Gloating over worst-case scenario Brexit report won’t help the case for Indyref2

Anyone who reads The Scotsman on a regular basis is fully aware that Lesley Riddoch’s sole aim in life seems to be to decry the United Kingdom and anything remotely connected with it in every possible way and, like our First Minister, to insult anyone who dares to disagree with her views, looking down from her tower of false moral superiority.

That is her right and I do not disagree with all her criticisms of the present UK Government in relation to Brexit, but she has surely gone beyond the bounds of acceptability in this week’s column (Perspective, 4 June).

It is one thing to want Scottish independence but it is surely a bit much to be positively euphoric and gloating over the contents of a leaked report, setting out a worst -case scenario, purely because it might lead to Scottish independence, irrespective of the harm it might cause to Scotland and, more importantly,to these pesky English. As the First Minister said: “Independence transcends everything”.

Ironically, Ms Riddoch says that “relationships are more important than one-off deals”, when at the same time, she and her cohorts are hell bent on destroying Scotland’s main relationship with the United Kingdom – financial, trading and social – and plunging the country into more years of division and disharmony to no good purpose, other than to assuage imagined grievances, ensure that Tunnocks Teacakes and Walker’s Shortbread are appropriately branded and pose as morally superior to us mere mortals.

Irony is also present in her statement that Ms Sturgeon “has been careful not to gloat at the UK’S Brexit-related difficulties”. That ship has long sailed. First Minister’s Question is nothing but 45 minutes of intensive insults and gloating, accompanied by raucous approval from her acolytes.

I am as enthusiastic about Europe, and possibly more, as Ms Riddoch, having several family ties there and I bitterly regret the decision to leave. In addition, I am not one of the hated “Toaries”, but I am a 2014 No voter, who was not persuaded by Alex Salmond’s ludicrous prospectus and the animosity created then. Nor will I be persuaded by the SNP’S latest effort (much as I respect the more measured tones of Andrew Wilson) nor by Ms Riddoch’s misuse of a leaked report. Politics should be about respect, not selfassumed moral superiority. Finally, as someone who was actually born and brought up in Scotland, can I ask Ms Riddoch to refrain from the use of what she regards as Scottish expressions in trying to ingratiate herself with “punters” like me, on this occasion the embarrassing “whaurs our special relationship noo?”, and many similar pseudo Scots impressions on previous occasions.

JOHN DONALD Essex Road, Edinburgh