Notice board Best way to show united party isn’t in anti-indy newspapers
● National Trust for Scotland will host a talk, From Versailles To Charlotte Square, at The Georgian House, 7 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, tomorrow. It will explore the story of the French royal family in exile, from the Palace of Versailles to obscurity in Charlotte Square. Doors open 6.15pm, talk begins at 6.45pm. See Eventbrite to book tickets.
● Yes Dunfermline & West Fife invites you to share An Evening with Billy Kay on Tuesday at 7pm in Abbeyview Bowling Club. Billy will talk about his latest book, Born in Kyle, followed by questions and discussion. Free, all welcome.
● Journalist Jen Stout will be in conversation with Anna Burnside, co-chair of Women in Journalism Scotland, at 6pm on Thursday, July 18, at Waterstones, Dundee. She will speak about her book Night Train To Odesa: Covering The Human Cost Of Russia’s War. To reserve a place, email dundee@waterstones.com
● STRIKE! An afternoon of poetry and songs relating to the 1984 Miners’ Strike will take place from 2-4pm on Saturday, July 20, at the National Mining Museum, Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange. Tickets priced £12 (£10) are available from national-mining-museumscotland.arttickets.org.uk
● The Wee Gaitherin poetry festival is taking place from August 1-3 in Stonehaven, and will feature more than 80 poets from across Scotland, Ireland and England. For details see www.weegaitherin.com.
● All Under One Banner will hold Marches For independence on Saturday, August 3 in Elgin; and Saturday, September 7 in Edinburgh. See the group’s Facebook page for details.
● Edinburgh International Book Festival will run from August 10 to 25. For programme details and tickets see www.edbookfest.co.uk
WHILE Mr Neil and Ms Cherry are entitled to their views, I really do despair of them appearing on the pages of the two worst Unionist papers (The Daily Mail and The Daily Express) this week.
The public don’t like to give their support to divided parties and by doing this at the worst possible time when the independence movement is trying to recover makes me really wonder just what these two are playing at. Our country needs independence; our people need to have Holyrood with the full powers of a sovereign nation to better their lives. Just how will these actions advance that cause? I’d go further. John Swinney had roughly two weeks in the job when the surprise election was called – just what exactly did you, Neil and Cherry, do to help him, or the movement? To paraphrase my late grandmother, if you can’t say anything positive or helpful, then shut your mouth.
Not that the comments section on The National website is any better. Empty vessels making the loudest noise springs to mind.
That said, one thing that Alex Salmond got right – and what I will give him credit for – is that from 2007 onwards, he showed that the SNP weren’t a one-trick pony and led a stable and successful government at Holyrood. I believe that was why people trusted us enough to listen to the arguments about independence and why we came so close to the right result in 2014.
I think, for what it is worth, that Swinney should do just that again. Albeit by pointing out clearly what the limits are placed on his government.
I think he has the qualities and strength to do this, we just need to give him our support and stop washing our dirty linen in public. Finally, I would also add that if the First Minister was to be forced out, any new one would have to win approval in the chamber of Holyrood. Otherwise a Scottish election would be required to be called. With things as they are, could Neil or Cherry guarantee that wouldn’t happen?
Andrew Haddow
Glasgow
I REALLY do not know where to go with Alba, a party which apparently had a lower vote share than Reform in Scotland. Mr Kerevan can squeal all he wants but his party is nowhere in the consciousness of Scots. So please, all those Al-a-pa groupies, please understand you are a busted flush and go quietly so we can progress indy without all the tantrums and toy-throwing from the back of the hall.