Cybernats dishing out online abuse? Commons says pro-unionists are just as bad

No one, such as SNP MP Pete Wishart, should have to suffer online abuse but unfortunately, that is the way of the world these days (Letters, 10 April). However, the so-called cybernats are more than matched by extreme British nationalists. An investigation into social media comments was held in the House of Commons a few years ago entitled Discourse on Scottish Independence – Politicians versus Public and concluded that “the findings based on analysis of online comments under arti- cles on independence, show the vast majority of posts are anti-snp/independence and anti-salmond rather than anti-english or anti-union.

“In terms of language, too, comments about the SNP and independence are much more vitriolic than about the Union and UK.”

The Tory demonisation of immigrants and foreigners has increased since Brexit and led to a spiked increase in hate crimes in England which has no parallel in Scotland during or after the referendum campaign, which we are continually told by Unionists was divisive but which international observers found a model of civic nationalism.

Since Brexit, we have lost count of the number of times Tory councillors and prominent Scotland In Union members have been guilty of online abuse and racist comments with no condemnation from Ruth Davidson. Also, Labour’s problem with racist and anti-semitic members has been well documented. I don’t equate pro-union extremists with all pro-union voters and it diminishes Scotsman letter writers who suggest that the 45 per cent of us who have confidence in Scotland’s future as a successful independent country are somehow lesser human beings.

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh Is SNP MP, Peter Wishart more concerned about holding onto his Perth and North Perthshire seat than independence? (your report, 10 April).mr Wishart won with a majority of just 21 votes in last year’s election, with the Tories nipping at his heels.

So, instead of joining with the SNP’S band of supposedly impassioned grassroots activists to push for indyref2, he paraphrases Theresa May’s familiar ‘now is not the time’ refrain. He complains that the pursuit for independence pushes voters away from the SNP into the arms of the Tories. I suspect Mr Wishart is in a lose-lose position. Let’s not forget that only a year ago Nicola Sturgeon demanded indyref2, three years after the 2014 ‘once in a generation’ vote.

However much he claims not to share the ceaseless obsession with breaking up the UK held by most in the SNP establishment, he is for ever tainted by independence because he’s a member of the SNP.

The chances of him handing over his seat to the Tories at the next general election are, right now, looking pretty likely.

MARTIN REDFERN Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh