AFTER Neil Mackay's skewed attempt to attach Shakespeare's Macbeth to the latest moves within the SNP (“Swinney must beware the ruthless ambition of his Westminster chief”, The Herald, November 14), it was a huge relief to read Kevin McKenna's article today ("Flynn is the SNP's last chance: let the bloodletting begin", The Herald, November 19).

In my opinion, his account of Stephen Flynn, the SNP and the Yes movement is exactly correct. I hope Mr Flynn, Kate Forbes and Joanna Cherry all take heed of his analysis and work together towards the 2026 Holyrood election, reconnecting the SNP with the Yes movement - especially the other parties who support independence which were so stupidly and destructively rejected by SNP leadership on the way.

For Scotland's safety, against the centralised power of this London Government, flailing as it is amid international disgrace as a supporter of genocide, privatised and broken public services, economic failure, environmentally disastrous energy decisions, we need very tough, sharp, effective personalities to expose and fend off the worst effects of UK Labour's political duplicity.

In such dangerous times, Scotland's best chance lies in protecting Holyrood, which is already under attack from Labour controllers in the so-called Scottish Office; like Mr McKenna, Stephen Flynn has simply confronted the fact that this won't happen in the cynical pantomime that is the discredited House of Commons, where constitutional law and international treaties are broken; where Prime Ministers tell bare-faced lies; where Scottish representatives are regularly silenced and treated with contempt: that stage full of "poor players" , strutting and fretting to no avail whatsoever. It is very clear that democratic accountability at Westminster ceased to exist in June this year.

In this way, contrary to Neil Mackay's worst imaginings, Mr Flynn's focused ambition is obviously for Scotland, not himself. He has made a wise decision: for Scotland's sake, Holyrood is now the most important place to be for our most able politicians. And to that end, he also has to sort out the SNP.

Again for Scotland's sake, and with no apology whatsoever to the misguided interpretations of Mr Mackay, I believe the large majority of SNP members, the entire Yes movement and associated political parties are wishing him, Ms Forbes and Ms Cherry the very best of luck. May all three be "bloody", if and when necessary, "bold and resolute".

Frances McKie, Evanton.

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• THE excellent Neil Mackay has certainly encouraged us to swot up on our Shakespeare since his superb article last week using Macbeth quotes concerning politics today; surely a time, if ever there was one, to "Brush up your Shakespeare, Start quoting him now".

I easily thought of The Fool in King Lear as a superb example of the awful Boris Johnson who served us as PM, but I remembered being told while studying the work at school (a long, long time ago) that The Fool serves us and Lear himself as the crucial truth-teller in this superb play, and, from memory, offers us (the reader/the electorate) "insight and constructive criticism"; so that obviously rules out the incompetent and self-important Johnson straightaway.

Regarding Stephen Flynn just now in Scotland, I guess "The play’s the thing, Wherein we'll catch the conscience of the king".

Walter Paul, Glasgow.

Double standards on dual mandate

SOME politicians have short memories and double standards when opining about the so-called dual mandate, whereby MPs can also be MSPs.

At the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, there were several Westminster MPs from different parties, including Labour, SNP and LibDem, who were elected to the Scottish Parliament as well as myself, the only Independent MSP elected in 1999.

I was also the only MSP who did not hang on to my Westminster seat until the subsequent Westminster General Election. When I announced that I was giving up my Westminster seat, I did so for two reasons. Firstly, it is obviously impossible to be in two places at one time and secondly I had given a commitment to my constituents that, if I were elected to the Scottish Parliament, I would give up my Westminster seat.

When I kept that commitment, I got dog’s abuse from some quarters. The General Secretary of the Labour Party even tried to tell me that my constituents did not want a by-election. In fact, it was the Labour Party that did not want a by-election.

Dennis Canavan, Bannockburn.

A pattern of broken promises

A PATTERN is emerging from this Labour Government of broken promises. And Scotland should take note.

Two years before the UK General Election Keir Starmer announced 10 key pledges, including restricting foreign arms sales, hiking taxes for the richest, ending the two-child benefit cap, scrapping tuition fees, a £28 billion investment in the green economy, and freedom of movement within the EU. Also more rights for trade unions, workers and migrants.

He whittled the list down to "Five Missions For a Better Britain" two months before the 2024 election, dumping some, U-turning on others, and watering down the rest.

Now his puppet in Scotland Anas Sarwar is attempting to mislead voters in the same way by proclaiming he'll "expand" the winter fuel payment, which is being denied to about 900,000 pensioners in Scotland this year because of a funding shortfall from Westminster, if Labour wins the Holyrood elections in 2026 ("Sarwar says Scottish Labour will reinstate winter fuel payment", heraldscotland, November 19).

If that really is the Scottish Labour leader's desire why doesn't he just call his boss at Number 10 and ask for payments to be reinstated now?

Of course, if Labour is successful in two years' time Mr Sarwar will no doubt use the same excuse as Keir Starmer for reneging on his promise: a black hole left by the previous administration. Except in this case it could easily be argued it's the UK Labour Government that created the hole.

Andy Stenton, Glasgow.

Shock beckons in 2026 election

NO wonder Anas Sarwar wants to bring back the winter fuel payment. His Westminster Labour colleagues did him no favours in the run-up to the Holyrood 2026 election by dumping it.

Mr Sarwar now has another problem: the Labour Party's unfathomable attack on farmers with a catalogue of highly questionable numbers that has left Rachel Reeves open to huge criticism and fatally undermined Labour's credentials when it comes to smart economics. Mr Sarwar is being destroyed by his own party who are trying to bluff it out. The problem here for Labour is that voters are heart sick of being taken for granted by governments both here at Holyrood and at Westminster.

The SNP cannot take heart either as its record in government is equally abysmal. Is a shock result on the cards for the 2026 election? Absolutely.

Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.

Remember the decades of failure

DENIS Bruce (Letters, November 19) exhorts us to have grit and stamina whilst the latest Westminster administration, elected more due to Buggins' turn rather than perceived intellect, “puts the UK back on a seriously secure economic footing”.

Labour’s failure to tax the money launderers, the rich and the property speculators is blithely ignored.

Indeed “its poll ratings collapse over the withdrawal of winter fuel payments, the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions, the inheritance tax attack on farmers and the retention of the two-child benefit cap” is merely down to a wee bit of bad press.

It would appear Mr Bruce has set a Year Zero and previous decades of failure upon failure have been discarded. Instead he would have us believe the UK’s economic troubles are down to “14 years of Tory mismanagement”.

Really?

Alan Carmichael, Glasgow.

Anas SarwarAnas Sarwar (Image: PA)

Farmers need support

LABOUR’S proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) represent a grave threat to Scotland’s farming communities, particularly in areas like Perthshire and Stirlingshire, where farmland is the lifeblood of local economies.

Far from being mere "loopholes", APR and BPR enable farming families to pass their businesses down the generations. These are not corporate assets; they are legacies, built on hard work and slim margins. Diluting these reliefs could push families to sell land to large corporations or non-agricultural developers, eroding Scotland’s rural character and threatening food security.

Farmers need support, not punitive measures. I urge Labour to reconsider these damaging proposals and stand behind our agricultural communities. Supporting farmers is about safeguarding the backbone of our economy and preserving a way of life integral to our identity.

Alastair Majury, Dunblane.