Fears for future

At the outset let me state that I voted No in the referendum, not because I was influenced by all the pro-Union alarmists, but because, attempting to think for myself, I had certain issues with Scottish Government policy.

However, I must confess to considerable apprehension with regard to many aspects of this pre-election scenario.

The noted American economist, W Edwards Deming, was largely credited with inspiring the post-Second World War Japanese “economic miracle”. In this connection, he famously offered 14 key principles for effective management.

Number eight of these was: “Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company.”

To my mind, this is a tenet to which today’s politicians would do well to pay attention.

I see the front-runner in the present political “driving in” of fear as David Cameron, closely followed by the leaders of the other main parties.

The SNP has its share in this, but it is largely the butt of the toxic verbal missiles hurled by the fear merchants.

I believe Nicola Sturgeon is honest and has the best intentions, but any of her assertions about “working together”, or “extending the hand of friendship”, or that “this has nothing to do with independence” are all dismissed, sneered and trampled on, with fear emerging triumphant.

Tagging along with all this, of course, are some of the equally toxic contributions from your entrenched anti-SNP correspondents.

All this seems to me to be very bad for politics, democracy and the future of this country, whether united or otherwise.

Phrases and words such as “working together” and “co-operation” have been notably absent from all of this, and as for compassion sensitivity and humility – not a hope! I remain quite worried about our future.