Contrast the treatment of Nicola Sturgeon with that of Boris Johnson

The National

3 days ago

For anyone who is expecting an impartial critique of the wuman that was the first minister of oor great country for around ten years and deputy first minister for around seven years prior to that – forget it! Put it this way: my view – as well as that of my partner, who was lucky enough to have a selfie taken with Nicola in Dunfermline during campaigning for the Scottish Parliament election of 2021 – is the total polar opposite to that of the late Alex Salmond's fan club. Bless his soul though, I'm not that cruel, and do acknowledge he was a colossus of the independence movement and Scottish and even UK politics generally.
READ MORE: Right-wingers fume over Nicola Sturgeon's Queen comments
It's a great pity, however, that many of Nicola's detractors can't be as magnanimous about her. Like for example Joanna Cherry, who in my view is spiteful. She basically minimised Nicola's career right doon tae solely the trans issue, for her temerity to genuinely try to make lives better for what I reckon, and many others do, are the most vilified minority group in society.
Then there was the Police Scotland fraud inquiry to investigate the spending of money that was raised specifically for independence campaigning, amounting tae aroond £600k (total peanuts in the scheme o' things!). Nicola during her interview was understandably emotional about what she quite rightly described as the equivalent of a murder scene at her hoose!
Contrast the treatment of her and her hubby tae the demonic clown Johnson's government during the Covid pandemic. We all now know about the granting of Covid-19 contracts for PPE without a competitive tendering process tae pals of the Tory party and to those that made political donations to them. Even the Tory-supporting Sunday Times concluded that £1.5 billion was handed oot tae them (a tad mair, methinks, than £600k)!
READ MORE: Top Scottish author says Nicola Sturgeon book launch could harm his sales
Nae polis tents in sight, of course, and naebody treated like a bloody murder suspect! In fact just nothing at aw! In my view, the English state protects their ain and the 'Scottish' yin, effectively a Yoon puppet o' the English yin, pounces at the first opportunity tae smash onything that smacks o' Scottish independence!
Onyway, it was great to see and hear fae Nicola again. Both myself and my partner wish her aw the best fur the future in both her professional and private life. Oh, and we will be buying her book! It will take pride of place on the proverbial coffee table. Ony visitors that utter even the mildest of criticisms of it will be ushered oot the door pronto, never to darken it again!
Ivor Telfer
Dalgety Bay
A STATUE of the late Queen Elizabeth is being prepared for George Square in Glasgow. John Swinney is heading the Scottish Government Committee for this statue. When I complained they told me it was 'right and proper' to do so. Compare that to the lack of support for the John McLean crowdfunder appeal for a statue to John MacLean's 100th anniversary, St Andrew's Day, November 30, last year. MacLean stood for independence before the SNP was born. Considering the republican socialist founding members, such as Roland E Muirhead, Dr Clarke, R B Cunninghame Graham, Compton MacKenzie, Hugh MacDiarmid etc, this was the last straw for many.
Donald Anderson
Glasgow