The missguided Tory attacks on Nicola Sturgeon will only backfire

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The criticism is also arrogant and misplaced. The last three years of Tory government in Westminster have hardly been stunning for their success (AFP/Getty)

It may be election bluster, but both Truss and Sunak don’t seem to realise that their criticism of the devolved administration of Scotland and the personal attack on Ms Sturgeon at the Conservative Party leadership hustings in Perth is a red rag to the SNP bull.

It is likely to backfire in that, although it may temporarily excite Scottish Tories, it will almost certainly increase support for independence from the UK.

The criticism is also arrogant and misplaced. The last three years of Tory government in Westminster have hardly been stunning for their success, and the fact that the country is currently suffering a leadership battle, itself unnecessarily drawn-out, is testimony to the almost complete incompetence of an administration in which the two leadership contestants have played important parts.

So, impugning the leaders of the devolved administrations of Scotland and, earlier, Wales, smacks of the pot calling the kettle black.

Professor Ian Reid

Kilnwick

Becoming French

In addition to blaming France for delays caused by the checks in Dover – which we asked for – and stating that as a nation, the French are grumpy in October on the anniversaries of Trafalgar and Waterloo, I see that Jacob Rees-Mogg is now worried that we are “becoming French” in our attitude to work.

Let us hope so; 2019 OECD figures available in the House of Commons library show that our productivity lags around 15 per cent behind that of France, in spite of the long holidays and protected employment rights which are enjoyed by French workers.

Mike Betterton

Skelton

A man’s game

Personally, I would sack Graeme Souness for referring to football as a man’s game and get some pundits who appreciate the beauty of football and not the crude, brutish approach to the game. Another pundit (Jamie Redknapp) said our game was based on tackles, presumably not that softy approach of other national teams who pass the ball to each other.

The best thing that has happened to football is the success of the Lionesses. They demonstrated all that is good in sport: playing as a team, proper constructive football, determined to win but playing within the rules.

The worst that has happened to football is the edict to keep the game flowing which gives a green light to the thugs to see how much they can get away with before the ref gets involved. An example is how the German team set about England physically,  in the Euro final. That type of football that Souness so admires is adopted to level up the game by an inferior team.

That is not the way forward, as England women demonstrated. Learn a lesson men and play football.

Robert Murray

Nottingham

Tory members, listen up

I wish to write candidly to the Conservative Party membership that the choice they face of the UK’s next leader is not a choice.

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Britain is tipping into a catastrophe which can only be stemmed with radical action. Millions of people are about to taste poverty for the first time. Those already poor are ruined. It’s not currently useful to blame anyone for Covid. For Brexit, I blame a bunch of ruthless liars and those who thirsted to hear their lies. I blame Putin for war.

All these difficulties are making money lose its value to the extent of a national emergency. If we didn’t care about domestic energy costs, what of those employers whose firms will go under because of energy costs?

One of the two candidates for office is financially literate and understands the priority of emergency over ideology. He has shown that in office at 11 Downing Street. The other one has so little appreciation for the fact that she has to reverse her soundbites every 24 hours.

Tim Cox

Switzerland