BOTH Patrick Kirkwood and Alex Orr (February 19) quite rightly condemn the LibDems for their ludicrous attacks on the SNP and personal attacks on Alex Salmond. They are also correct to attack the LibDems for their refusal to hold a referendum on Scottish independence.

However, both Mr Kirkwood and Mr Orr could strengthen their case if they could persuade the SNP to agree to a referendum on membership of the EU, rather than dogmatically declare that an independent Scotland will be a member.

The party has agreed a referendum on leaving the UK, rather late in the day has also agreed a referendum on adoption of the euro, although why it has rejected the idea of a Scottish currency is beyond me; therefore it only makes sense, as well as being democratic, to offer a referendum on membership of the EU.

Jim Fairlie, Finance Spokesman, Free Scotland Party, 1 St Ninians, Heathcote Road, Crieff. THERE is a very simple answer to the Nationalist bleating and anguish over the independence referendum they feel is being denied them. All that is required is for the SNP to get 50% of the vote at the Holyrood elections in May - ie, to be the choice of half of the 50% of the electorate who will bother to turn out.

Surely if even one-quarter of the electorate feel strongly enough about independence they will go out and vote for the SNP; if other factors influence their choice of party then, clearly, independence is not considered important enough. If the separatists cannot persuade even that very modest number of Scots of the rightness of their campaign to break up the UK, then even the most blinkered must accept they are fighting a lost cause.

Alexander McKay, 8/7 New Cut Rigg Edinburgh. I WAS interested to read the ranted response of Alex Salmond to Liberal Democrat accusations of xenophobia within the SNP. "Outrageous and unacceptable," he cried, "disgusting slur," he screamed, "basest insults," he sobbed. Genuine indignation or not, that's for us, the public, to decide.

What I found so staggering was that his claim that the LibDems were being "totally hypocritical" was itself a blatant example of hypocrisy as Alex Salmond has for years found it perfectly OK to describe the Conservatives as the "anti-Scottish Tories". Perhaps he could explain how his own comments differ from the "unacceptable" accusation of xenophobia made against the SNP?

Voters support the Scottish Conservatives because they have continued to stand up to the Lib-Lab government in Scotland long after Alex Salmond abandoned the Scottish Parliament for London.

He went south and left the SNP in the hands of a group who have opposed the Scottish Executive with all the strength of a gnat - no pun intended. Now he wants back in but it appears he's learned nothing from his time away.

Alex Salmond is the master of mudslinging, but now he's acting like a little playground bully who's been slapped back and has now run off sobbing to the teacher. What he should be doing is apologising immediately to the hundreds of thousands of Scottish Conservative supporters he's repeatedly insulted with his own "outrageous", "disgusting" and "unacceptable" comments.

Douglas Pattullo, 7 Comely Bank Grove, Edinburgh.