It is good to see Jim Sillars searching for the magic bullet which will see independence take off beyond the reaches of the Brits. However it is not that the SNP did not engage with other political parties. It was that there was nobody there to engage with. The Greens and Scottish Socialists talked a lot but weren't around much when the work had to be done. Quite a lot of Labour members helped but after 50 years of fighting, the SNP the majority said they would vote Yes but not if it helps the SNP.

The magic of the referendum lay in the enormous numbers of ordinary people with no previous political allegiance who came forward to help. To the credit of the SNP, we created a structure, but as far as possible let these new people have their head and do their own thing. Our responsibility now is to keep these new activists aboard and plan as far as we can for the next stage.

What beat us was the Scottish cringe. Oil was going to collapse. We would be kicked out of Europe. We couldn't have our own currency. We may regret the lack of imagination but these are still valid reasons for voting No. What we need from Jim Sillars is a valid programme to combat each of these feeble reasons for failing at the last step.

Yes, we do need another referendum but only when the answer is Yes

George Leslie

Fenwick

Iain Macwhirter promotes the SNP central office view on timing for a referendum re-run (Indyref2: Sturgeon is right to bide her time, Comment, September 6). In essence this seems to be: hold off until we are sure we will win.

Meanwhile Alex Salmond has of course sounded more bullish about going earlier rather than later, and last week there were unequivocal calls for a second independence referendum during the term of the next Scottish Parliament from the SNP’s previous deputy leader Jim Sillars and SNP Glasgow North-East MP Anne McLaughlin. Amongst those keen to press the button as soon as possible, the fear seems to be that the 2016 election might see the momentum of popularity peak. Beyond a peak there is only one direction to go.

With the reality of service delivery from the SNP Government revealing ever more cracks, they might expect before too long to feel the vulnerability of many who have been in power for nearly a decade. The job of government is never easy and the more promises you make over the years, the more scope there is for disappointment.

It seems the First Minister has to decide what her priority for the next parliament will be: delivering services on the ground or delivering another referendum. The lesson of the current term of the Scottish Parliament suggests if she chooses the latter, everything else will continue to suffer.

Keith Howell

West Linton