Letters: The United Kingdom in its current form is now a political Carillion

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Can we please have a reality check? This country is rushing headlong into a catastrophe, all as a result of an antediluvian clique within the Conservative Party who seized the opportunity to harness the rabble-rousing rhetoric of a racist political party to their own ends.

It is not enough for Ruth Davidson to "expect" Brexit to be softer than people fear. Where is the vision, the planning, and the means of delivery, particularly when there is a deep-seated unwillingness to publish the results of analysis through fear of facing the reality of what that analysis shows?

As anyone who has read the occasional letter I've written on this subject may know, I have years of experience in trying to sort out failed organisations. I can guarantee that in nearly 40 years I have never come across such a complete failure of leadership and governance.

The United Kingdom in its current form is now a political Carillion.

And all the while, despite all the evidence to the contrary, Unionist voices continue to claim that the biggest danger facing Scotland is that Nicola Sturgeon remains obsessed with another independence referendum.

The Doomsday clock is now at two minutes to midnight. Here in the UK, the first chime of Big Ben has just sounded.

Bill Mitchell,

Upper Ardelve, Kyle.

AS the Brexit process runs its course, Scottish politicians are competing to make Brahan Seer sound optimistic with their predictions of impending doom. Yet, it’s not clear what it is that so enfeebles our land that we can’t survive without the helping hand of Brussels.

Perhaps the failings lie not in our national character but in our leadership: we have a class of Scottish politicians who can’t see a positive future through the fog of their own insecurity.

If one word defines Scots over the generations it is “resilience”. From deepest Africa to the snow-capped Rockies, from the edges of Assynt to the South Island of New Zealand, Scots have not only left our mark everywhere on this globe but positively thrived in adversity.

Unless Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson and Richard Leonard curb their unremitting negativity, we’ll all be dragged down into their pit of political depression and self-doubt. For all our sakes, they should hold their nerve, display some courage and have some faith that Scotland will progress regardless.

Calum Miller,

24 Polwarth Terrace, Prestonpans, East Lothian.

A PERSISTENT British nationalist refrain is that the SNP seeks to promote grievance against Westminster. Recent events suggest that the principal promoters of grievance are the Tories and their hapless administration.

They have rejected all SNP overtures for compromise over Brexit; dismissed a Scottish Government report on its dire consequences, while suppressing their own for coming to the same conclusions; sought to undermine the devolution settlement by insisting that devolved matters presently exercised by the EU are returned to Westminster; and failed to present any amendments to the relevant section of the Withdrawal Bill in spite of unanimous calls from the Scottish Parliament to do so.

To cap it all, they are now proposing to determine key aspects of Scotland’s future relationship with the rest of the UK in an archaic, unelected chamber where the SNP has no representation. Given this pitiful track record, why should we expect Scotland’s interests to be taken into account when the UK negotiates those fabulous future trade deals we keep being promised?

Paddy Farrington,

46 Marchmont Road, Edinburgh.

IT would seem the myopic view that Scotland simply would not vote for any alternatives to Theresa May still has some traction (Letters, January 31), but the same was said before the snap election: it was expected that the SNP would make losses after their historic performance in 2015, but for the Conservatives to secure 13 Scottish seats? This was the Conservatives’ best election performance in Scotland since 1983, yet some still claim that Scots wouldn’t dare vote for the alternatives to Mrs May.

I would contend that the Tories would have an even greater surge in votes if an election were held with the seemingly malevolent Jacob Rees-Mogg, Boris Johnson, or Andrea Leadsom contending for the premiership. As the SNP still flaunts the idea of a second independence referendum and Labour’s stance on Brexit grows more anti-democratic every day, the Conservatives are standing on the principle of democratic conviction.

If it were 10, even five years ago, I would agree with Ruth Marr’s assertion. However, the contextual apprehensions and political landscape have changed. So has Scotland.

Ross Wright,

Badger Court, Broxburn, West Lothian.

APPARENTLY Allan Sutherland thinks Scotland would benefit by having a Conservative government in Holyrood (Letters, January 25). He obviously doesn’t realise the woeful performance at Westminster of both Labour and the Tories over the decades has been a potent recruiting sergeant for the SNP.

A leaking aircraft carrier without any aircraft and a disintegrating parliament building at Westminster aptly symbols the Great Britain of today.

Lynn Gardener,

11/36 Western Midway, Edinburgh.