TO loud applause Nicola Sturgeon told 500 guests at a fundraising event in Glasgow in November that she would be "unveiling" the party's Growth Commission report in the New Year (initiated in 2016) setting out a fresh economic case for independence. Sensibly, she told the audience that issues like fiscal policy, inclusive growth and currency would be the key elements covered in the 400 page report. Hopefully then, the old maxim of "garbage in, garbage out" will be avoided this time round (unlike Alex Salmond's White Paper) and we can look forward to some serious debate.

Having said that her starting position is much worse now than during the 2014 referendum. For example, we are not on the "cusp of a second oil boom" as she then predicted (albeit there has been a very welcome rebound from $27, directly attributable to President Trump's stance on Iran and Venezuela) and her reassurances about our onshore revenues would somehow make up any shortfall have also proved groundless. Indeed the omens are not good in this regard due to our disappointing GDP growth (compared to rUK) which in turn will result in even higher Scottish taxation to make up the shortfall, especially when devo max "bites" and we become more accountable to raise of our own revenues.

A credible report would also spell out the hard truths about where the cuts would come from in our public services (currently funded by Barnett) as our public spending is 20 per cent higher (per capita) than in England. Furthermore, we need more information on when we could expect to apply for EU membership (which requires a fiscal deficit no greater than three per cent of GDP), how a transitional Scottish currency would operate (without serious devaluation and cost) before having to join the euro and most importantly the economic consequences of leaving the UK internal market where we do around four times the trade compared to Europe.

If on the other hand the report is based mainly on old fanciful claims like massive savings from Trident (billions rather than the more accurate figure of around £250 million per annum) whilst ignoring the cost of thousands of skilled jobs losses on defence contracts and fanciful savings from so-called tax loopholes and so on – then it will be seen as White Paper II with the "garbage in, garbage out" tag remaining.

Ian Lakin,

Pinelands, Murtle Den Road, Milltimber, Aberdeen.

AS we await the SNP Growth Commission’s report, and the renewed debate about independence that Nicola Sturgeon says it will “restart”, the question arises as to just how the SNP will seek to impose its will on the people of Scotland in the face of majority opinion supporting remaining in the UK and an even bigger majority being against the idea of another referendum anytime soon. The UK Government rightly responds to the talk of a new campaign for independence by saying that based on opinion polls there is "no appetite" for a rerun of the 2014 referendum” ("May: No wish for indyref2", The Herald, May 22.

If the First Minister does not have an answer for how she would plan to proceed with a new push for independence without agreement on a second referendum, what is the purpose of starting a new campaign? The supposed 400 pages of the Growth Commission report are surely academic if there is no prospect of a legal route to independence before the 2021 Holyrood elections. Unless of course the whole process is little more than political theatre for the benefit of the SNP’s core supporters, creating the illusion of a campaign when in reality the First Minister has no intention of implementing the new economic proposals for many years to come.

Keith Howell,

White Moss, West Linton, Peeblesshire.

A FEW observations on the current goings on. At a conference of British nationalists in London (where else?), we are repeatedly told that "there is no appetite for another Scottish independence referendum). Excuse me, but isn’t there a majority in Scotland’s Parliament for such an event, right now? That a majority of Scotland’s MPs would also be in favour?

Ruth Davidson and Michael Gove are said to be a “dream ticket” after Theresa May departs. Really? Ms Davidson's star is on the wane in Scotland, and Gove is one of the UK’s least trusted or liked politicians.

BBC Scotland reports, in context with England, about our huge drug dependency problem and relevant waiting times for treatment. Will BBC Scotland report all future news “in context”, as I believe all news should be so reported? Or is context only ever used by the BBC if it shows Scotland in a bad light?

GR Weir,

17 Mill Street, Ochiltree.

I WAS tempted to wonder in what school of horticulture Paddy Farrington (Letters, May 21) learned his cherry-picking. I find it noteworthy the number of issues which appear to have passed him by, such as the ongoing turmoil in the Scottish police, the problems with performance in the NHS generally and NHS Tayside in particular, the serious concerns being expressed concerning the education of our children, and the waste of taxpayers’ money and delays associated with new IT systems for the police, the NHS, and payments to farmers and crofters.

Perhaps in the eyes of some the SNP are ever virtuous come what may. By the way, it is not being so glum that keeps me going.

Ian W Thomson,

38 Kirkintilloch Road, Lenzie.

AND so our bold First Minister is supposedly about to launch a new campaign for a second referendum (“Sturgeon vows to relaunch indyref 2”, The Herald, May 21) .

Is she unaware, really, that only four years ago, after years of grievance-peddling, her party got its wish? Has she forgotten that she and her predecessor got the critical choice of wording and date, and much else?

Yet with all these advantages they lost. They lost despite all the Yes stickers on cars and windows and the marches and the lottery winners' cash and the flooding of TV and radio audiences.

I get no satisfaction in saying that your newspaper published a letter of mine, long before the 2014 referendum, predicting that unless a two-thirds majority or a 30 or 50-year ban was placed on any plebiscite, exactly the situation that is now ongoing would ensue. I did not need any special powers to see ahead.

Alexander McKay,

8/7 New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh.