Shameful past

Between the wars the Scottish nationalists’ attitude towards continental fascism was not as clear cut as Tom Johnston would have us believe (Letters, 29 June).

In 1923, the poet Hugh Macdiarmid called for a “native species” of Fascism and promoted the “neo-fascist” paramilitary organisation Clann Albain to fight the Anglo-saxons.

John Maccormick may have opposed Hitler but most of the nationalist leadership supported appeasement, with the likes of Andrew Gibb against Scots participating in this “English” war.

Douglas Young wrote: “If Hitler could remove our imperial breeks and dissipate the mirage of imperial partnership with England he would do a great service to Scottish Nationalism.”

Their hostility to conscription and the war effort raised fears of a pro-nazi “fifth column” and my relatives among the Breton nationalists certainly saw the SNP as a sister organisation.

Gordon Wilson cleaned out the remnants of the SNP’S neofascist stable and his expulsion of the paramilitary Siol nan Gaidheal in 1982 ended an era about which the SNP is rightly coy.

(REV DR) JOHN CAMERON,

Howard Place, St Andrews