SNP’S stunt to make English MPS miss World Cup game will prove an own goal

The SNP’S forced Commons vote on government department estimates( not usually a matter put to a vote), by their own admission for the petty spite of ensuring English MPS missed their football match against Colombia, was unedifying in the extreme.

Peter Grant( who took Gordon Brown’ s old seat) boasted on Twitter ,“the adjournment bells all over Parliament rang at the very moment England scored. Tor y whips, you have no idea how much influence we really have.”

Good going! Next time Scotland needs friends over important matters, guess how willing any MP from down south is going to be to help?

The one crumb of comfort is that English MPS will empathise with their thousands of constituents whose work commitments equally meant not watching the game with a cold beer ( or in Jacob Rees-Mogg’s case, Cheval Blanc 1947 St- Emilion at room temperature).

In that respect, a Parliamentary cold dash of reality as to how “the other half live” is just the tonic.

MARK BOYLE Linn Park Gardens Johnstone, Renfrewshire More distressing than any other aspect of nationalism is the grinding, mean- spirited pettiness.

It appears that S NP Westminster leader Ian Blackford organised his troops in the latest stunt to prevent the ordinary staff at the House of Commons – as well as the MPS of every other party – seeing a vital England World Cup game on TV.

He must feel really proud to have made such a braveheart impression and struck such a famous blow for Scottish nationalism.

The problem for Mr Blackford and his Primary One col- leagues at Westminster is that the only people it will impress, the SNP already has as voters. What his party needs to do to have a hope of success is to convince the unconvinced, thinking, majority of the electorate.

All this latest stunt will do is make them even more determined not to give a party with this nasty mindset any possible chance of reaching its Holy Grail.

ALEXANDER MCKAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh

Maybe some Scots appreciate the SNP’ s“missing the match” stunt. The majority of us watch the SNP embarrass and shame us. Scotland is becoming a laughing stock. Hopefully at the next election these people will be shown the red card.

DORIS MH DUFF Belmont Gardens, Edinburgh Regarding your article“It is too soon for indy ref 2, S NP economy guru admits ”(2 July ); things always change quickly with politics.

The SNP should cheer long and loud for Harry Kane and co. England’s ongoing success, or more specifically, the BBC’S commentary on it, is enough to turn any nation’s thoughts to matters of independence. If this talented team replicates 1966 and all that, Scotland might decide that independence is a small price to pay to escape another 50 years of hurt.

The ongoing use of“we” by the English Broadcasting Corporation offers the best encouragement possible for Indyref2. Just imagine what we’d get if the three lions actually won the World Cup. In the depths of Bute House, the First Minister and her cabinet must be secretly supporting any team ... as long as it’s England.

JOHN YOUNG Moray Place, Edinburgh