Nationalism is…

Cllr Scott Arthur (Letters, 29 August) fails to differentiate between nationalism as espoused by Gandhi and Mandela or those who strive peacefully for nationhood for Scotland, and state nationalism, such as the demonisation of foreigners or blaming immigrants for their woes.

In Europe do you not find most supermarket fruit and veg packaging emblazoned with the national flag or an endless equivalent diet of “Great British” TV programmes as this is not patriotism but pure nationalism.

Such British nationalism is not benign. It was the Labour Party which produced bestselling “control immigration” mugs. Gordon Brown called for British jobs for British workers and Jeremy Corbyn told the BBC that his party would leave the single market so as to end “wholesale importation of underpaid workers from central Europe” and has faced accusations that the Labour party is now institutionally anti-semitic.

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson’s brand of nationalism is in grave danger of bringing about the Ulsterisation of Scottish politics and has failed to deal with the outrageous online comments made by her elected representatives.

As for blaming others, Labour blames the Tories for the mess they inherit in government, but the SNP has never blamed “the English” or immigrants for Westminster politicians’ neglect and misrule of our country.

The SNP remains the most progressive and inclusive political party in the UK, and what’s wrong with believing that the people who live and work in Scotland are the best placed to make the decisions about our future?

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh In her article, “National: it does exactly what it says on the tin, whatever Sturgeon says”, Kirsty Gunn says: “National means nationalism.” Putting to one side the situation of a writer without a dictioning, ary, this is going to cause acute concern for the National Health Service, National Trust, National Galleries, National Archives of Scotland, National Audit Office, National Deaf Children’s Society, National Farmers Union, National Museum of Scotland, National Library of Scotland, National Rail, National Express, National Tyres and many hundreds more organisations and companies.

GILL TURNER Derby Street, Edinburgh