IAN Lakin (Letters, April 13) asserts that “material change” was a “message” from Nicola Sturgeon. It was not, it was a 2016 manifesto commitment. He conflates the UK debt levels now being attained as part of the viral pandemic, with the topic of Scottish self-government. That debt has to be repaid whether we are a member of the UK or not: that will apply to nearly every advanced economy on the globe. Are all these countries now unable to maintain their independence?

The level of Scottish debt upon independence will also be affected by the nature of the dissolution of the UK, with rUK asserting in 2014 that it would be the “continuator” state: absurdly that Scotland was “extinguished” in 1707 and subsumed in a Greater England. But if rUK did have its way, it would assume all rights, responsibilities and debts of the existing UK, leaving Scotland debt-free. In the years it would take to join the EU, we have time to assess the Norway Option.

It might be helpful to Alan Sutherland (Letters, April 13) to remind him that in the 2015 General Election Scottish Labour lost 40 out of 41 seats, the electorate having a direct say on Scottish Labour's conduct. There was no mention in 2015 of Indyref2, the SNP only asking that the Smith Commission outcome be introduced quickly, along with more devolved responsibilities.

He seems to want Scotland to go back to direct rule from Westminster: the old model abandoned by every political party in Scotland. Really, how would they man up their departments with Scottish MPs when they have so few?

Mr Sutherland and the tiny band of These Islands adherents will be alone on this one.

GR Weir, Ochiltree.

STRUAN Stevenson ("Coronavirus is a danger to democracy as well as lives", The Herald, April 11) attempts, none too subtly, to link the proposal to suspend jury trials (ill thought-out and now happily binned) to the activities of Viktor Orban (Hungary) and, to Adolf Hitler no less.

It is a pity that he could not find space to refer to one of the first actions of his leader upon taking office: the attempted prorogation of the UK Parliament.

John Boyle, Ardrossan.

I KNOW that some politicians can happily switch principles to suit different discussions, but I was pleased to see a consistent theme in Struan Stevenson’s warning about taking away freedoms by creating diversionary scare stories. His conclusion that there is “a tipping point beyond which we must not go in the name of safety” is founded upon Benjamin Franklin’s famous assertion that “they that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety”.

I will take courage from that the next time someone tries to convince me that it would be foolhardy for Scotland to become independent rather than staying safely subsidised by the Barnett Formula.

Christopher Keegan, Glasgow G69.

RUTH Marr (Letters, April 10) states: "It’s important that Scottish voters are not distracted by any more smoke and mirrors fudge, no more false vows and empty promises. That is rich coming from a nationalist whose Government has served us nothing but a diet of the foregoing and whose record is nothing short of abysmal.

Jim Mitchell, Carluke.