Medals reveal double standard

Sir, – I read with interest the letter (February 22) from Jane Lax where she purports to be keen on keeping politics out of sport.

It would have been much better if she hadn’t written at all rather than continue with her letter, including the quite ridiculous Mo Salah analogy. Initially I did genuinely wonder if it was some kind of wind-up.

Without sounding too much like a primary school teacher, I will try to explain to Ms Lax.

Until relatively recently, Scotland was a completely independent country.

Even now it is a nation with a rich culture, its own language, its own distinct legal system and its own Parliament. It is very likely to become an independent nation again soon and I look forward to Ms Lax being magnanimous enough to accept the will of the people.

Liverpool? Well it’s a city in England. A nice city but not a country, Ms Lax.

Indeed, when that great footballer Andy Robertson plays for Scotland, Liverpool fans do not for one second believe he is representing their club.

The reality is that 10 Scottish people have returned from the Olympics with a medal and this is 10 more than the number of English people who returned with one.

That is not political, it’s a fact. We should rejoice, Ms Lax.

Part of the problem is that many grown-up, educated English people – including many media commentators – are simply unable to distinguish between “English “and “British” and they flit between the two.

Then we have the “Andy Murray syndrome”. He is a Brit when he wins and a Scot when he loses.

This is all about the same old, same old, same old, I’m afraid. Unionism and any excuse to create double standards.

If 10 Welsh people returned with medals, the proud people in the nation of Wales would be rejoicing, not point scoring or letter writing.

Indeed, if Ms Lax did live in Wales and 10 from that nation returned with medals, would she still write to the papers?

I think not.

Stewart Falconer. Glenisla View,

Alyth.