VARIOUS of your commentators have reviewed 2023 and speculated on what 2024 might bring. In turn, correspondents to your Letters Pages have replied on behalf of one side or other of the big question that has dominated Scottish politics for well over a decade. If the recent past is indeed any guide to what comes next then the SNP’s prospects are surely bleak.

All but the most fervent of the SNP’s faithful followers must view 2023 as the SNP’s annus horribilis. All pretence of a party of effective government has fallen away with the very worst of its failings and shortcomings exposed for all to see. Scandals and failures have jockeyed with missteps and cover-ups as the overriding impression of a party as much in conflict with itself as the reality of its shortcomings. Following the departures from the frontline of the SNP’s most recognised and supposedly trusted leaders, the Scottish Government is now led by the B team, who have swiftly confirmed their status as over-promoted and out of their depth.

As we start 2024, the SNP is now primarily in the public consciousness as the party of incompetence, seemingly trapped in a spiral of denial and cover-up that has seen it at times replace being economic with the truth with blatant lying, arrogantly thinking they can get away with it. Time will tell what verdict the people of Scotland will pass on all of this as in due course they hold their ballot papers and all our futures in their hands.

Keith Howell, West Linton.

Read more: Scottish independence: 64p per person for preparations is a bargain

Scots politics far from fair

TWO letters published today (January 3) highlighted why Scotland has become such a very obviously divided country.

The first, contributed by Gareth Morgan, attempted to persuade us that the £3.5 million spent so far by the Scottish Government on independence preparations has been “a bargain”, on the basis that it is “a policy which is now supported by more than half of Scottish voters”.

In doing so, an independence supporter yet again misleads the public about the level of support for independence, despite all current evidence to the contrary, which demonstrates that independence is supported by a minority, albeit a sizeable one, of the voting population and that the majority are still not in favour. He deliberately ignores the fact that the money squandered in this manner has been contributed by the Scottish taxpayer, the majority of whom, as stated, do not support independence, instead of being contributed by the political parties who do support independence. Surely it’s time for them to put their money where their mouths are, instead of misusing public funds?

The second, contributed by David Hay, would have us believe that the Scottish electoral system is fairer and more representative than that of the UK, which is choice given that two Scottish Government cabinet ministers, who appear to have an inordinate influence over Scottish Government policy and decision making, failed individually to win more than a relative handful of votes at the last Scottish Parliament election and are from the Greens, a party for which very few voted. How can that be seen as fair?

Bob Hamilton, Motherwell.

Time to switch from EU to EFTA

HAVING experienced a pretty depressing year in 2023 as a supporter of independence, it was encouraging to start 2024 by reading the proposal of Mark McNaught ("Is rejoining the EU really the best option for Scotland?", The Herald, January 2).

The independence cause has reaped the Brexit dividend for a long time now but treading the same old path of grievance is getting us nowhere.

It is disingenuous to think that, if we were independent, we would walk straight into EU membership. Spain would see to that.

And what about the currency question? That was enough to frighten the horses in 2014 and EU membership would raise more questions than answers.

It is even more naïve to think that there is a better chance of Sir Keir Starmer rather than Rishi Sunak granting Scotland the right to hold a referendum.

So Mark McNaught’s proposed solution would seem to fit the bill. We should promote EFTA membership over EU membership.

But it should not be seen purely as a means to independence under the radar. There are many benefits of EFTA membership over EU membership. The independence movement needs to start selling this as a positive alternative to the Scottish people. I believe it was not the detail of EU membership which caused 62% of Scots to vote against Brexit but was the principle of the four freedoms and our truly international outlook that influenced the Scottish vote.

So the SNP Government has a choice. Keep ploughing the same old furrow and keep arriving at the same destination: nowhere. Or start to formulate a realistic, imaginative, viable and very sellable proposition - and indeed vision - for the Scottish public.

It’s time for the SNP to show proper leadership when it comes to achieving independence. Shape up, or let someone else champion the cause.

William Thomson, Denny.

• LET me remind John Coutts (Letters, January 3) and your readers that Theresa May introduced a bill to regain pre-Brexit trading rights with the EU. The bill was defeated by the SNP abstaining on the instructions of authoritarian Nicola Sturgeon, who was not a Westminster MP. The SNP's devious act has since affected the entire UK. Nicola Sturgeon did not wish to compromise the default position, such being then and now a valuable tool.

William Durward, Bearsden.

The Herald: Should the SNP switch its focus to EFTA?Should the SNP switch its focus to EFTA? (Image: PA)

Indy is our only hope

LIKE Eileen McAuley (Letters, January 2) I too voted Yes in 2014 and also like her, I'm not too happy either.

I despair at the state of things in Westminster: the corruption, the cronyism, the increasing shadow of Alister Jack looming over us, planning his next attack on decisions made by the Scottish Government and the ongoing charade that Brexit was the correct decision. I want Scotland to be free of the controlling presence of the UK Government and the unelected House of Lords. Independence is our only hope to ensure that we get the government we vote for, with everyone's vote counting, unlike the first past the post election next year that will decide whether we get Tory-lite or Tory-awful as we have now.

Patricia Fort, Glasgow.

• EILEEN McAuley vented her despair at the policies of the Scottish Government. But whilst the NHS in England is on the verge of even more strikes, medical personnel in Scotland have not been on strike - thanks to the Scottish Government.

Colin Campbell, Kilbarchan.

Read more: Inquiry focus should be on pinpointing the source of Covid

The UK is going backwards

THE Union is beyond resuscitation. Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, on behalf of the British Establishment, will disingenuously do their utmost to convince the public that CPR can revive the stricken patient but they will simply be denying the stark reality that all UK politicians will eventually be compelled to confront.

The continuing expansion of the House of Lords and the perpetuation of the first past the past electoral system are evidence that the UK is going backwards by comparison with more enlightened democracies, both in progressing egalitarianism as the wealth gap widens and in advancing genuine governmental representation for its citizens. The UK economy is failing all, save the rich and powerful, and public services, including local services as more councils are bankrupted, are on their knees and gasping for survival funding. Of course, some who support the constitutional status quo are in denial, many out of barely disguised self-interest, but it is only a UK mainstream media largely compliant with the wishes of the British Establishment that is preventing honest debate about a future beyond the Union from emerging and the last rites from being administered.

The trials and tribulations of the SNP Scottish Government, as well as those of the Labour Welsh Government, are not irrelevant but are mostly exaggerated to distract from openly debating whether any form of federalism can work in practice, or whether independence for Scotland, and perhaps Wales, is the only rational governmental structure to enable real progress for our children whose aspirations should not be confined by an island mentality.

Stan Grodynski, Longniddry.

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Can they justify the PPE profits?

I JUST might have some sympathy for the Barrowmans ("Crime agency probe Mone and husband", The Herald, January 2) if, instead of attacking those responsible for awarding PPE Medpro with contracts for the supply of PPE, they explained how they can justify MedPro making £60 million profit out of the taxpayer-funded contracts awarded to it of around £200m, and whether that percentage level of profit was clear from its submissions before it received the awards.

Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop.