Forget Sturgeon, what about the calibre of her underlings?

REGARDING Rebecca Mcquillan’s article (“The Tories overplayed their hand – most Scots still trust Sturgeon”, The Herald, March 5), while the Conservatives overplayed their hand on the eve of the First Minister’s evidence to the committee, it is commendable that both Labour and the Libdems were quick to assert their reservation of judgment until after the inquiry was concluded.

Inevitably most reviews published on social media have been coloured by entrenched attitudes on each side of the independence debate. However, like many who were willing to judge the proceedings impartially, I felt Nicola Sturgeon acquitted herself remarkably well on Wednesday, especially given the emotional dimension involved. Perhaps I should not have been so surprised given that she and her predecessor fall within the 10 most accomplished UK politicians of this century. For a nation comprising eight per cent of the UK population, that too is remarkable.

Nonetheless, whatever the calibre of its leader, an effective government relies heavily on capable subordinates. This episode has exposed serious shortcomings from Deputy First Minister down, not just in respect of the handling of the litigation and its aftermath but also in respect of the original investigation itself. While Ms Sturgeon justifiably retains strong personal ratings, it will be a good thing if the Scottish public begin to look beyond the capabilities of its leader and start to examine the true calibre of her cohort.

Colin Forbes, Glasgow.

MANY seem to think the Nicola Sturgeon/alex Salmond debate is binary – that one of them must be wrong. I am reminded of Enoch Powell, who said that all political careers end in failure. What we are in fact witnessing is the end of both political careers because they are both wrong and 14 years of their SNP misrule and underachievement stands witness to that.

John Dunlop, Ayr.