‘D’you know what?’ – the best is yet to come for the future of Scotland

My relief at not seeing a vituperative offering from any of your Four Horsemen of the Scotalypse regulars – who obsessively hammer the SNP in your letters pages – on Wednesday, was shortlived. John Donald’s letter (6 June) quickly turned out to be the same old stuff – though at much greater length – with an added sheen of personal unpleasantness.

His attack on Lesley Riddoch concluding with a snide comment on the fact she was born outwith Scot- land (in Northern Ireland) was particularly disgraceful. I doubt he applies the same rule to residents of Scotland born in England who, without a doubt, voted – and will vote – overwhelmingly against independence for Scotland.

My day was cheered, though, to learn that a poll of English, Scots and Welsh revealed that an impressively high percentage of scots believe our best days are before us, while the English believe theirs are in the past (Scotsman, June 7). That latter finding absolutely confirms what we have suspected for years: Dad’s Army (plucky English with token miserable Scot), ’Allo, ’Allo (laughing at foreigners), James Bond (laughing at and killing foreigners), Downton Abbey (knowing your place, patronising foreigners), and so on and on – it turns out the English really do think Britain has a natural right to superiority and respect but can’t deal with the reality of being a failing, borderline Second World state (even with nuclear weapons and a rather absurd monarchy). Well, the Scots, it seems do not believe “we’re all doomed”, and many of us are indeed unashamedly hoping that the Brexit shambles will bring the Scots to their senses and realise “D’you know what” – as the First Minister is fond of saying – “we really can make a much better job of running our country than anyone else.”

DAVID ROCHE Conachar Court, Perth David K Allan (Letters, 7 June) has joined John Donald in complaining about the comments made by Lesley Riddoch in Monday’s Scotsman.

Interestingly, we often read letters in the Scotsman from Unionists of the same ilk praising the wit and wisdom of columnists such Brian Wilson, Brian Monteith and Ruth Davidson, while those of us who support independence might have a very different opinion of their contribution to the content of The Scotsman.

It would seem that by wishing to see the contribution of Lesley Riddoch dispensed with, people like David Allan would prefer a paper which never contained any contrary views which challenged their positions.

For my part, I regularly disagree with the views expressed by the two Brians and Ruth Davidson, but I would much rather have that balanced coverage than have The Scotsman as an echo chamber which never challenged my opinions.

GILL TURNER Derby Street, Edinburgh