ON three occasions in the 20th century when the UK faced real peril (the two world wars and the Great Depression of 1931), we turned to a National Government for leadership. Politicians came together to deal with events that threatened to overwhelm the country. With our present Parliament in such disarray and with no immediate prospect of a political resolution, then perhaps the time has come for our politicians who have let us down so badly to put narrow party interests aside and work in the best interests of the country.

There are voices of real ability and sound common sense across parties to be found in Westminster. Sadly these voices are too often drowned out by the febrile claims of the Brexiters. A change of leadership in the Tory Party is unlikely to rescue us from the mess that we are in. Nor is a General Election, given the present polls, going to produce a strong government that commands a majority in the House. Given the real and present danger of political chaos, then surely there is now a strong case for political leadership that will act in the best interests of the country and form a National Government.

Now that we know the frightening costs and consequences of leaving the EU, then hopefully one of the first decisions of such a government would be to go back to the people with a second referendum. Even more hopefully would be a decision to introduce proportional representation for future Westminster General Elections and to abolish the undemocratic, anachronistic House of Lords.

Eric Melvin,

6 Cluny Place, Edinburgh.

NOW we know what the Conservative Brexiters meant when they said "Brexit means Brexit". They have assiduously worked to prevent the Prime Minister getting a deal that would benefit the country solely that they could take the opportunity to advance their own political careers: the real purpose of Brexit all along. Now, in the midst of a constitutional crisis that threatens the economic and social welfare of not only ourselves, but our children and grandchildren – as they themselves have constantly reminded us - they choose, with Brexit Day only weeks away, to plunge the country and the EU negotiations into turmoil. If I may paraphrase a famous Prime Minister, never in the history of this United Kingdom has there been such a bunch of self-seeking political chancers.

These "Honourable" Members have shown their true colours and their total disregard for anything other than their own greed, and the public should treat them as the worthless egotists they have shown themselves to be, and consign them to the political wilderness.

T J Dowds,

6q Fleming Road, Cumbernauld.

SEVERAL of your correspondents today (Letters, December 12) suggest sympathy for Theresa May would be appropriate.

Have they forgotten that she was part of a government which imposed such brutal austerity on the poorest members of society that they were disposed to lash out at the Establishment in any way they could?

Have they forgotten that she fed the flames of that disaffection by introducing the xenophobic "hostile environment" policies while she was at the Home Office?

Have they forgotten her behaviour during the pre Brexit debate, when she made herself so invisible that she was known as "Submarine May"?

Mrs May deserves no one's sympathy. She is probably the most self-serving and leadership-obsessed politician I have witnessed in more than 60 years of political awareness.

John Jamieson,

60 Craigie Road, Ayr.

I SAY to JS Morrison (Letters, December 12) that a gerrymandered referendum has no place in a mature democracy, which most of us thought ours was until recently, and that he is in fact arguing that lies and financial misbehaviour do.

Furthermore, the referendum, as I understand it, was advisory, Parliament and not the People being sovereign for good reason. The purpose of our representative democracy is to “provide a filter against mob rule, moods and errors” (AC Grayling). Elitist? No way. It stems from an understanding of how easily the voters can be manipulated by malign forces.

John Milne,

9 Ardgowan Drive, Uddingston.

SO Lord Foulkes wishes to sort out the constitutional position of England ("Why we need a UK Constitutional Convention", Agenda, The Herald, December 12). He seems to think sticking a few devolved assemblies in England will assuage the lack of a devolved parliament in that country, when many of us regard Westminster as very much England’s parliament. When Keir Hardie advocated Scotland having Dominion status, I doubt he would have settled for Holyrood, with its lack of authority, power and sovereignty. What will be the role of Westminster? What is the point of the Lords, even if new placemen replace old placemen (and women)?

I can see no future in Lord Foulkes's proposals. The UK is a lopsided, largely non-democratic, constitutional monstrosity, where we even have to pay to have a British state broadcaster (open the books and prove me wrong). I think Northern Ireland will go to join the Republic fairly soon (greatly pleasing John McDonnell) as the standard of living in the south overtakes that in the north. Scotland will either be first to leave or a close second, Brexit having opened our eyes to our true status within the UK.

GR Weir,

17 Mill Street, Ochiltree.

ALEXANDER McKay (Letters, December 12) writes that the “ever-opportunistic SNP” are “political pygmies”. Could I just remind him that at the 2015 UK General Election the SNP won an incredible 56 Westminster seats out of 59.

In all my 55 years, this result is by far and away the most astounding and resounding UK election achievement by any UK party. Even if I live another 55 years I don’t expect that this will ever be repeated.

What is noticeable to me is that Unionists on both sides of the “traditional” political divide never miss any opportunity to denigrate this achievement.

I am a socialist by nature and voted Labour in every election at all levels until I was well into my 40s, as did many working-class folk like me.

However, even I can see that the SNP’s accomplishment in 2015 reflects widespread deep-seated dissatisfaction in Scotland with the UK status quo. This will not dissipate easily…especially now.

How someone can describe the SNP as pygmies is incomprehensible unless that someone has a vested interest in attempting to ignore what is clearly in front of them.

Alan Middleton,

6 Newton Place, Glasgow.