Briefing points

Peter Hopkins (Letters, 22 September) is right that the controversy over the daily coronavirus briefings is not over. However, it is not true to say that the original decision to cancel them resulted from public pressure. The bulk of the pressure came from politicians, irked by the sight of the First Minister doing her day job rather too competently for their taste in leading the country during a national crisis. The decision to reinstate the briefings followed a petition sent to the BBC signed by more than 53,000 people.

Mr Hopkin shares the opinion of others that a news reader or civil servant would handle the briefings adequately. How the complainers have missed the contributions of Chief Medical Officer Gregor

Smith and Clinical Director Jason Leitch is a mystery.

A nd rewHNG ray and Sally Gordon Walker st are back nostalgically to the Falklands War (Letters 18 and 21 September). They speak with reverence of the role of the government spokesman, Ian Mcdonald.

That would be the same nonpartisan Ian Mcdonald who faith fully reported that the General Belgrano was torpedoed by a British submarine as it steamed in to attack the British fleet, when it was actually re treating. This was a day of ignominy for the Royal Navy and infamy for the PM, and handed Margaret Thatcher the platform to glory in the death of more than 320 Argentine sailors. A lie later exposed by dogged Labour politician, Tam Dalyell.

So readers appear to have many complaints, but to say as Ms Gordon Walker does that journalists are “silenced” and that Nicola Sturgeon is “unpitying”, as Peter Hopkin says in a vituperative diatribe, would seem to indicate that either they don’ t watch the briefings, or that there is a parallel set being broadcast elsewhere.

GILL TURNER Derby Street, Edinburgh

Any close observer of politics in Scotland would have banked on the BBC caving in and giving the First Minister back her daily blanket session of supposed corona virus updating, something not seen in any other country in the free world. And cave in they duly did. This once great institute is not at its best and most principled when dealing with highly orchestrated nationalist protests and knee-jerk petitions.

With the best will in the world, Nicola Sturgeon is a campaigning politician first and foremost, with a oneissue agenda–she said as much – and I do not believe she is capable of stringing two sentences together on any subject without making political points. Surely, some non-political health expert could give these daily sessions, if they are deemed necessary.

ALEXANDER MCKAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh