which may become a member of the EU – or there again, may not. This devious approach is clearly an attempt – typical of the SNP – to be all things to all men: an attempt to woo No voters tempted by the prospect of rejoining the EU and also the 400,000 SNP supporters who voted to leave the EU. The problem with such a blatantly populist approach is that it could end up with nobody getting what they want, but only discovering this after the die has been cast.

COLIN HAMILTON Braid Hills Avenue, Edinburgh The First Minister’s response to the speech by Theresa May can be no surprise to anyone. Every opportunity to give an excuse for another referendum is grabbed with both hands. What a one-trick pony!

Can we please get back to a Government that governs to the benefit of the whole electorate rather than searching and searching for a reason to pursue its own single-minded political dogma. Independ- ence looks to me like a precursor to financial ruin, whereas more attention to Education and Health needs could be seen to be to the benefit of the whole country in both the short and the long term, something that this Government seems not to care one jot about.

DAVID GERRARD Spylaw Park, Edinburgh