Scotland's choice-hope or fear

In the course of last week one of Scottish Labour's stategists announced that in this campaign "it is fear, not hope that will win."

You certainly can't accuse Labour of hiding either their cynicism or the low esteem in which they hold the hearts and minds of the people of Scotland.

It is interesting then that the new week should begin with the Sunday newspaper columnists struggling to come to terms with the possibility that the choice throughout Scotland on 3 May was already quite clear and that in every constituency and region in Scotland the people may already know what it is.

Back in February, Bill Samuel, former Senior Corporate Adviser to the Royal Bank of Scotland and former Chairman of Motherwell Football, had already acccurately identified the question before the people of Scotland as being quite simply "Will we settle for demoralising mediocrity or set our heights on a higher ambition?"

In the ensuing weeks the clarity of the choice has simply intensified.

Mediocrity and fear with Labour or vision, confidence, hope and claiming responsibility for our nation's future with the SNP and Alex Salmond as First Minister.

It is interesting that there are certainly signs that all who wish to cast out the mediocrity and fearfulness in which Labour has enmeshed Scotland are realising that the way to do it is to use their first and second votes for SNP.

Lachie McNeill