AS an SNP member I never thought I would live to see the day that an embattled SNP First Minister would be writing begging letters to the Labour, Liberal, Green and even Tory party leaders, asking for support, while ignoring the potential support of a former SNP minister and former SNP leadership candidate. I hope whoever becomes the new First Minister does not repeat this exercise. I dread to think what would be the price of Tory support to prop up an SNP government for the next two years.

READ MORE: John Swinney to 'consider' calls for him to step in as SNP leader

I note that the current leader of the Greens is now saying that if there is willingness to work together “on progressive values” then there is “no reason” his party will not work with a minority government. I dearly hope that Mr Harvie’s definition of “progressive values” does not include blatant denial of the scientific facts in the Cass report, dreams of heat pumps for all, the return of gender policy to the top of the political agenda, or his or Ms Slater’s return to the Cabinet table. If that is the case I think it would be time for the Scottish electorate to have their say.

This is a time for brave hearts, not faint hearts, and certainly not a time to let the Greens decide who will be Scotland’s next First Minister or continue to drive the nation’s policy agenda.

Brian Lawson
Paisley

THE UK Internal Market Act, introduced by an authoritarian Tory government at Westminster without any mandate from the people of Scotland, was designed to effectively neuter the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.

The resignation of Humza Yousaf as First Minister and the possibility of an early change of government bears witness to the success of this devious strategy. Should that new government be an anti-independence government then the Tories will also have succeeded in returning control of Scotland to a London-based UK party, regardless of whether Douglas Ross or Anas Sarwar were to become First Minister.

READ MORE: Kate Forbes issues statement after Humza Yousaf steps down as SNP leader

This will have been achieved in spite of a vote of almost 75% in favour of devolution, the election of a majority of pro-independence parties at Holyrood (and an overwhelming endorsement of the SNP on a first-past-the-post basis) and around 50% or more in favour of self-determination.

Furthermore, with the introduction of Brexit (and a “Hard Brexit” at that) which was rejected by the Scottish electorate, what will it take to convince the rest of the people of Scotland that “democracy”, as dictated by a London-centric UK Government, is failing Scotland and that this dire predicament will only significantly change if Scots finally take control of their own destiny!

Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian

THE SNP have the political brains of a rocking horse. Why didn’t Humza Yousaf leave the Greens to fight amongst themselves? If they decided to tear up the Bute House Agreement, Harvie would have resigned. If they decided to stay THEN Yousaf could have booted them out. Win win.

Jim McLean
London

READ MORE: RECAP: SNP leadership race begins after Humza Yousaf resigns

WE don’t need Alistair Carmichael to tell us that the UK Government will try to block Alba’s proposed referendum on extending the powers of the Scottish Government to encompass holding an indyref.

Of course they will try to block it. They will try to block any and every move which would take us closer to independence.

READ MORE: Humza Yousaf warned against Ash Regan's indyref2 bill

If they don’t try to block a proposal it’s because it DOESN’T bring us any closer to indy.

The Scottish Government will never make progress on independence if it’s scared to court Westminster disapproval.

As a lifelong member of the SNP, I think Alba’s suggestion is a clever attempt at getting round our current stalemate.

Mary McCabe
Glasgow

REFERRING to Alex Salmond’s appearance on several media outlets on Sunday, a writer on Facebook stated that Alex Salmond was a joke.

I can’t help smiling when someone makes this claim, as the image of Alex is construed by the very media outlets this writer is referring to. Those are the same outlets that have done their damnedest to portray not just Alex, but the entire independence-seeking array of politicians, their policies and achievements, in the worst imaginable light they can concoct.

READ MORE: SNP 'old guard' stopped Humza Yousaf making deal with Alba, Alex Salmond claims

Alex Salmond was put through the mill by some past colleagues who sought to thoroughly discredit him, yet came out of it unscathed to then witness the same past colleagues fall from grace.

Salmond is head and shoulders in knowledge and political ability above those who have followed, and the joke is on those who think otherwise.

He is not done yet, with plenty mileage in the tank and an ambition shared by many still to achieve.

The SNP is now in a right bourach – or at least the aforementioned media would appear to have it that way – with the independence dream in line to bear the brunt.

Now is the time, indeed gie near the hour to stand up and show mettle, cut the division, bury past hatchets, pull like minds and enthusiasm together with SNP and Alba working finally toward the independence goal all of Scotland so desperately needs and deserves.

Tom Gray
Braco

SARWAR is complaining about possibility of an unelected First Minister and no-one is reminding him about Vaughan Gething, the new Welsh First Minister, who is also tainted by a donations scandal. The Tories would not dare to complain; they just could not. Hopefully the Greens are finished – no more second votes for them.

Winifred’s McCartney
Paisley