THE three-way dysfunctional state of the SNP – Holyrood, HQ and Westminster – as reported on by Tom Gordon ("A bad week for the SNP – and it could get a lot worse", The Herald, April 21) was predictable. When the large 2015 Westminster group was formed, I spoke to a few I knew privately, and advised the formation of a formal liaison link between the Holyrood leadership and the Westminster group, which would meet regularly and ensure that the party’s parliamentary representation, while separated, acted as one; something that could only be accomplished if the Westminster group had a direct say in the policies pursued by the Holyrood Government.

The reason for my suggestion was obvious. At Holyrood you have a group with legislative and executive power, while at Westminster you have a group that for all the ability shown, can actually achieve little (100 amendments to the Scotland Bill, none accepted). The electoral message from this situation, as was evidenced at the last General Election with the loss of seats, is that the Westminster group was, and will continue to be, judged not by what it says in the House of Commons but by what is done or not done at Holyrood. That should have made a close working liaison essential. It did not, and has not, happened. It should now happen, and quickly.

Jim Sillars,

97 Grange Loan, Edinburgh.

PERHAPS William Durward (Letters, April 21) should be careful what he wishes for. Does he seriously think that sufficient talent resides in the opposition parties at Holyrood to "rescue" Scotland from the clutches of (to Mr Durward) the dreaded SNP? Taking a look at what’s on offer I honestly doubt that.

Ian Baillie,

1 Tudhope Crescent, Alexandria.

If William Durward believes that Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison and the SNP's shelf life have expired, he must presumably also believe that Westminster Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has expired on his shelf, given his admission that he breached money laundering rules, and that following the appalling treatment meted out to the Windrush generation, the rotten Conservative Government is rapidly decomposing on its shaky shelf.

And while medicines on the shelf in England cost £8.60 per item under Mr Hunt and his government, there is no charge for medicines on Scottish shelves, thanks to Ms Robison and her Government.

Ruth Marr,

99 Grampian Road, Stirling.

WILLIAM Durward asserts that politicians and political parties have a “shelf life”.

The evidence is quite clearly against him. Both Houses of Parliament are crammed with politicians of the Tory, Labour and Liberal parties who have carved long and lucrative careers funded by the taxpayer over many generations during the last century.

The relevance of restaurants having limited shelf life is quite lost on me.

Stuart Chalmers,

29 St James Avenue, East Kilbride.

SNP MP Pete Wishart is a brave man to declare that “to win (a second referendum) we are going to have to be creative” (“We must be creative to win a second referendum, says Wishart,” The Herald, April 23.

I thought this had been tried with regard to accountancy during the 2014 referendum to present figures in a misleadingly favourable light.

Sometimes referred to as cooking the books.

R Russell Smith,

96 Milton Road, Kilbirnie.