Cybernat clearout

So a spokesman for the SNP has condemned the attacks on Edinburgh olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy over his views on Scottish independence, but has then trawled out the excuse that, of course “online abuse was not the preserve of one political persuasion” (your report, 30 May).

Sadly, this is undoubtedly true. However, could not the SNP, instead of getting involved in a tiresome counter-blame game, take the opportunity to show real leadership and clean up its own act first by demanding a halt to, and condemning without qualification, any such outpourings by Nationalists in future?

In putting its own house in order, the SNP would set an example for everyone else to follow.

neil MCKinnon HAVING suffered personal online Cybernat abuse over many years, I have great sympathy with Sir Chris Hoy (Your report, 30 May). As is inevitably the case, his points are no doubt left unanswered and the attacks are purely and simply nasty and personal.

Much the same occurs almost daily online and on newspaper letters’ pages; debating points are not answered by the Nationalist side, instead those daring to think for themselves and express their thoughts are attacked. Daring to express honestly held views that are contrary to dogma are heresy in the eyes of these zealots.

What a dreadful country this would be if those wishing to separate us from the rest of the UK ever gained their wish. I guess Sir Chris would join me and many others against the metaphorical wall, should the “great day” ever come.

alexander MCKay WITH regard to the move to ban smoking in cars (letters, 31 May), I have some sympathy with a pressure group like Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) though it seems to embrace any opinion, however spurious, which supports its agenda while conveniently ignoring any views which could cast doubt on it.

This is a common tendency in pressure groups and Ash can hardly be blamed for conforming to that.

However, I am somewhat concerned that the present attention, backed by often misleading if not downright inaccurate information – centred on shop presentation of tobacco products, plain packaging and the alleged prevalence of smoking in cars when children are present – has the potential to reach ludicrous proportions.

It should be remembered in all of this that smokers will smoke, or not, depending on their individual preferences, and not because some campaign group demands the right to make that choice for them.

Kenn MCleod

Derrick McClure (Letters, 31 May) states that those who voted for the SNP in 2011 were substantially more numerous than those who voted against it. In fact the total votes cast for the SNP were around 1.7 million and those for other parties were around 2.2 million. I do not think that even the SNP with its somewhat lax approach to figures would support Mr McClure’s claim. parents of April Jones, our political representatives must act with some sense of urgency and common purpose.

John Connor So, Mark Bridger receives a whole life sentence and goes into permanent isolation in jail for his own protection with the knowledge of what happened to April Jones known only to him. In many ways, he resembles the odious Ian Brady, who in May1966, was jailed, along with his evil girlfriend Myra Hindley, for the Moors Murders.

Unfortunately we, the taxpayers, will be made to fund his imprisonment and can only hope that no do-gooding campaigners emerge to plead his case at some time in the future. Surely what happened to April Jones must propel the need for a rethink on capital punishment back to the fore? Until then, we can only hope that Bridger’s lengthy imprisonment is a salutary lesson in how to deal with paedophile murderers.

Brian allan YoUr otherwise excellent obituary (31 May) for the distinguished engineer Gavin Walker, erroneously attributes Mount Stuart House, Bute, to the English Gothicist William Burgess.

Burgess did undertake some alterations to a previous house on the site, however much of his work was destroyed in a fire in 1877.

The present house from 1879, the most eclectic and sumptuous (in fact completely overthe-top) late Victorian country house in Scotland, is the work of Sir robert rowand Anderson, author of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Glasgow Central Station and Govan old Parish Church (and founder, in 1916, of the royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland). neil Baxter (hon frias) secretary & treasurer royal incorporation of architects in scotland