Given his gloomy article (“SNP is a deflating balloon - its future is bleak”, The Herald, June 30), I can only assume that Neil Mackay wasn't in Dundee's Caird Hall last week where he would have found SNP members brimming with determination and relishing the prospect of taking forward the case for independence.

I can assure Mr Mackay that there is "no air, and hope," escaping the party, rather there is increased energy and optimism due in part to all the enthusiastic new members who have joined the SNP over recent months. Regarding independence negotiations, Mr Mackay states that "London will give two fingers to Edinburgh"; can he not see how totally unacceptable that is? I find it incredible that Mr Mackay and so many other journalists are failing to challenge the Tory government and Labour opposition as to how Scotland can leave this so-called voluntary union.

In pointing out that some SNP MPs are standing down at the next general election, Mr Mackay hails this is as "further squeezing the life out of the SNP balloon" but fails to mention the age of most of these politicians; being an MP is hard work, constantly shuttling back and forward to Westminster tiring in itself. And while I don't know what retiring SNP MPs will do when they leave the House of Commons, I can give a cast iron guarantee that none of them will be joining the Unionists in the unelected House of Lords.

Ruth Marr, Stirling

Yes, there is an alternative

I refer to Neil Mackay’s article (“Children are getting shorter as Tories shrink all our futures”, The Herald, June 29) in which he draws our attention to the consequences of 13 years of Conservative austerity. He paints a picture of the state of our society using strikingly effective Dickensian imagery and characterisation as in “British GPs report a resurgence of rickets and scurvy. We’ve reduced our poorest youngsters to the status of the Victorian workhouse”.

Although what we need is a refreshed social democracy there seems to be no willingness whatsoever, especially on the part of the Labour Party under the leadership of Keir Starmer, to initiate a debate on the necessity to move away from the Conservative Party’s doctrinaire neoliberalism which is fragmenting our society. In other words the whole country appears to have taken on board, lock stock and barrel, Mrs Thatcher’s assertion that “there is no alternative.”

Revealingly Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, maintains that the spiralling use of the Trust’s food banks in the UK represents “a failure of British society”. I would furthermore suggest that the aforementioned failure is deep seated, it being a failure of unreconstructed capitalism.

John Milne, Uddingston

What’s so wrong with a four-day week?

Private companies say it works. A four-day working week makes staff more productive, efficient, and content. Employees are also less stressed and likely to take fewer sick days and job vacancies are easier to fill.

Cambridgeshire District Council decided to give it a go. But the UK government says it's not appropriate for local authority workers and has ordered the council to end its "experiment" immediately, despite the first three months of the trial being an overwhelming success.

Staff are happier, services have not suffered, and in many cases improved, and the council is seeing a better quality and higher number of applications for jobs, already saving taxpayers £300,000 in expensive agency fees.

Scotland and Wales were also considering a trial period for their public sector employees. But Westminster will ensure that won't be allowed to happen. That's devolution for you.

And although some Labour MPs are putting pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to back his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn's pledge for a 32-hour working week the leader's position is less clear. He appears stymied by Starmerism.

Andy Stenton, Glasgow

Do not back pedal on green policies

A picture tells a thousand words and that's exactly what Steven Camley’s cartoon last Friday said loud and clear. It had the caption “Parliament goes on holiday” and showed a camper van with two arms protruding, one throwing out a can and the other a fish. Both are referencing the shelving of Green policies by the SNP.

Not so long ago, a year maybe, we had our milk delivered to our doorstep in glass bottles which we washed and left out for collection the next day. However, the milkman decided to ditch the glass for plastic and we had a mountain to dispose of. I cancelled the order and now try to find milk in cartons. We also have fish delivered to our street every week. Do I have to cancel this order too?

Individuals can only do so much. It’s up to governments to grasp the nettle and save the planet. Please stop back-pedalling SNP.

Susan Martin, Rutherglen

Some questions for SNP supporters

Within a few short minutes of sitting down to read The Herald today, I was near fulminating with rage at three of the headline stories created by our hapless SNP administration.

Firstly, the news that we the taxpayers are to be billed a further £20 million towards completing just one of the planned ferries (on top of the already soaring costs of over £100 million). Secondly, the revelation that SNP party funds do not show a robust traceable paper trail of receipts and donations. Thirdly, Humza Yousaf has decided we will adopt the euro when we apply for membership to the EU at some point in the future ether.

I would ask SNP supporters this: is this the kind of grown-up, responsible government you want to vote for that endlessly haemorrhages tax payers' funds on dead-duck, ineptly managed projects, the ferries being but one example? Also, are you convinced, reassured and confident that your donations and the party funds are being carefully and openly managed by your party?

Lastly, do you feel reassured that the First Minister that you voted for is away from his desk planning for an extremely uncertain independent Scotland, applying for EU membership and will in your name apparently abandon the £ for the euro?

Colin Allison, Blairgowrie

What we need is true consultation

Scotland’s coastal communities will breathe a sigh of relief that common sense has at last prevailed with the SNP’s latest U-turn, this one on proposed HPMAs (“Scottish Government shelves controversial marine area plans”, The Herald, June 30). We got to this point as a result of SNP ministers previously ignoring the genuine concerns of those most impacted by their proposed plans. Yet another public consultation exercise had been rendered pointless in the process.

All of Scotland should note how yet again, this is evidence of the SNP government having misused the ‘consultation’ process, manipulating it to merely provide cover for its chosen route, downplaying or ignoring all critical voices. This same cynical attitude has led to an undermining of the Holyrood committee system whereby an important check on government has been stymied by SNP tactics.

Whenever Scotland finally shakes off the heavy hand of the SNP on its devolved government, we must hope that whoever eventually replaces them re-constitutes the critical checks and balances of good governance, returning consultation exercises to being meaningful, and re-energising the Holyrood committee system.

Keith Howell, West Linton

Break-up but not as we know it

The people of Orkney and Shetland were not consulted in 1472 when the islands, formerly under Norwegian and Danish control, became part of Scotland as part of a Royal marriage pact. Tomorrow Orkney council will discuss a motion which proposes re-establishing Nordic connections with a view to seeking an alternative form of governance such as becoming a territory of Norway or of Denmark, using the Faroe Islands as a model.

The Shetland Islands will surely follow an Orcadian initiative. I wish the islanders well. The SNP may witness the break-up of the United Kingdom, but not as the SNP have desired. Scottish Borders take note.

William Durward, Glasgow