Diverting viewing

I have to admit that in her BBC1 interview with Andrew Neil, Nicola Sturgeon gave a masterclass. A masterclass in managing never to answer any questions and attempting to change the subject or the direction of the questioning. This was not surprising as she has no record to be proud of and as a result she basically squirmed her way through the interview,

On the poor performance of the Scottish economy relative to that of the UK as a whole, she claimed it was the effect of the oil collapse but failed to point out that whilst the effect was significant on Scotland’s smaller economy it was relatively minor on the UK economy as a whole, with Scotland being cushioned from the worst effects by the Barnett Formula. In other words we are “better together”.

When pressed on her party’s appalling record on health and education in Scotland, she had no defence and in effect her answer could be paraphrased as “our performance has been rubbish for the past ten years but do not worry and trust us to get it right now”.

RAYMOND PAUL Braid Farm Road, Edinburgh Nicola Sturgeon says a win for the SNP will put a second independence referendum back at the top of the political agenda (The Scotsman, 29 May); presumably she means most seats or the highest percentage of votes in Scotland.

However, this is sleight of hand. She knows full well that the key divide is between Unionism and Nationalism, with the Nationalist vote split two ways (in effect, one way, as the Greens are invisible in this election). The Unionist vote is split three ways, hence the SNP is likely to get most seats (in a first past the post system), and will probably get the highest percentage of the votes.

The key question is which side, Unionism or Nationalism, will get the most votes, to decide “the winner”. My money in on the Unionist faction. WILLIAM BALLANTINE

Dean Road Bo’ness, West Lothian Nicola Sturgeon is confused. She wants a progressive coalition with Jeremy Corbyn, a man she deems not to be credible. She criticises others for talking about independence, and then brings it right to the forefront in her rationale for voting for her party on 8 June, despite clearly not wanting another referendum. She appears anxious and on the back foot. She wasn’t ready for this election, and she is not in control of the narrative. Labour closing the gap on the Tories was clearly not in the script, and Ms Sturgeon has not yet worked out a line to deal with this. What chance Tory votes in Scotland allowing Theresa May back in Downing Street, with exlabour voters in Scotland voting SNP and allowing that to happen, despite many of them liking the Labour manifesto? The choices the SNP made in 1979 put them out of the race for a generation. In an age of soundbites and clichés, choosing the wrong one can have big, speedy consequences. Ms Sturgeon appears to be on the point of throwing it all away. VICTOR CLEMENTS

Taybridge Terrace Aberfeldy, Perthshire