NOW that Alex Salmond has had his eulogies (Letters, October 14, 15, 16 & 17), the rest of us can say what we really think. Just to make one controversial point, Alex Salmond was not the dominant Scottish political figure of his time. That honour undoubtedly goes to Gordon Brown.

As evidence, Mr Salmond was First Minister in a devolved Scottish administration for seven years. Mr Brown was Chancellor and then Prime Minister of the whole United Kingdom for 13. He therefore held much higher office for almost twice as long. At a domestic level, Mr Brown has lasting legacies such as working family tax credits and the decision not to go into the euro which have stood the test of time. His party, freshly back in power, is still recognisable to the one he led. Mr Salmond has no such legacy, prioritising populist policies which made some people feel good at the time, but which eventually emptied the coffers and gave us the problems we have in Scotland today. His party, the SNP, the one he built, has hit the buffers, having previously turned on him. They are still recognisable as his team, and largely dysfunctional.

On the international stage, Gordon Brown played a central role in eliminating much of the Third World debt which was holding back hundreds of millions of people, and he was instrumental in helping alleviate the financial crisis in 2008. Mr Salmond has no international legacy, emphasised by all the people shown in his final photo line-up being completely unknown to any of us. Even his pandas didn’t amount to much in the end.

In one-to-one combat, Mr Brown wins as well. Mr Salmond had three years to get his independence spiel right. Mr Brown intervened and sank his entire argument in 10 minutes shortly before the vote. Mr Salmond admitted this was a key intervention, unexpected by him. So, even on his own ground, he could not compete, and the people rejected him.

Finally, since leaving office, Gordon Brown has been quietly influential, supporting his team, and retaining his dignity and self-respect. Alex Salmond has spent the past 10 years fighting his former colleagues, getting more and more angry as the dream slipped away from him. Labour is back in power. Mr Salmond’s former party has been picking up P45s as if there is no tomorrow, and his new party struggled to get 0.5 per cent at the General Election.

Alex Salmond is history now of course, but not in the way he might have hoped.

Victor Clements, Aberfeldy.

Read more letters

Disappearing promises

PERHAPS Stuart Brennan (Letters, October 17) could write another letter to The Herald to explain to your readers how Westminster's Project Fear and Gordon Brown's Vow had absolutely nothing to do with the outcome of the result of the referendum on Scotland becoming independent.

It was interesting that the promises made in these arguments against independence disappeared like confetti blowing in the wind after the No majority emerged.

And regarding his negative comments about Alex Salmond, maybe he should stop acting like Thumper and consider Thumper's mother's advice, which was along the lines of "if you can't say anything nice about a person, then don't say anything at all".

Ian Gray, Croftamie.

• WHAT a nasty and poisonous piece from Carlos Alba regarding Alex Salmond ("The darker side of political giant and arch tactician Alex Salmond cannot be ignored", The Herald, October 16).

Clearly your correspondent has many personal issues with the late, great Mr Salmond. For him to have a platform to foist these on Herald readers, before Mr Salmond is even buried, raises questions about editorial judgment. Such is the obvious bitterness and ill feeling emanating from Mr Alba he could not even afford a fellow human being and his family the respect of a short period of mourning. Shame on him and The Herald for this.

Duncan F MacGillivray, Dunoon.

UK problems are never addressed

JUDGING by recent letters, there appears to be a concerted effort by our unionist friends to assure us that with the sad passing of Alex Salmond, “the dream shall never die” perished with him.

None cares to address that all the disasters predicted by Project Fear have become fact, not for an independent Scotland but by remaining in the UK.

None cares to address that having endured a decade of austerity which failed miserably, we face yet another decade of austerity.

None cares to address any positive reason to remain in the Union.

None, absolutely none, appears to have the courage of their convictions to propose another referendum.

The only way to vanquish the independence movement is for the UK to become contented and prosperous having reached those fabled sunlit uplands.

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”

Alan Carmichael, Glasgow.

It wasn't even close

ALAN Morris (Letters, October 17) is deluded when he tries to work the referendum figures to make 2014's outcome a "close-run thing".

Perhaps another way he would like to analyse it is to consider that there was an electorate of 4,283,392: 50% +1 thereof being 2,141,697. The total Yes vote was 1,617,989, being over half a million Scots short, excluding the many Scots living at the time in England or elsewhere who were denied a vote.

Close-run? No, a clear minority.

Steph Johnson, Glasgow.

The day that never was

IT is nearly a year since Nicola Sturgeon's self-proclaimed "independence referendum" was supposed to be held, on October 19, 2023. Look where the independence movement is now. It has parted ways with Ms Sturgeon as leader under difficult circumstances and now it has lost its mentor, Alex Salmond.

The flag-waving marches it used to be able to boast about are now almost invisible and none of the major problems regarding the practicalities of independence have even been partially solved.

To add to the loss of independence credibility we now have a Westminster government we actually did vote for. Despite all the outpourings over the demise of Mr Salmond, all the divisions remain in the independence movement.

Scotland has moved on from this divisive issue. There are far more pressing issues to concern us. A frank re-assessment of the movement's future validity is surely long overdue.

Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.

Charity should begin at home

I WONDER how many of your readers were as shocked as I was to learn that the Scottish Government is to spend £21.5 million over the next five years supporting the development of inclusive education in the sub-Saharan African counties of Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda as reported by your correspondent , James McEnaney ("Scotland to spend £12.5m to support education in Africa", The Herald, October 17). This is in addition to the £500,000 already committed to the World Bank’s Inclusive Education Policy Academy and the scholarships for woman in Zambia.

This commitment is all very commendable but surely not at a time when there is a general cost of living crisis here and especially when some Scottish pensioners are going to die this winter, due to the withdrawal of their winter fuel allowance without due notice, and many Scottish children continue to live in abject poverty. It is my opinion that this foreign support is more than excessive and should be pared back with a large portion of the aid being channelled into supporting the needy at home.

Christopher H Jones, Giffnock.

Rishi Dunak on May 22, announcing the General ElectionRishi Dunak on May 22, announcing the General Election (Image: PA)

We saw too little of Sunak

ARE any Conservatives wondering whether, by honourably resigning after the General Election, Rishi Sunak threw the baby (himself) out with the bathwater? He didn’t deliver his NHS waiting lists pledge, or debt reduction, but 1.7% economic growth is forecast for 2025, inflation's down from 11.1% in October 2022 to 1.17% , illegal immigration, down from 45k to around 30k, plummeted before the election due to the Rwanda threat.

His "they're queuing up at Calais waiting for a Labour Government" put-down to Keir Starmer in the second televised election debate proved accurate as Channel crossings are up, and he consistently bests Sir Keir in Prime Minister's Questions, leaving him floundering on Wednesday with his question on Labour's seeming reluctance to implement the Conservatives’ Foreign Influence Registration Scheme or the Freedom of Speech Act designed to preserve and promote it in academia.

No doubt he had to go, and I believe Labour has a more credible chance of tackling obesity, the benefits bill, NHS queues and two million economically inactive people, the existential threats, along with uncontrolled immigration, to the UK economy and society. But some may wonder if the Brexit, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss albatross round his neck deprived the UK of a Prime Minister we didn't have for long enough. He also bought his own suits and spectacles.

Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven.