Divided society

Last weekend Alex Salmond said he doesn’t believe he, or his successor Nicola Sturgeon, is divisive. Really? Mr Salmond should consider glancing at social media occasionally. On Facebook, for example, in SNP and other separatist news feeds, every day he is almost universally and unquestioningly adored; one could even say, in many instances, worshipped.

On pro-uk sites, the EX-SNP leader is subjected to relentless negative criticism, frequently despised. Indeed often utterly reviled.

This massively polarised opinion around the former and current leaders of the SNP reflects the wider division across Scottish society caused by their principal raison d’etre: UK break-up.

The last independence referendum failed to divide the UK but ripped Scotland apart. It is clear Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon will continue to divide Scotland as long as the SNP remain in power – and most likely long after that. MARTIN REDFERN Merchiston Gardens,

Edinburgh Stan Grodynski’s letter of 2 May refers to the results of a Panelbase poll of no defined date. The latest Panelbase poll, which was published on 21 April, has the following results. Should Scotland be an Independent Country?yes, 43 per cent; No, 52 per cent. Should there be another Independencereferendum?notin the next few years, 52 per cent; after Brexit negotiations are complete, 16 per cent; in the next year or so, 32 per cent.

The results bear no resemblance to Stan Grodynski’s figures. His pontifications are completely pointless.

GEORGE HORNE Argyll Place, Aberdeen Derek Farmer describes an independent Scotland as “a micro-nation to be bullied and ignored by the rest of the world” (Letters, 3 May).

Unfortunately such contempt for our country is not uncommon among Unionists, but, strangely, I don’t notice this happening among the people of a host of other countries about the same size as Scotland, such as Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, or Finland. Their people are all proud to be citizens of small independent countries, all of whom are richer and happier than Scotland and are respected members of the international community.

All of the above countries have hosted major international conferences, and play a respected part in UN peacekeeping operations. I think it is called the Unionist cringe, where Scots are seen as the only people in the world incapable of successfully running their own affairs and entirely dependent on the goodwill of England.

JAMES DUNCAN Rattray Grove, Edinburgh