Or perhaps not…

The doyen of UK political analysts, Professor John Curtice, whose learned and neutral views are respected by all, tells us (“SNP’S lacklustre showing...’’, Election Round-up, 6 May) that despite the brave face, the local election outcome for the SNP was a “considerable disappointment”.

I would think that an understatement. At last the nationalist juggernaut has stopped and been reversed. In the same way as many other lifelong Labour voters, I chose the Tory candidate. Clearly, many others did likewise.

Why could not Labour have taken on a very positive prouk attitude? The answer to that is perhaps the reason for their demise. Being wishyas washy does not wash with voters.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, this is not the end of the divisive nationalist threat to our country; this is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning. ALEXANDER MCKAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh The Scottish general election result on 9 June is being viewed as strong indicator of demand for Indyref2 and independence.

The SNP want the measure to be the number of seats won, but surely it should be the total number of votes cast for them across the country, for two reasons; Indyref2 will be decided on the national total, and the council elections indicate the electorate is polarising along constitutional lines.

Few “No” voters will vote SNP, virtually no “Yes” voters will vote Labour, Lib Dem or Conservative, and many SNP voters will be in the Sillars/ Wilson/macaskill/may “now is not the time” camp.

In 2010 the SNP got 38 per cent of the popular vote, in 2015 it was 50 per cent and at last week’s council elections it was around 35 per cent.

Even the most optimistic, in-denial SNP strategist will know that, irrespective of how many seats they win, anything less than a 40 per cent share of the total number of votes will mean “game over” for independence. ALLAN SUTHERLAND Willow Row, Stonehaven