Who is the greater poet, Burns or Shakespeare?
ELEANOR HATTON, Islington No doubt – Robert Burns. Shakespeare was the better dramatist! Isn’t it true that Scots don’t really want independence? They just support you because they are fed up with Labour and the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives are non existent in Scotland? HUGH MACDONALD, Edinburgh Recent polls suggest otherwise. A clear majority of Scots now support independence. Why did you stand down as leader, and why did you come back? DAVID SMITH, I was leader for 10 years and after the Scottish election of 1999 I felt that was a good time to step down. I came back to campaign to be First Minister of Scotland and because I believe we can make Scotland a more successful country than we are today. Do you support green taxes? HENRY BIRTLES, Hackney, London Yes, but only as part of a package and not the blunt taxes favoured by this Chancellor, such as hikes in fuel duty which hurt people in rural areas who do not have the same alternatives to the car. We have to do more than
