Nicola makes the most out of a crisis - your views

Nicola makes the most out of a crisis

You have to hand it to her, Nicola Sturgeon knows how to take political advantage of a crisis.

After the Brexit vote to leave the EU, with the SNP having spent almost nothing supporting the Remain campaign, Nicola wasted no time in taking advantage of a manifesto to say that as Scotland was being dragged out of the EU against its will, that was cast iron reason for another referendum

And having backed an early general election last December, when the SNP said almost nothing about Indyref2 and which ended up giving the Tories an 80-seat majority, she is taking advantage of the unpopularity of the Conservatives to press the independence case more.

And now, with a mutant Covid virus spreading in London and the south east of England she wants to erect a pre-independence border between England and Scotland to stop the traffic.

Bans on planes and trains from London to Edinburgh and Glasgow? No need, let’s have border posts and checkpoints instead.

Fortunately Chief Constable Livingstone isn’t up for playing games, and while accepting the need for increased patrols, he has sensibly turned down flat this little SNP manoeuvre.

Phil Tate, Chester (formerly Craiglockhart Road, Edinburgh).

Eye hospital funding was shortsighted

News that a new £45m eye hospital in Edinburgh looks to have been shelved by the Scottish government due to funding issues sounds ridiculous when you see the amount of money wasted over the Covid crisis.

One example was the £5 million alone they gave the council for the Spaces for People scheme, where they have shut roadsand put concrete and poles in high streets to widen pavements that pedestrians don't really use, and also stop car users parking and using the local shops. I’m pretty sure some of the billions the Scottish government got from Westminster could have been put to better use.

Craig Naysmith, Mountcastle Crescent, Edinburgh.

Legal appeals should pay for failure

The three teenage killers of PC Harper - jailed for 16 years and 13 years - appealed their sentences as being "manifestly excessive". Their appeals were refused.

Attorney General Suella Braverman claimed the sentences given were "unduly lenient" and wanted a stiffer sentence but this was rejected. The trial cost £720,000.

Taxpayers are willing to pay the legal costs to seek stiffer sentences but why should they pay for criminals' unsuccessful appeals?

Criminals' defence teams are paid handsomely. The law must be changed so that if a criminal's appeal is not upheld, then the lawyers representing them do not get paid.

Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow.

Don’t pin hopes on answers from Angela

I imagine Nicola Sturgeon had difficulty finding some-one to take responsibility for Scotland's shocking record of drugs deaths - but Angela Constance?

Her last two ministerial roles haven't covered her in glory. As social security minister, she failed to implement a new benefits system so Westminster had to rescue her by retaining powers much longer than previously agreed.

And before that, after pretty much zero progress in reversing declining standards as education minister, she was replaced in 2016 by John Swinney.

I realise being a dyed-in-the-wool separatist is a key requirement for serving in Sturgeon’s cabinet but must it be the only requirement?

Martin Redfern, Melrose.