Nationalists are guilty of deception

Sir, Unlike your correspondents Yowann Byghan and Jim Waugh ( The an

Ti es, March 30), I always find letters from Donald J Morrison from Inverness ( The an Ti es, March 23) to be very prescient and perspicacious, though one is left in no doubt as to his hostility to the creed of nationalism and its adherents.

I have to say I agree wholeheartedly with his view and I find that within the circles in which I move, both in the West Highlands and Edinburgh, these views are increasingly held by people whose political sympathies are across the left/ right spectrum. It seems that almost as a reaction to the aberration of nationalism, people of all political persuasions have decided the greater threat to our country is not posed by those to the left or the right but by the divisiveness and economic recklessness of nationalism.

In the case of Mr Waugh, he doesn’t so much challenge the substance of Mr Morrison’s letter, but more the manner in which the content is expressed.

Although Yowann Bygan does not lay claim to it, there are clear signs of ‘SNP political activist’ transparent in the detailed claims made on behalf of the SNP administration. The list is replete with populist policies, and they have, indeed, had the desired effect in the case of many voters.

What there is no mention of, though, is where the money for this SNP largesse has come from. It is certainly not from any increased economic activity achieved under the nationalist watch.

The sources of the funds for these bribes are two-fold. First, it is other services which have been starved of funding (but we can always blame Westminster) and, secondly, the Barnett Formula by which Scotland benefits from the principle of sharing resources throughout the United Kingdom. But of course that wouldn’t fit with the grievance and grudge agenda of the nationalists.

The most enlightening statement from Yowann, however, is the explanation of the choice people now face: ‘The choice is between one change and uncertainty and another change and uncertainty’ (so far so good). ‘The change to a hard-Brexit UK separated from the largest single market in the entire world, or to a Scotland free to continue its growth as a progressive and successful independent nation.’ Well, with that choice, we can only go with Utopia, can’t we?

The people who perpetrate these myths are guilty of deception and misrepresentation. Those who believe them are the victims as it is they and the rest of us who would eventually pick up the tab for this Darien-type fantasy.

I’m with Mr Morrison all the way in his efforts to bring such cruel and reckless deception to attention. A an Thomson The d arn

i camb addock trontian.