In the balance

Your report (17 May) focuses on UK polls for the parliamentary elections that in Scotland will see the SNP win three seats, with Tories and Labour wiped out.

By an odd democratic quirk, the Brexit Party should win two: it has no manifesto, doesn’t mention Scotland in its election leaflet and is for the Brexit that 62 percent of voters in Scotland have already rejected.

Ruth David son’ s image scowls from the Conservative and Unionist leaflet, hectoring voters to “Make Nicola Sturgeon Listen”. Nicola Sturgeon and a second Scottish referendum are mentioned 24 times in the Conservative leaflet in spite of the fact that how Scotland might become an independent European nation will not be decided by this week’s European elections. Tories, not S NP, are spot lighting independence. That’s another democratic quirk.

By contrast the name of the smiling SNP leader doesn’ t appear at all on it selection leaf let. Europe and the EU (mentioned six times) and Scotland (seven) are the context for four options for stop - ping Brexit in Scotland, one of which is a People’s Vote.

The inclusive notes truck by the SNP’S claim that “Scotland’s for Europe. Let’s say it loud and clear” differs from the strident, coercive rhetoric embedded in the call to “Make Nicola Sturgeon listen”. One thousand years ago an English king demonstrated the futility of trying to “make the tide listen” and over the last 50 years the independence tide has come in and gone out, each time coming back in and rising a little further up the beach.

The tide of history can’t be stopped by shouting at it, nor can the minds of voters be changed by denying the exercise of democratic process. Thursday’s vote is about Scotland’ s social, economic and cultural future in Europe. Let’s hope Europe hears that, loud and clear.

(DR) GERALDINE PRINCE Victoria Road, North Berwick

To nobody’s surprise, the SNP are complaining about the BBC’S handling of the Question Time programme from Elgin because a former Conservative MSP was allowed to make a comment without being identified – as if Fiona Bruce was supposed to be able to recognise all present and former MSPS!

In the same week, Nigel Far age made very petulant and bad-tempered responses to inconvenient questions from both Andrew Marr on the BBC and to Gary Gibbon on Channel 4 news.

Both had the audacity to question some of his past statements such as abolishing the National Health Service, support for Vladimir Putin and where his party gets its money.

Nationalists tend to dislike an independent press and see anyone who questions their leaders as unpatriotic.

On 23 May we will have a choice between two forms of nationalism–the British variety from Far age and the Scottish version from the S NP. Hopefully as many people as possible will reject both.

KEITH SHORTREED Methlick, Aberdeenshire