Sturgeon putting independence obsession ahead of Scotland’s best interests

The Prime Minister had no shortage of advice ahead of her critical Chequers Cabinet meeting.

Yet some of those pearls of wisdom could be safely ignored, given they came from those who most want to undermine her.

A leading example was surely Scotland’s First Minister, who urged Theresa May to “face down hard-line Brexiteers”.

From the start Nicola Sturgeon has made plain that for her Brexit is primarily an opportunity to break up the UK, as her underlying obsession with independence is put ahead of Scotland’s best interests and those of the rest of the UK.

Meanwhile, her SNP MPS use every opportunity in the House of Commons to stir grievance and ill-feeling hoping to stoke the cause of independence in the process. If the United Kingdom government does eventually secure an acceptable deal with the European Union over Brexit it will be despite the SNP’S efforts to derail the process at every turn.

KEITH HOWELL

West Linton, Peeblesshire

When, as Ian Blackford [leader of the SNP Westminster Group] did ad nauseam ONBBC Question Time, an SNP politician talks about “the Scottish people” as if he and his ilk are our sole representatives and protectors, it shames and angers me.

It isn’t just his bumptious demeanour, it’s the long years of stunts, feigned grievance and lack of impact in both parliaments of this gaggle of petty populists and pretend patriots who want to ruin Scotland by, first of all, trying to bite off the British hand that augments its diet.

Not in my name I am one of the 4.3m Scottish people who didn’t vote SNP at the last general election.

And never will again.

ALLAN SUTHERLAND

Willow Row, Stonehaven

The SNP’S Ian Blackford predicts with certainty what Brexit will mean for the country (doom, gloom, failure, etc), yet when pushed on the timing of a second independence referendum he can only answer “it depends on the outcome of Brexit”.

Perhaps he and his Westminster colleagues should spend more time debating and listening, rather than walking out or wasting time dawdling through division lobbies.

KEN CURRIE

Liberton Drive, Edinburgh