Stay awake to threat of Donald Trump - your views

Stay awake to threat of Donald Trump

When America elected far-right populist Donald Trump as President, I can remember Nicola Sturgeon coming under fire from pro-Trump, anti-Scottish independence supporters for her calling out Mr Trump's values

Former Prime Minister Theresa May and present PM Boris Johnson and large sections of our mainstream media were prepared to overlook Mr Trump's racist, homophobic and misogynist behaviour because of some abstract 'special relationship' Britain had with America. Apparently Ms Sturgeon's proper stance could not be allowed to supersede profit margins. America does not have relationships, it has interests.

Of course, we have to work with other countries, but if their leaders have different values, we must never compromise ours.

Now that Mr Trump's values have escalated into him trying to overthrow America's recent democratic election, culminating with him inciting his far-right fellow extremists to riot in Washington, Boris Johnson, whose political values are all too similar to those of Mr Trump has been forced by political expediency to offer his condemnation.

Recently the terms 'woke' and 'cancel culture' have come up in our conversations. Woke is seen as an alert to racism etc; we need to stay woke or remain awake. It is a byword for social awareness

Cancel culture, also known as call out culture, describes a form of attempted boycott of individuals because of their opinions which are seen as racist etc. Critics of cancel culture say their right to freedom of speech is under attack. This is one of the reasons the SNP's Hate Crime Bill is under attack.

So was Nicola Sturgeon ‘woke’ and was she right to call out Donald Trump?

Jack Fraser, Clayknowes Drive, Musselburgh.

Labour must rethink independence stance

The assumption that when Scotland becomes independent we will be governed by the SNP never ceases to amaze me.

I am one of the thousands of Scottish Labour supporters, who have no affiliation to the SNP but are forced to vote for them because we want to live in an independent Scotland

I have no delusions regarding the problems Scotland will face in the first years following independence. There are many hurdles which will need to be overcome, but in my view, with belief in ourselves, these can be overcome and it will be worth it to live in a country governed by a Labour party with true Labour values and hopefully once again be a member of the European Union.

Apart from a variation of a shared language I have nothing in common with those xenophobic and uncaring little Englanders, who have taken over the Conservative party.

I thought we could not have a worse Prime Minister than Theresa May, but Boris Johnson has proved me wrong.

I want my grandchildren to grow up in an independent Labour-run Scotland, so come on Scottish Labour, seize the future, embrace independence and welcome myself and other like-minded Scots back into the fold.

WA Ross, Broomhill Avenue, Aberdeen.

Make offices homes

With lots of offices shut down, and only 50% of people expected to go back in, this is a great chance for our government to think of the future.

Turn some of the empty offices into more affordable flats for the young ones.

This will help the economy in the centre of town. We don’t need any more student accommodation or hotels.

Roy Reynolds, Easter Hermitage, Leith.