Notice board Salmond cannot possibly return to role of FM

● Lesley Riddoch is touring with her new film Denmark: The State Of Happiness. There are screenings at 6.30pm tonight at Cameo Cinema,

Edinburgh; at 7pm tomorrow at Adam Smith Theatre,

Kirkcaldy; and at 7.30pm on Friday, April 26 at Corrie and Sannox Village Hall, Arran. Lesley will be doing Q&A sessions after the screenings. For full tour dates and to book see lesleyriddoch.com/events.

● Brian Bilston and Henry Normal will appear together for the first time to perform "an evening of poems to be enjoyed not endured" at 7.30pm tomorrow at Tolbooth, Stirling; and 7.30pm on Wednesday, April 10 at Mackintosh Church, Glasgow. For ticket details see www.waterstones.com.

● The Annual Arbroath Rally will be held on Sunday at 1pm. The march will begin at Kings Gate by the harbour and end behind Arbroath Abbey with short speeches. All welcome. Singers, musicians and pipers welcome for pub after.

● To See Ourselves, Jane McAllister’s documentary about the 2014 referendum, will be shown at 2pm on Sunday at Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, followed by a Q&A. For tickets see toseeourselves.film/ see-the-film

● An Evening With Alex Gray is being held at 7pm on Tuesday, April 9 at Waterstones Kirkcaldy. The author will be discussing her best-selling series of crime novels and giving the scoop on Out Of Darkness, the latest book in the series. To book a free ticket, see www.waterstones.com.

● Believe in Scotland is holding its first ever March and Rally for an Independent Scotland in Glasgow on Saturday, April 20, in partnership with Pensioners for Independence. Confirmed speakers include First Minister Humza Yousaf, Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp and musician Iona Fyfe. For more details see www.believeinscotland.org

ACCORDING to a report in The National, a lot of people apparently want Alex Salmond back as First Minister. I wonder why. Is this the Alex Salmond who supported Donald Trump in his acquisition and destruction of the Menie Estate? Is this the Alex Salmond whose actions possibly led to the Tories regaining relevance in Aberdeenshire? Is this the Alex Salmond who admittedly did very well at the referendum until he inexplicably muffled over the question of currency at a time when many of the larger stores were happy to be paid in euros? Is this the same Alex Salmond who worked for a Russian TV station?

Alex Salmond is now toxic and became so through his own actions. Were Alex Salmond to return as First Minister he’d be laughed at every time he opened his mouth. “Are you speaking for Scotland or for Russia, Mr Salmond?” “Do you still support Donald Trump, Mr Salmond’? “Are you hoping to work for Russian TV again, Mr Salmond?”

Alex Salmond started Alba with one intent and that was to scupper the SNP, the party he used to lead. Why? There is no way Alba are going to win enough seats to do anything positive for Scotland as far as independence is concerned. Is he perhaps determined to make his prophecy of “once in a generation” come true? I have supported independence since I was six years old. I am now 75. Alex Salmond seems determined I should never know Scotland as an independent nation again.

George T Watt

Arbroath

EACH day in the press/mainstream media we are seeing a drip-feed of stories/suggestions that we pensioners are somehow a drain on society and that our pensions are unaffordable. Others better qualified than I have made perfectly sound arguments as to why we deserve the pension that we get, with all its failings. Yet still the headlines persist in telling a story of pensions being a benefit that we do not deserve.

Firstly, our pensions are not a benefit. they are the result of many years of contributions made during our working lives – in my case 47 years. Secondly, the pension as it stands does not even match the living wage – indeed, it is roughly half of that wage. So how can anyone justify the complete absence of any recognition in the Budget of